

One of the highest-ranked prospects in Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class has parted ways with the Vols and already has found a new home.

Four-star Class of 2020 defensive end/linebacker BJ Ojulari of Marietta (Ga.) High School decommitted from the Vols on Sunday, sources told GoVols247, and he announced Sunday afternoon that he has committed to LSU.

The 6-foot-3, 224-pound Ojulari, who’s the younger brother of Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, had been committed to Tennessee since Aug. 16. He chose the Vols over Auburn, Georgia and LSU at the time.

The Vols are left with 16 known commitments for the 2020 class.

He’s a teammate of four-star Tennessee quarterback commitment Harrison Bailey. But another of his teammates, five-star athlete Arik Gilbert, announced his commitment to LSU on Wednesday, choosing the Tigers over Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Texas A&M.

Ojulari is ranked the No: 139 overall prospect and No. 9 weakside defensive end in the 2020 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

Earlier this month, he told GoVols247 that he was “pretty solid on Tennessee” at the time despite the Vols’ slow start this season. But he admitted that he still was hearing from Auburn, LSU and Georgia, the other schools he considered before committing to Tennessee.

Ojulari said at the time that he was not wavering on his commitment to Tennessee, but the other teams — and his brother — are trying to “get me back up there” to visit them again.

“I’m pretty solid on Tennessee,” he said earlier this month. “I don’t know. Really, my brother, he’s in my ear. He wants me to change my mind so bad.

“LSU’s in my ear, Auburn, so I’ve just got to stay solid.”



While Ojulari said at the time that he was not second-guessing his commitment to the Vols, he admitted he wanted them to show progress over the final two months of the season.

Tennessee has won two of its past three games.

“I still think they’ve got (eight) games,” he said earlier this month. “They’ve still got a chance to redeem themselves, to win some games. I still believe in the coaching staff and what they’re trying to do in building Tennessee back up.

“I just want to see a little improvement in their game. How they compete with these SEC teams and stuff like that is going to be a factor.”

Ojulari, who’s still on track to enroll at the school or his choice in January, has piled up more than 10 sacks for Marietta so far this season coming off an impressive showing at The Opening Finals in early July.

“I’m trying to go for the (school) sack record — season sack record,” he said earlier this month. “I’m well on track to get that right now, so that’s my goal.”