Boyd, top Virginia QB, commits to Vols : govolsxtra.com

HAMPTON, Va. - An hour following his team’s 77-0 thrashing of Denbigh, most of which he watched from the sideline, Phoebus quarterback Tajh Boyd announced his commitment to Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.

Boyd, who committed to West Virginia in March but changed his mind last month, visited the Knoxville campus last weekend. He said he is aware of the rumors regarding Vols coach Phillip Fulmer’s job status, but he’s confident there won’t be a change.

“I know people are talking about that, but when I spoke with Coach Fulmer and their athletic director (Mike Hamilton), they told me they didn’t think anything was going to happen,” Boyd said. “Plus, I have to like the school in general. And I love the school.

“I got to talk with Coach Fulmer and the other coaches, and I like them a lot. It’s a chance to play in the SEC, and that’s a great opportunity.”

The main reason Boyd reneged on his commitment to WVU was that he didn’t feel comfortable with the Mountaineers’ offensive philosophy. But he likes what he sees out of Tennessee.

“Basically, they run about the same offense there that we run here,” he said. “They run a lot of roll-outs like we do. And I feel I can come in and play early in that type of offense.”

Tennessee, 3-5 going into Saturday night’s game at South Carolina, has three underclassmen on the depth chart at quarterback: sophomore Nick Stephens, junior Jonathan Crompton and freshman B.J. Coleman.

None of them have been all that effective, combining for a 51-percent completion rate and six touchdowns.

Boyd attended the Vols’ 29-9 loss to second-ranked Alabama last Saturday. Boyd said he was impressed the 106,138 fans that flocked Neyland Stadium.

“I had planned on dragging out the process a little longer, but I wanted to make a decision and then focus on the rest of the season ... ,” Boyd said. “I think this will be the best place for me.”

Boyd, ranked by most analysts as the top high school quarterback in Virginia, has completed 57 of 91 passes (63 percent) for 1,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He missed two games with a sprained knee.

Boyd hit on 5 of 9 throws for 121 yards on Saturday before re-injuring his knee early in the second quarter. He watched the remainder of the game from the sideline and was walking fine after the game.

“I’m good,” he said.