Scouting Vols Commit: Breaking down film for DT Charles House news on it…
DL Charles House commits to Tennessee football, saying ‘it was just meant to be’
One of Tennessee’s top defensive-line targets, Charles House of Huntersville, N.C., goes in-depth on his decision to commit to the Vols
Charles House has felt comfortable at Tennessee since the first time he visited the Vols last fall, and they remained at the top of his list until he went on his first official visit earlier this month. Circling back to Tennessee last weekend convinced him that the school he has liked from the start is where he belongs.
The Class of 2025 defensive lineman from North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, N.C., announced Saturday that he has committed to the Vols, choosing Tennessee over Georgia. Alabama and Georgia hosted him on official visits this month in addition to the Vols, and while each trip resulted in a change to his list of favorites, his strong connection to Tennessee ultimately helped the Vols come out on top.
The 6-foot-3, 288-pound House became Tennessee’s 13th commitment for the 2025 class. He joined Top247 prospect Ethan Utley of Nashville, Tenn., and four-star edge rusher Jayden Loftin of Somerville, N.J., as the third projected defensive lineman in the Vols’ class.
Before publicly revealing his decision, House told GoVols247 that he picked Tennessee football because of “the relationship with the coaches, that bond that got built over this time.” He added that Vols coach Josh Heupel has been “calling me all the time, talking to me,” and he has enjoyed “just going down there and being able to click with everybody” each time he has been on campus.
“It was just meant to be,” said House, who ranked the No. 612 overall prospect and No. 64 defensive lineman in the 2025 class and the No. 14 rising senior from the state of North Carolina, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
House admitted that his first visit to Tennessee, which allowed him to attend the Vols’ win over Texas A&M on Oct. 14, made them his early leader. His trips to Knoxville in February and April solidified their standing at the top of his list, and his official visit to Tennessee last weekend reminded him of everything he likes about the program.
“When I went down the first time, I was already sold and I loved it down there,” he said. “But I had to go around and give everybody a look and come back around and see them.”
While he admitted that it was “really hard” for him to decide between his three finalists over the past few weeks, he was sold on his opportunity at Tennessee for multiple reasons. In addition to his relationships with the Vols’ coaches, including senior defensive analyst Levorn Harbin, he said “the depth chart and the way my family thought about them” factored into his decision.
“My family loves everything about them,” House said. “They fell in love with it, too.”
House said he’s also excited about having the opportunity to play in the SEC, “because that’s the closest thing to NFL football.”
“I just want to put myself in a position somewhere that I want to be in the next couple of years,” he added.
He said Harbin has been in contact with him since even before Tennessee football gave him a scholarship offer in early September, just two games into his junior season. Heupel’s staff has also made House a priority for months and has helped him feel right at home each time he has traveled to Knoxville.
“Coach ‘Chop,’ he calls me every day, and that relationship’s just been building ever since,” House said, referring to Harbin. “Before they even offered me, he used to call me, talk to me and stuff like that. That relationship right there just built on its own.
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“And then the whole staff, it’s just like a big, happy family over here. They let you know what’s real. They let you know everything that you need to work on and stuff like that. Like I said, it just became that real with me ever since the jump.”
Tennessee football defensive line coach Rodney Garner has also impressed House, along with Garner’s track record of producing NFL defensive linemen.
“The way you see him act on an official visit is the exact same way you’re going to see him act when you’re playing for him,” House said of Garner. “Me and him went over the defensive schemes, and I can see myself fitting into the defensive schemes they’re playing.”
House said the Vols made it clear during his official visit to Knoxville last weekend that they envision him playing defensive tackle, lining up in multiple spots. He said he “probably” will be used “mostly” as a three-technique defensive tackle.
“They want to move me around a lot on the defensive line,” he said.
Tennessee’s coaches stressed to House that he was important to them, he said, because of “my first step off the ball, my work ethic” and how “determined” he is on the field. He now will get a chance to address one of the Vols’ biggest needs on defense, with Tennessee preparing to lose perhaps each of its top four defensive tackles after this season.
“There’s a chance for me to come in and make an early impact,” he said. “I don’t know about freshman year, but I know my sophomore year I can potentially be starting.”
House said he expects to arrive at Tennessee after graduating from North Mecklenburg in May. With his decision behind him, he doesn’t expect to continue exploring any other options in the coming months.
“I plan on shutting things down,” he said.
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