USC Trojans

Tennessee visits five-star DE, take hilarious photo with him

Published Jan. 29, 2016 1:08 p.m. ET

foxsports

Tennessee has not given up on its recruitment of junior college defensive end prospect Jonathan Kongbo, even after the top JUCO prospect in the nation backed off his commitment to the school after receiving several additional big time offers. So how are Butch Jones and staff hoping to lure the five-star prospect back to Knoxville? Ice cream of course.

Kongbo tweeted out this picture Thursday following his visit with the coaching staff, with Jones apparently climbing his back, defensive line and associate head coach Steve Stripling throwing up the "Vol" sign, running back coach and recruiting coordinator Robert Gillespie keeping chill and new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop looking indifferent as he stares into the soul of the camera while holding his ice cream cone:

@UTCoachJones @UTCoachBobShoop @UTCoachG @UTCoachStrip #Vols #VFL pic.twitter.com/st6FeQdtaZ
— Jonathan Kongbo III (@King_Kongbo) January 28, 2016

Of course Twitter responded accordingly to the ice cream photo:

Lt. Dan wouldn't be a good Butch Jones recruit. RT @swilliamson74: https://t.co/BDxC1GAqXz @SwainEvent @SethStokesTSE
— Jayson Swain (@SwainEvent) January 29, 2016

Why's Butch Jones holding an ice cream cone and trying to get a piggyback ride? pic.twitter.com/EAXnlYcyU0
— Nelson (@NellyD15) January 28, 2016

The five-star defensive lineman was also visited by Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze this week and is taking an official visit to Florida State this weekend. The three schools, along with USC, are Kongbo's four finalists.

Jones and his staff have lived by their "Brick By Brick" motto since his arrival to Knoxville just over three years ago and the results have certainly paid off following back-to-back top 10 ranked recruiting classes. If the Volunteers are able to land the signature of Kongbo come National Signing Day, they may just have to adopt "Scoop By Scoop" as the latest successful moniker on Rocky Top.