Ta’Shawn Poole will announce his commitment on July 17, narrowing a three-team race between Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State

Ta’Shawn Poole, a four-star safety prospect from Howard High School in Macon, Georgia, has set a commitment announcement date for July 17. Poole’s decision will come from a three-school group that includes Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State, setting the stage for a final recruiting sprint ahead of the 2027 class turning over to signing and spring-summer roster building.

The announcement timing matters because Poole is viewed as one of the more significant defensive back additions available in the 2027 cycle. According to Yahoo Sports, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect is ranked as the No. 4 safety in the class and the No. 6 player in Georgia by 247Sports. He has also drawn broad interest beyond the finalists, with Tennessee among the programs that have been actively recruiting him for more than a year.

Tennessee entered the picture early. Yahoo Sports reported that the Volunteers offered Poole a scholarship on Feb. 21, 2025. The same report said Poole has visited Tennessee three times, including an official visit on June 5. That kind of repeated contact often indicates more than basic evaluation, and it gives Tennessee a clearer window to shape how Poole fits into the program’s defensive back development plan.

Georgia and Florida State have remained central to the recruitment as well. On3, citing a report published through Warchant, said Poole and his representation, Elite Sports Management, announced the July 17 decision date, and that Poole framed his three finalists as programs that “develop NFL-ready DBs.” In that same reporting, Poole discussed having “strongest relationships” among the three schools, and he suggested each has a plan to give him a path to play early and develop his skills.

Poole’s recruiting timeline has included official visits to all three finalists. On3 reported that he took officials to Florida State, Tennessee and Georgia, and also took additional visits earlier in the process. That matters for the way recruiting staffs typically compare recruiting pitches, because seeing the same prospect multiple times allows coaches to test fit at different stages, including how a player responds to position coaching and defensive schemes in person.

For the schools involved, the decision represents more than one roster spot. Tennessee is continuing to build out its 2027 class, and Yahoo Sports reported the Volunteers had 16 commitments already as of the time of the article, spanning multiple positions across the defense and offense. Landing Poole would add a high-end safety target to that foundation and reinforce the depth of Tennessee’s secondary recruiting.

Georgia and Florida State will also be watching the same calendar. With the official decision set for July 17, Poole’s choice is likely to clarify recruiting priorities for defensive backs among the finalists, including how each program balances present needs with long-term development for a class that still has time to grow. The main question for the rest of the month is whether Poole’s relationship and visit history translate into a final commitment quickly once his announcement window opens.