Nevin McKenzie isn't willing to admit he's leaning towards committing to Tennessee. But he sure sounds like it.

"I just feel real comfortable with everybody there and everybody on the coaching staff," said the 6-foot-2, 210-pound junior college safety from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. "That's where my family wants me to go."

UT's coaches sold the McKenzie family, namely Nevin's mother, on being a Vol during an in-home visit.

"She felt comfortable when all the coaches went to talk to her," said McKenzie, who has two years of eligibility remaining. "She felt like they had the best in mind for me -- as far as what they could do for me instead of what I could do for them."

McKenzie plans to finalize his decision this weekend. He's also considering Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida after eliminating TCU. The Sooners may also be on the outside looking in.

"I want to play in the SEC," McKenzie said, "but Oklahoma has a good football tradition."

That would seem to leave Arkansas and Florida as UT's main competitors for the star from John Jay High School in San Antonio.

"It's an up and coming team," McKenzie said of the Razorbacks. "They're not real good right now but they're getting there."

If there's any SEC school hotter than UT in recruiting, it's the Gators. Florida has 24 commitments and is one of the few teams battling for the top signing class of 2007.

"They win," McKenzie said. "They just won the national championship."

McKenzie is quick to point out that Florida's most recent title will have little effect on his decision.

"Really nothing," he said, "because of the fact that there's hardly ever a team that wins a national championship twice."

McKenzie, who was headed to Kansas State out of high school before academics got in the way, surely shot up UT's priority list when starting safety Demetrice Morley was kicked out of school for academic shortcomings earlier this month. The vacancy wasn't lost on McKenzie.

"I was going to play immediately anyway," he said, "but yeah (it's a factor)."

One doesn't have to dig too deep to uncover McKenzie's reputation on the field. Just ask Mark Sartain. He was the coach at Trinity Valley before moving to East Texas Baptist University following the 2006 season.

"The one word that best describes him is 'tenacious,' " Sartain said of McKenzie. "He's an extremely aggressive physical, reckless player. The kind you want to coach.

"He's an extremely intelligent player that understands the concepts involved, but more than anything, he understands the violence and likes that part of the game."

Even though UT is recruiting McKenzie to play safety, Sartain said his star pupil could play outside linebacker or cornerback, as well as either safety position. McKenzie had 182 tackles and eight sacks in his two seasons at Trinity Valley.

"You want to put him somewhere where he can hit," Sartain said. "He's legit. There's no fluff there. He's 100 percent football player."

Football practice hasn't always been physical enough for McKenzie. Sometimes, he and his friends would take their pads home after practice and hold their own.

"Ever since I was in midget football," he said. "We used to put on our pads, go around back and go head up."

Perhaps the strongest compliment paid to McKenzie was one given by a former opponent.

Sartain said a recently hired coach on his new staff claimed that his former team accounted for McKenzie, a safety, with an offensive linemen. Safeties are rarely accounted for in running plays. Tailbacks are expected to make the last man miss. That wasn't good enough when McKenzie was on the field.

"He's an impact guy," Sartain said. "Everybody on the field will know where he is."