Tennessee Football Recruiting: Vols inching closer to another top-10 class

Coming off a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024 and a top-three finish in the SEC, Tennessee has its eyes on another strong recruiting class.

After finishing 11th nationally in last year’s Team Recruiting Rankings, the Vols sit at No. 12 this year as football season looms.

The Vols now have 23 commitments in the fold, including five-star Grimsley (N.C.) quarterback Faizon Brandon, the crown jewel of the class. Brandon chose the Vols in August 2024 over dozens of other offers, and he’s locked in to be a major piece of this group.

“I started feeling Tennessee a while ago,” Brandon told Rivals when he committed. “They started recruiting me early, and the first impression they made on me was unlike any other. The staff recruited me hard from the get-go, they kept it steady with me and they pushed so hard to get me. All of that made an impact on why I picked them.”

The 6-foot-3.5, 195-pounder threw for more than 2,100 yards and 27 touchdowns last fall, while completing a laser-sharp 76% of his passes. He’s flanked on the offensive side of the ball by four-star wideout Tyreek King, speedy athletes Legend Bey and Salesi Moa, a blue-chip tight end in Carson Sneed and four-star offensive tackle Gabe Osenda, among others.

On the defensive side, Tennessee holds 15 early commits, with seven projected to play on offense for Josh Heupel Co. Nine of their 23 pledges are in-state prospects — headlined by four-star athlete Joel Wyatt — while 12 check in as blue-chippers (four or five-star recruits).

The up-to-date Tennessee recruiting class can be viewed below:

Tennessee commitments by position

Quarterback
Five-star Faizon Brandon, No. 11 NATL. (No. 3 QB)

Wide receiver
Four-star Tyreek King, No. 128 NATL. (No. 16 WR)

Tight end
Four-star Carson Sneed, No. 371 NATL. (No. 17 TE)

Offensive tackle
Four-star Gabriel Osenda, No. 226 NATL. (No. 19 OT)
Four-star J.B. Shabazz, No. 308 NATL. (No. 28 OT)

Interior offensive line
Three-star Edward Baker, No. 867 NATL. (No. 85 IOL)

Defensive line
Four-star Dereon Albert, No. 261 NATL. (No. 27 DL)
Three-star Darryl Rivers, No. 553 NATL. (No. 60 DL)

EDGE
Four-star Zach Groves, No. 256 NATL. (No. 29 EDGE)
Three-star Kedric Golston II, No. 413 NATL. (No. 45 EDGE)
Three-star CJ Edwards, No. 712 NATL. (No. 69 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Brayden Rouse, No. 94 NATL. (No. 6 LB)
Four-star TJ White, No. 96 NATL. (No. 7 LB)
Three-star Braylon Outlaw, No. 667 NATL. (No. 52 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star Zaydyn Anderson, No. 329 NATL. (No. 31 CB)
Three-star Javonte Smith, No. 816 NATL. (No. 75 CB)
Three-star Jamyan Theodore, No. 820 NATL. (No. 76 CB)

Safety
Three-star Jowell Combay, No. 580 NATL. (No. 45 S)
Three-star Luke Thompson, No. 581 NATL. (No. 46 S)
Three-star KJ McClain, No. 607 NATL. (No. 47 S)

Athlete
Four-star Salesi Moa, No. 46 NATL. (No. 2 ATH)
Four-star Joel Wyatt, No. 58 NATL. (No. 4 ATH)
Four-star Legend Bey, No. 362 NATL. (No. 11 ATH)