Last week, Tennessee football tackle commit Gabriel Osenda received some incredible news, with him being bumped up to a 5-star playmaker by 247Sports. As soon as that happened, however, speculation grew that maybe the touted OT would start to look elsewhere.
There was indeed some buzz that schools would once again get involved with him and that potentially he'd start looking at scheduling some visits elsewhere. That's not going to happen. In a recent interview with reporter Sam Spiegelman, Osenda made it more than clear that he's locked in with the Vols and that he won't be taking any visits to meet with other schools. The only trips he will be taking will be the ones to Knoxville:
5-star Tennessee commit Gabriel Osenda made it clear he won't take other visits
That's what Tennnessee fans like to see. With a smile on his face, Osenda indeed passionately said that he's all in with UT and nothing is going to change that. He pledged to the Vols earlier this year over fellow finalists Florida, South Carolina and Minnesota.
Throughout his recruitment, the 6-7, 330-pounder picked up 28 total offers, but after being a stud for Baylor School in Chattanooga, he knew he wanted to stay in state for his college ball. Osenda was previously a 4-star OT, but he just landed the covered fifth star.
He's also now the No. 4 OT in the country and No. 19 prospect nationally. Having him on board for the 2026 class is huge, especially with Osenda all set to block down the road for 5-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, the No. 1 player in the country.
Both Osenda and Brandon highlight the '26 haul, but some more big names are surely on the way. Perhaps even 5-star running back Savion Hiter? That's what a lot of people are hoping for. It sure would be sweet for Josh Heupel if that happens, but for now, he and the other coaches on campus can smile knowing that Osenda couldn't be more sure on his decision to play for them.