5-star Tennessee commit locked in with Josh Heupel and working OT to change body

Things could not be going better for future Tennessee football offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda these days. The massive Vols commit is coming off a dominant win with the Baylor School in Week 1 and he's fired up to see what Tennessee can get done this weekend to open the new season.

Osenda has been Knoxville-bound since Jan. 11 and he's focused on getting both his mind and body right for when he makes the about 90-minute move from Chattanooga to campus. This week, Osenda told us that he's checking in at 6-8, 325 pounds, but he's been on his grind in the weight room and cleaning up his diet to get himself ready for the next level. It's a change he's hoping will help him make an early impact for Josh Heupel, with him focused on graduating early so he can enroll in January.

"I've just been trying to maintain my weight, but also put on a lot more muscle," Osenda said. "I want to stay athletic, but add that muscle. It's been all about hitting the weight room a lot and watching what I eat - I'm being more disciplined there and staying focused. Everything I do, I have to treat it professionally and transform my body. I'm throwing around weight in the gym."

5-star OT Gabriel Osenda is 'locked in' with Tennessee and hoping to visit for every home game

Vols fans will be quick to agree that's the right mindset to have before he makes the jump to college ball, especially if he does finish high school early and is able to participate in spring ball with Tennessee next March and April. Adding size isn't the only focus the elite prospect has on his mind, though.

The in-state pledge knows there's going to be a ton of pressure on him in the SEC to keep his quarterback on his feet with him lining up on the outside of the offensive line. Heupel and his staff also hold a commitment from 5-star QB Faizon Brandon, the No. 1 ranked player in the country per 247Sports. Osenda understands it will be on him to make sure no one lays a finger on the NC product.

“Personal goals for this season, I would say I just want to get better with my pass sets and be more well-rounded with my pass protection,” Osenda said. “I’m always going to have the mindset that I don’t want to let anyone touch my quarterback or running back as well. We have a job as the offensive line. If people get to the QB, that’s on us, so we’ve got to make sure we give them the time they need to make plays back there."

As for his recruitment, the nation's No. 4 tackle and No. 19 prospect overall for the 2026 class shut things down in January. He picked UT over finalists Florida, South Carolina and Minnesota. This spring, there were rumblings that Osenda might be open to checking out other schools, with SEC schools mentioned as potential landing spots.

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That's not the case, with him saying he's fully committed to Tennessee and he'll be making several trips to town this season for unofficial visits. This includes the Week 3 clash everyone can't wait for vs. Kirby Smart.

“I’m actually trying to make it to all of the home games this year since it’s pretty close to my school,” Osenda said. “I’m really excited for the Georgia game. It’s at home this year and it’s going to be a big one. The only visits I have planned are the home games for Tennessee and nothing else, I’m pretty locked in.”

He'll also be watching the season-opener for the Vols against Syracuse, with Osenda hopeful that it will be the start of his future teammates proving plenty of people wrong this campaign.

“I think they’re going to go a long way,” Osenda said. “It’s a great program. The coaches have bought in and the players have bought in. They’re going to do their job and show people they can get things done.”