Running back Jarvis Giles offered a strong hint last week that he wouldn't be playing football for Tennessee shortly after Phillip Fulmer's ouster.

This week, he made it official: The Vols are out. South Carolina leads.

Giles told the News Sentinel on Monday he is no longer committed to UT. He becomes the third commitment lost since Fulmer's dismissal was announced Nov. 3.

"I'm set heading somewhere else," the 5-foot-11, 185-pound tailback from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla., said. "The only reason I committed to Tennessee was Fulmer. We had a real strong connection.

"I liked Fulmer a lot. That's why I was so dedicated to Tennessee. Now since he's gone I feel that there's really no point for me to be there."

Giles is the highest-rated UT commitment to de-commit from the Vols' 2009 class. Giles is considered one of the top 100 prospects in the nation.

UT also has lost safety D.J. Swearinger from Greenwood (S.C.) High School and offensive lineman Antonio Foster from Valdosta (Ga.) High School.

"It's crazy because I didn't want this to happen - going through all this recruiting thing again," Giles said.

Giles is considering Illinois, Nebraska, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Illinois seems unlikely, Giles said, because of the distance from his family. That also would seem to eliminate Nebraska.

Giles said he is considering taking two of this three remaining official visits to Nebraska and Ole Miss. Giles took an official visit to South Carolina last week.

"I had a lot of fun out there," he said. "I met Steve Spurrier. He's a real nice dude, down to earth. He's funny. He likes to joke around. He's a real good guy."

"South Carolina right now is the leader."

Giles said last week that he would play wherever his UT recruiter Stan Drayton coached next. That doesn't seem to be the plan now.

"He just told me to hang tight," Giles said of Drayton. "He's the type of guy that's not going to be mad at you (if you go somewhere else).

Wherever Giles ends up, he's learned something about college football.

"It's a business," he said. "You've got to look at it from that perspective. Not everything is written in stone.

"I'm just trying to make the best choice for me and my family. That's all I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to get caught up in a whole bunch of stuff that's going on.

"Tennessee's got a lot of things going on."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.