Why a North Meck defensive tackle committed to Tennessee ahead of Alabama and Georgia

Charles House fell in love with the orange.

The North Mecklenburg defensive lineman went to a University of Tennessee football game last fall with Daryl Vereen, the Vikings’ newly-minted head coach. Vereen, an alum of both North Meck and Tennessee, had his son with him for a packed home game that brought a lot of his former teammates back to Neyland Stadium.

It was the Hall of Fame induction of Eric Berry, a two-time All-American defensive back with the Volunteers before becoming a nine-year NFL veteran. House met Berry and soaked in the whole gameday experience at his coach’s alma mater.

The rising senior announced his commitment to Tennessee on Saturday, picking the Volunteers over Alabama and Georgia.

‘An everyday kid’

House is considered a four-star recruit by On3 Sports, which also lists him as the ninth-ranked football prospect in North Carolina.

A Queen City 3A/4A All-Conference selection following his sophomore and junior seasons, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound tackle has excelled on the Vikings’ defensive line. He tallied seven tackles for loss and three sacks last fall after recording 40 total tackles as a sophomore.

When he initially showed up at summer workouts, he was already the biggest lineman at North Meck. House earned a spot as a starter on varsity as a freshman and went on to lead the Vikings’ defense with four total sacks.

“He’s an everyday kid,” Vereen said. “He doesn’t miss practice. He doesn’t miss workouts. Anything football-related, he’s there. And he’s never really been a follower.”

Vikings to Volunteers

Vereen took the helm at his alma mater in May. The Vikings had gone 5-6 last fall and hovered around the .500 mark for most of previous coach Damon McKee’s four seasons.

A former All-Observer pick who led Mecklenburg County in rushing, Vereen was a standout at North Meck and went on to play four years at Tennessee. He initially redshirted and then saw action over four seasons in a Volunteers uniform, making the Freshman All-SEC team in 2008.

A three-sport athlete at North Meck, Vereen also won the 2005 basketball state championship and competed in several sprints and relays on the track.

He’s grown close with House over the past three years serving as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Vereen lives near him, and the two have taken recruiting trips together around the Southeast.

But even on Saturday, Vereen truly didn’t have any reason to think House would ultimately choose Tennessee over Alabama or Georgia. While he seemed to have an enjoyable experience at that Volunteers’ game against Texas A&M in December, Vereen remembers seeing House smiling ear-to-ear after his official visits to Tuscaloosa and Athens as well.

House did his research, studying depth charts and thinking about how he and his parents felt he’d fit into different programs.

And like Vereen did 17 years before, House fell in love with the orange.