Why Tennessee football, Neyland Stadium stood out to Whites Creek WR De'Aries Holland

De'Aries Holland knew one thing he liked about the University of Tennessee before the Vols offered him.

Neyland Stadium. He'd seen it on TikTok.

The Whites Creek junior wide receiver is the No. 28-ranked recruit in the state and No. 96 wide receiver nationally, according to 247Sports Composite. He's still early enough in his recruitment that much of what he knows about college programs are being formed. But he already holds offers from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Colorado, North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, and Nebraska.

Tennessee was one of the first schools Holland saw up close. In June 2025, before his sophomore season, the Vols wanted him in Knoxville for a camp. 

Holland said a Tennessee had been sending him camp information through social media before Whites Creek head coach William Darnell called and told him the Vols wanted to work him out.

He joined other recruits at the camp and competed against defensive backs in individual and one-on-one drills.

“I got to talk with Coach (Kelsey) Pope (Tennessee's wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator)," Holland said. "He was talking to me a lot, communicating with me, wanted me to see me run different type of routes, line up inside and outside. I won every rep.” 

He wasn't shocked about the offer after camp,

"The way he was on me and what routes he wanted me to run, I was like, yeah, he really liked my game," Holland said. "So I expected it, but I didn't want to put myself in that moment where I was fully expecting it and didn't get it."

Why Tennessee football stood out to De’Aries Holland

Holland grew up near Madison, Tennessee and traces his football roots through Old Hickory and Bordeaux before reaching Nashville’s 7-on-7 circuit. 

That circuit also introduced him to players he later associated with Tennessee. Holland played 7-on-7 through National Playmakers Academy with former Tennessee and current Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Boo Carter, and Tennessee wide receiver Tyreek King. 

“I look up to them and take what they have in their game and try to put it in mine,” Holland said. 

When Holland reached Knoxville, one thing stuck out instantly. The city was quieter than Nashville, but Tennessee football atmosphere was impossible to avoid.

“Everywhere you go, you’ll end up seeing somebody with a UT shirt on,” Holland said. “Everybody.” 

Holland said a school’s culture and how people carry themselves around campus are among the things he considers during recruiting. He also pointed to Virginia Tech when asked about a recruiting experience that has stayed with him, recalling how coaches spending time to really get to know him made him feel welcomed. 

Holland caught 39 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore and added 276 rushing yards for three touchdowns, while Whites Creek finished 7-3 in Class 3A, but missed the playoffs. 

He said he wants to surpass 1,000 yards and put Whites Creek back in the postseason. Meanwhile, his recruiting stock could continue to grow, and maybe his social media algorithm will change too.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Tennessee football, Neyland Stadium stood out to Whites Creek WR De'Aries Holland