Jamyan Theodore has fully embraced being considered an in-state recruit even though he was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He arrived in Chattanooga last year to begin playing football for The Baylor School. In that short time span, Theodore fell in love with the idea of becoming a Vol.
The three-star cornerback recently committed to play for UT, choosing the Vols over Kentucky, Ole Miss, Wisconsin and Louisville.
“Just playing football in Tennessee and gaining a whole bunch of accolades and awards and building my own legacy, I feel Tennessee can help me build on that legacy and go even further with it,” Theodore says. “I feel like I can accomplish a lot of great things there and I’ll be around the right people with the right coaches that could help me elevate not only as a player, but as a man as well.”
Theodore, 17, started playing football in Canada at age 4 alongside his two older brothers, Jalany and Jayden.
“I played up against my brother’s age group,” he says. “I’ve just been playing football my whole life, and my love for the game has never faded. I think I’m a fierce competitor, and I love the game of football, and I’m ready to compete against whoever.”
Before arriving at The Baylor School, Theodore spent two years in Ohio with his dad and two older brothers. The siblings played at Lutheran West High in Rocky River, Ohio.
“We always wanted to go to the States and get recruited out of high school,” Theodore says. “I ended up going early just so I could get a taste of what the States are like and how football is played there, just because it’s so much different. I spent two years there playing varsity, so it was a great experience for me.”
Rolling with the changes
Theodore was planning to go to McCallie School in Chattanooga. But once he was put on the waitlist, he contacted Baylor head football coach Erik Kimrey and a friend who was on the team.
“He told me, we’re going to need some guys, and I got in contact with them, and a whole bunch of people around my circle helped me get to Baylor,” Theodore says. “I spent my junior year there, and this coming year will be my second. I have really enjoyed it. I feel like I have improved as a player.”
Theodore lives in the dorms at The Baylor School as a boarding student. He returned to Canada this summer to visit his family.
“I miss home a lot, but it’s a sacrifice that I’ve decided to make to pursue my dream, which is making the NFL,” he says. “And I think Baylor and Tennessee are going to be able to bring me to that level. I feel like it’s the right step that I needed to take in my journey and I’m very, very grateful that I took that step.”
Theodore’s older brothers have helped him develop into a high-level Division I recruit over the years.
“I feel like I get my talent from my brothers, and my dad has always been the one who coached me and my brothers,” he says. “They’re two very good athletes, very capable of playing at the same level that I’m playing at. I just had a great opportunity. They’ve had more of a bumpy ride, but I feel like they’ll be able to get to the same level as me soon, and they’ll get recognized by colleges very soon.”
Both sides of the ball
Theodore played mostly corner at Baylor last season, but expects to see more time at wide receiver in 2025.
“The main position that we really needed for Baylor was corner, and that’s where I stepped up. I thought I did a great job being a lockdown corner that was going to be able to shut down one side of the field,” he says. “For college, I’m getting recruited at the corner right now. I’m just going to college ready to help out the team in whatever way, just like I’m doing at Baylor.”
Theodore plans to study business law at UT. Although his goal is to play in the NFL, he realizes having an education is important for life after football.
“I take school seriously. I’m not just a football player that’s just focused on football,” he says. “I speak three languages (French, English, Haitian Creole). I have a great family and I’m very family oriented with great people surrounding me.”