Tennessee had an amazing run in June, picking up a ton of commitments. But in recruiting, we all know losses tend to stand out more than wins. Josh Huepel had an impressive 2026 class, and while he hasn’t fully followed it up in 2027 with what could be their best class ever, it hasn’t been all bad. The Vols managed to keep Derrick Baker in the class, despite Georgia trying to flip him, and they also landed Kesean Bowman, a top-100 wide receiver. Plus, their No. 1 target, David Gabriel Georges, is down to Tennessee and Ohio State.
On the other hand, Tennesse has gathered another loss at a position of need.
Auburn picked up a commitment from four-star edge rusher Marquis Evans, who had an official visit with Tennessee on May 22. While Tennessee was interested, they never really broke into Evans’ top group as a finalist. heupel and defensive line coach Rodney Garner could never break through in their recruitment, a common theme among linemen in the 2027 class. Being from Birmingham, Auburn was always going to be tough to beat here, but now that it’s official, Tennessee can fully move on.
Josh Heupel can’t hide his excitement over Tennessee’s Adidas partnership
Once again, defensive line and edge recruiting remains somewhat of a concern for Josh Heupel.
With the summer nearly over, Tennessee is going to have to find a new way to add some linemen in this class. The Vols’ best bet may be identifying late risers during the season, finding players who start to blow up after their senior year begins. Tennessee could also look to the transfer portal for freshmen who are moving on from their previous stops.
🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star EDGE Marquis Evans has committed to Auburn🦅
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 1, 2026
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Marquis Evans commits to Auburn
With Evans now off the board, Tennessee has no more edge targets available. What makes this so tough is that edge rushers and defensive linemen are not only difficult to find, but also heavily influenced by NIL money.
While Tennessee shouldn’t panic, they do need to be aggressive moving forward with their remaining options. The Vols currently only have one commitment on the defensive line in Christian Asmys, a JUCO player, so there is reason for Tennessee to push harder to find a flip candidate or a rising prospect.
When the dust settles, this class should still end up being pretty good, but there is a clear need for Josh Heupel and Garner to address the defensive line moving forward.
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