PERKINS TWP. — He figured it would be a weekend to use up an official visit.

Matt Hoty didn’t think he’d be a Volunteer.

The two-time Division II state shot put champion for Perkins signed a letter of intent Wednesday and accepted a full ride to compete on the track and field team for the University of Tennessee.

He received his first letter from Tennessee in June, and liked how Knoxville was all about the University of Tennessee.

“I got overwhelmed (on my visit),” Hoty said.

The school also has a new computer science department, something Hoty said would be great to go through as one of its first students.

The Vols expanded the role of J.J. Clark — who guided the Lady Vols to two national titles and six Southeastern Conference crowns since 2002 — to oversee both the men’s and women’s track and field.

“They know how to do it; they just haven’t had the time,” Hoty said.

Hoty, defined as much by his long, curly hair as his success, owns an array of Sandusky Bay Conference, district and regional titles, as well as two state titles his sophomore and junior year.

As a sophomore, he set the state meet record with a 62-foot and one-quarter inch toss in June 2008, and the state Division II record with his 64-8.5 effort in May at the regional tournament in Lexington.

His goal for 2010 is as obvious as a Volunteer orange: three straight.

“I want to win it on shot and do as well as I can in the discus,” said Hoty, who spent all summer working on discus. He’d also like longer throws because the Divsion II marks are shorter than the D1 and D3 records.

Hoty considered Stanford, Virginia and Ohio State, but the Vols were the only school to offer him a full athletic scholarship.