Things have picked up recently in Tennessee football recruiting, as the Vols have added a number of notable prospects over the last few weeks as Josh Heupel’s class begins to take form ahead of the 2025 season.
Here’s where things stands as of early July with regards to Tennessee’s group of commitments and where that class stands on a national scale.
On3 Sports/Rivals has Tennessee holding the 14th-ranked class for 2026 with 17 recruits and an average score of 89.902. The class consists of one five star, 8 four stars, and 8 three stars.
The five star
As most Vol fans know, the five star is Greesboro, NC QB Faizon Brandon the future of Josh Heupel’s offense and a player he hopes can help land some of the outstanding recruits the Vols are pursuing who have not yet committed.
Brandon is ranked by On3 in their industry rankings as the #13 overall player, #3 QB, and #1 player in the state of North Carolian
The four stars
Tennessee picked up four four-star commitments over the last week: athlete Legend Bey (Forney, TX), edge Kedric Golston II (Ashburn, VA), and Jackson, MS teammates DL Dereon Albert and TJ White. Albert and Golston figure to slot into the defensive line rotation early, while White has the size (6’1”, 225 pounds) and athleticism to see playing time early as well.
Bey is intriguing, as he’s a small (5’9”, 170 pounds) player, but he’s electric with the ball in his hands and should fit in as an ideal slot recevier. He plays quarterback in high school, so cue up the trick plays.
Prior four-star commits include OT Gabriel Osenda (Clearwter, FL), Knoxville WR Tyreek King, edge Zach Graves (Cross Plains, TN), and TE Carson Sneed (Nashville, TN). King is obviously an interesting player as a hometown standout and a highly touted prospect – #19 overall and the #1 wide receiver by Rivals. Osenda also comes in highly touted as a five-star recruit by 247 Sports and the #19 overall player.
The three stars
When you get to three stars, to a degree – at least for me – it’s largely about players with special physical traits, and the Vols have some who have them.
I have to say I love the athleticism of a local player in Zaydyn Anderson, a three-star commit from Greeneville, TN. Anderson is the definition of an athlete, and he just so happens to be one of the fastest individuals in the state. He earned All-State honors this year in football, was on the basketball team that made it to the state Final Four this year, and he helped Greeneville win the track state championship as the champion in the 100 meters and long jump. Pretty ridiculous athleticism that I bet Josh Heupel will figure out how to utilize.
I also find West Orange, NJ DB KJ McClain an interesting player. He held an offer from Penn State that he declined in favor of Tennessee, and he has the positional versatility to play either at safety or slot corner. When you’re trying to contribute, playing multiple positions is crucially important.
Vol fans should have their antennae up still in a couple of five-star recruits for whom the Vols are still in solid contention – WR Tristen Keys and RB Savion Hiter. Keys is still committed to LSU, but it’s been no secret that the Vols have been in the thick of things trying to flip his commitment. Tennessee has been high on the list for Hiter – the nation’s top RB – and a decision between UT and Michigan could be coming this summer.