Highly touted defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs committed to Tennessee over Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio State on Instagram Friday afternoon.
Hobbs is a top 100 national recruit and the top recruit left on Tennessee’s recruiting board in the 2023 recruiting cycle. Earning a commitment for the Concord, North Carolina native over two SEC rivals is a major win for Josh Heupel and his staff. While Hobbs chose between six schools, the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide were Tennessee’s top competition.
Alabama and Georgia recruit at elite levels that no one else in the SEC consistently recruits at. Beating out the two conference foes for a highly touted defensive lineman is a major coup for the Vols.
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Hobbs ranks as the No. 96 player and No. 12 defensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class according to the 247sports composite rankings. On3 is even higher on Hobbs, ranking him as the No. 80 player in its consensus rankings and a five-star and the No. 20 player in its own rankings.
The 6-foot-4, 277 pound defensive lineman visited all three of his finalists this fall including taking in Tennessee’s wins over Florida and Alabama at Neyland Stadium. Hobbs also took in visits for Alabama’s win over Mississippi State and for Georgia’s win over Tennessee— his final visit.
Tennessee adds Hobbs to a loaded defensive line class that already includes top 100 commits Chandavian Bradley and Caleb Herring. Hobbs becomes the fifth defensive line commit in the class and the fourth four-star. However, Hobbs is just Tennessee’s second interior defensive line commit.
Hobbs commitment gives Tennessee the No. 11 class in the country according to the 247sports team rankings.
