As Josh Heupel and his staff continue to work the recruiting trail, this spring and summer will prove to be an important time for Tennessee football recruiting with the number of high-level targets the Vols are after.
With Tennessee hosting a big recruiting weekend at this Saturday’s Orange & White spring game, let’s check in with some of the latest recruiting rankings around the industry as April begins to heat up.
On3 Sports released its updated 2026 rankings on Tuesday with Tennessee falling just outside of the Top 10. Tennessee lands at the No. 11 spot with one five-star, three four-stars, and four three-stars. The Vols come in as the fifth-highest team from the SEC behind No. 1 LSU, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Texas A&M, and No. 9 Auburn. Notably, Tennessee currently sits in front of No. 13 Texas, No. 14 Florida, No. 16 South Carolina, and No. 20 Georgia – though it is still quite early in the cycle as a whole.
Here’s a breakdown of where Tennessee class is ranked as of Apr. 8:
- National Rank: No. 11
- SEC Rank: No. 5 (1 LSU, 5 Bama, 6 A&M, 9 AUB)
- 5-Star: 1
- 4-Star: 3
- 3-Star: 4
- National Rank: No. 14
- SEC Rank: No. 3 (4 LSU, 5 A&M)
- 5-Star: 1
- 4-Star: 4
- 3-Star: 3
- National Rank: No. 8
- SEC Rank: No. 3 (3 LSU, 4 A&M)
- 5-Star: 1
- 4-Star: 4
- 3-Star: 3
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The only difference with the way that the organizations have Tennessee’s players graded is that defensive lineman Tyson Bacon is listed as a four-star with 247 and Rivals and a three-star on On3.
Tennessee’s eight total commits at this point are just a tick under the average for the teams in On3 Sports’ Top 10. The Vols have eight commits while the average for the Top 10 is 9.9 commits, as things currently stand.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s eight commitments in the 2026 class:
QB Faizon Brandon
- 5-Star
- Grimsley High School – Greensboro, NC
- 6-foot-3.5, 195 pounds
WR Tyreek King
- 4-Star
- Knoxville Catholic – Knoxville, TN
- 6-foot, 170 pounds
OT Gabriel Osenda
- 4-Star
- Baylor School – Clearwater, FL
- 6-foot-7, 305 pounds
TE Carson Sneed
- 4-Star
- Donelson Christian Academy – Nashville, TN
- 6-foot-5.5, 235 pounds
DL Tyson Bacon
- 3-Star
- Hoover High School – Hoover, AL
- 6-foot-4, 265 pounds
LB Braylon Outlaw
- 3-Star
- Pike Road High School – Pike Road, AL
- 6-foot, 200 pounds
EDGE CJ Edwards
- 3-Star
- Saint Joseph – Metuchen, NJ
- 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
WR Tyran Evans
- 3-Star
- William Amos Hough High School – Charlotte, NC
- 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
