Tennessee continues its recent surge in recruiting, adding the 15th commit of the 2023 cycle in talented athlete Cam Seldon of Heathsville, Va. The four-star is a dynamic player on the offensive side of the football for Northumberland High School – starring at several positions.
The Vols like the 6-foot-1, 220-pound weapon at both wide receiver and running back and believe he can make an impact at both positions in Southeastern Conference play. Seldon made multiple trips to Knoxville this past spring and really solidified his decision following his official visit towards the end of June.
Josh Heupel’s Vols won out over Penn State and Maryland. Seldon is considered the third-best prospect in the state of Virginia, the No. 20 athletes in the class and own a Rivals Rating of 5.8. Seldon’s commitment is Tennessee’s second receiver, joining Nate Spillmanand sixth on the offensive side of the football.
Here’s a detailed look at what Seldon’s commitment means for Tennessee.
SCOUTING REPORT
“Cam Seldon is a humble, hardworking kid. He’s a coach’s dream to have at any program you want. He’s so humble and not an ego or selfish-driven kid. He’s got a team-first attitude and is always caring about his teammates. He’s a great leader and has great intangibles. He’s a better person than he is an athlete – and that’s saying something.
It’s a blessing to be able to coach someone with that physique and someone who is that big and strong, but who is also fast. He can make a play at any time of the game. He’s a great route runner and has great hands. You can have him in the backfield running the ball. He’s definitely another Deebo Samuel because he’s so versatile in his game.
He can be on the defensive side of the football, making plays, interceptions and tackles. He can return kicks on the special teams unit. Having a guy like that who can do so many things is great for your program. It’s also great for the kids to see that level of competition and greatness every day at practice. They are watching it on the field and in the weight room. The kids have been sticking with it, seeing how he does it and following his lead. That’s the leadership I’m talking about. His teammates see what it takes and do what he’s doing.”
— Aaron Lewis, Northumberland head football coach
HIGHLIGHTS
HOW SELDON FITS IN WITH THE VOLS?
It’s a man amongst boys situation when watching the tape.
Seldon plays just about every position for Northumberland, excluding the interior trench play. He’s logged snaps at wide receiver, running back, wildcat quarterback and tight end on offense and also comes off the edge on defense while playing safety and cornerback as well.
As his head coach stated above, Seldon sports a really unique blend of size with speed. He’s the fastest guy on the field (he can run a 4.4 in the forty) and has long strides to get past the second and third level of the defense. Once he’s in the open field, he game over. No one is catching him. Simple go and post routes can be completed on just about any moment with Seldon out wide.
The weapon is also used in the slot to get the ball in space. Seldon shows good hands and recognition when getting the ball on both bubble and tunnel screens – shows good vision in finding a lane and is patient while running behind his blockers. He’s a good route runner, but that can be refined more at Tennessee.
In the backfield, Seldon wins the edge on stretch or toss plays. He also knows when to cut back when finding a seam. At 220 pounds, the running back can get the one yard needed to move the sticks. Even though receiver is his natural position, Seldon is physical when running through the hole.
On defense, Seldon is skillful off the edge – showing the speed to race to the quarterback. He’s good in coverage and is physical with receivers. Tennessee’s new athlete also shows great ball skills as a returner, finding space to maneuver through while returning punts.
Along with football, Seldon impresses as a sprinter on the track and field team.
WHAT DOES SELDON’S COMMITMENT MEAN FOR TENNESSEE?
It’s big for now as Tennessee only [previously] tallied one commit at running back and wide receiver – and with the running back board very uncertain right now – Seldon acts as insurance at the position. He will play both at Tennessee and could be used in different spots – depending on situation – in the future. Though Deebo Samuel is the easy comparison, look for Seldon to master one position first with the Vols before moving all over.
The commitment also gives five-star quarterback commit, Nico Iamaleava, a true weapon in this offense. Before today’s commitment, Tennessee only registered one commitment on the offensive side of the football dating back to the quarterback’s announcement in March. Though more will likely follow Seldon in the coming weeks, the Vols needed to get the offensive recruiting rolling as we near mid-July.
It also shows this staff closing on a guy they targeted early in winter and who spent several weekends in Knoxville in the time that followed. Tennessee will miss Cedric Tillman in 2023 but plan on returning a veteran group of receivers and running backs in 2023.
Seldon won’t need to be rushed into action once he steps on campus, but with his skillset, it won’t take him long to find the field as a freshman. Now, the Vols turn their attention to fellow receiver Nathan Leacock and offensive tackles Sham Umarov, Stanton Ramil and Lucas Simmons as each are nearing decisions in July.