The commit parade continued for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday.
This time, it was 2026 three-star athlete Javonte Smith (Jackson, TN) pulling the trigger for the Big Orange.
BREAKING ATH Javonte Smith has committed to Tennessee, @ChadSimmons_ reports
Read: https://t.co/hx7QKMYmFT pic.twitter.com/hoNdoWnVD9
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 8, 2025
Smith is the #850 overall recruit, #126 wide receiver, and #27 player in the state of Tennessee according to On3/ Rivals industry database.
However, the tape was enough to impress coaches at six SEC schools to extend scholarship offers to Smith. Besides Tennessee, Smith held offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. He picked the Vols over the Hogs and Tigers.
Smith has offers to play both wide receiver and defensive back, but it appears Smith will head to Knoxville to play as the latter. It’s interesting because, according to On3, Tennessee offered Smith as a wide receiver as a sophomore. As I mentioned before, versatility is never, ever a bad thing when trying to leave your mark on a team.
Smith becomes the 18th commitment for Heupel in the 2026 class, and the seventh player from the state of Tennessee.