Tennessee TE high on Cavs, Cardinal

Increased interest from two of the nation’s most prestigious academic-athletic programs has led to a reshuffled list for one of Tennessee’s top prospects.

Nashville Montgomery Bell Academy tight end Tom Santi says Virginia and Stanford now head his list of prospective schools.

“I really like what they have to offer in both academically and athletically,” he said. “They’re very prestigious schools with good football programs. Plus, I kind of like the idea of getting out and going away from home. I wouldn’t mind experiencing something new.”

Santi (6-5, 225, 4.52) has already drawn offers from Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Iowa, Colorado, Tennessee, Northwestern and Stanford. He recently sent game film to Virginia coach Al Groh and believes the Cavs may be close to offering a scholarship based on the letters he’s received of late.

“I don’t really have a top five right now, and I’m still pretty open-minded, but those two schools stand out,” he said. “Coach (Jeff) Rutledge here at MBA is pretty tight with coach Groh. He’s had all kinds of good things to say about him, and he seemed like a really great guy when I got a chance to talk to him on the phone.

“I don’t know a great deal about Stanford other than the basic stuff, but I’ve enjoyed talking to my recruiting coach, David Kelly. We’ve had some good conversations, and he’s really got me interested in taking one of my visits out there. It sounds like an amazing place to go to school.”

It’s been an extremely productive offseason for Santi, who has pushed his bench press from 275 to 315 pounds and increased his squat from 400 to 450. He was also recently measured at 36 inches in the vertical jump.

As a junior, he caught 46 passes for 650 yards and 12 touchdowns. The three-star prospect is rated the No. 15 tight end prospect in the nation by Rivals.com.

Academically, he boasts a 3.9 GPA and has scored a 1340 on the SAT.