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Don’ta Hightower is hearing the pressure as a Tennessee prospect, but it’s not all to play for the Vols.

Hightower, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound linebacker from Marshall County High School in Lewisburg, said he often hears that he should choose Alabama.

He said his aunt and uncle, who are Alabama fans, and his mother are the loudest people supporting the Tide.

“My mom was at Alabama with me,” Hightower said, referring to his unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa in June. “She doesn’t want me to go Tennessee. She wants me to go to Alabama.”

Hightower doesn’t know where he wants to go yet, but said his top five schools are UT, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Vanderbilt. He plans to take three of the five official visits allowed by NCAA rules.

UT and Alabama will be two of his visits. He said Georgia Tech will likely be the third.

Hightower said he wants to take fewer trips so he doesn’t waste his time visiting a school he knows he won’t choose.

“I want to be here and not be gone every weekend,” he said. “I don’t want to be gone when I can be home working and trying to get a state championship.”

Hightower’s trip to UT, which he hasn’t scheduled yet, will be important. He’s never been to the Vols’ campus and said he needs to see it before he makes a decision.

“I’m not going to commit or think about it until I see the campus,” he said. “So I need to get up there as soon as possible.”

Hightower has already received a visit from UT coach Phillip Fulmer. He stopped by Hightower’s school in April.

“That means a lot to me because that shows he’s really interested in me,” Hightower said. “That makes me feel like I need to work harder to keep him from looking somewhere else for another linebacker from another school.”

Hightower’s college position is actually still undetermined. He has played defensive end, middle linebacker, tight end and wide receiver at Marshall County.

Hightower said UT is recruiting him to play either side of the ball. Alabama prefers him on defense while Georgia Tech likes him on offense.

Hightower said his preference is to play on offense, which he will consider in his decision.

“It might not be a big factor but it will be a factor,” he said.

Another factor in Hightower’s decision will be academics. He said he wants to study something dealing with either business or computers in college.

Hightower said each school’s academics will be a big part of his decision.

“Every high school player’s dream is to play in the NFL,” he said. “If I’m not able to go because I’m not good enough or if I’m injured I want to be able to fall back on something to support my family.”

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.