Tennessee looking to close top-10 recruiting class with a few more flips

There’s no shortage of buzz around Tennessee’s football program right now, with the Vols off to a 3-1 start and again boasting one of the nation’s premier offensive units.

The momentum around their recruiting isn’t too far behind. After finishing 11th nationally in last year’s Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, Josh Heupel and Co. have the nation’s No. 8 class this year. They’ve jumped four spots in the month of September alone and could be in line for even more moves.

With 23 commitments in the fold, there are still a few more spots and they’re looking to continue a recent run of flips. Poaching Clarksville (Tenn.) Kirkwood four-star offensive tackle Kamari Blair from South Carolina got things started last month. A week later, five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys moved his pledge from LSU to the Vols.

“They never gave up,” Keys told Rivals’s Chad Simmons. “Pope, Heup, Halzle — even the defensive staff — they all stayed on me and showed the love. They were on me crazy hard. The love they showed, the consistency — it never slowed down. It meant a lot to me. It just kept me thinking about Tennessee all of the time.”

And they rounded things out over a 10-day span by flipping four-star EDGE Hezekiah Harris away from his longtime commitment to Auburn.

The fun might not be over, though. Tennessee is heavily in pursuit of new Clemson decommit Dre Quinn, as well as Virginia Tech four-star pledge Andrew Rogers and Kentucky tight end commit Lincoln Watkins. That trio alone would make the Vols a real contender for a top-5 class; and with signing day still more than two months away, there could be even more fireworks.

Tennessee Volunteers commitments by position

Quarterback
Five-star Faizon Brandon, No. 9 NATL. (No. 3 QB)

Wide receiver
Five-star Tristen Keys, No. 7 NATL. (No. 1 WR)
Four-star Tyreek King, No. 132 NATL. (No. 17 WR)

Offensive tackle
Four-star Gabriel Osenda, No. 226 NATL. (No. 19 OT)
Four-star Kamari Blair, No. 250 NATL. (No. 21 OT)
Four-star J.B. Shabazz, No. 308 NATL. (No. 28 OT)

Interior offensive line
Three-star Edward Baker, No. 894 NATL. (No. 84 IOL)

Defensive line
Four-star Dereon Albert, No. 259 NATL. (No. 28 DL)
Three-star Darryl Rivers, No. 566 NATL. (No. 62 DL)

EDGE
Four-star Hezekiah Harris, No. 100 NATL. (No. 15 EDGE)
Four-star Zach Groves, No. 253 NATL. (No. 29 EDGE)
Three-star Kedric Golston II, No. 415 NATL. (No. 46 EDGE)
Three-star CJ Edwards, No. 734 NATL. (No. 74 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Brayden Rouse, No. 95 NATL. (No. 6 LB)
Four-star TJ White, No. 96 NATL. (No. 7 LB)
Three-star Braylon Outlaw, No. 687 NATL. (No. 58 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star Zaydyn Anderson, No. 328 NATL. (No. 32 CB)
Three-star Javonte Smith, No. 838 NATL. (No. 76 CB)
Three-star Jamyan Theodore, No. 842 NATL. (No. 77 CB)

Safety
Four-star Joel Wyatt, No. 63 NATL. (No. 7 S)
Three-star Jowell Combay, No. 593 NATL. (No. 49 S)
Three-star Luke Thompson, No. 594 NATL. (No. 50 S)
Three-star KJ McClain, No. 622 NATL. (No. 51 S)

Athlete
Four-star Salesi Moa, No. 52 NATL. (No. 3 ATH)
Four-star Legend Bey, No. 365 NATL. (No. 8 ATH)