In a bit of a golden surprise twist, Tennessee and Josh Heupel were busy recruiting this past weekend on top of taking down Auburn. That's because former 5-star prospect Hayden Lowe, who spent one season at Miami, was in Knoxville for an official visit.
Now at Long Beach City College in California, the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder made the long voyage to Knoxville to meet with Heupel, defensive line coach Rodney Garner, and the rest of the staff. The trip went so well for Lowe, he didn't hold back in saying how strong his interest is in suiting up for the Vols next season, though additional visits will ultimately decide where he signs this winter.
“Oh yeah, 100 percent,” Lowe told FanSided when asked if he could see himself playing for the Vols defense in the future. “It was a great experience. I know some of the players too. I can tell from just being around the guys, they’re all about ball. That’s very valuable and we can feed off of each other.”
Tennessee is hoping to land former Miami pass-rusher Hayden Lowe, with Alabama and others in the mix
On top of that, Lowe didn't hesitate in saying the game-day atmosphere with Auburn in town was something he had never experienced before. This speaks volumes to the support the Vols faithful provided the team from start to finish in the huge SEC win over Alex Golesh and the Tigers.
The Tennessee interest in the California product is nothing new too, as Heupel and Garner heavily recruited him when he was a high school talent coming out of the 2025 class. Back then, Lowe was a five star and the No. 2 EDGE in the country. He put the pen to paper with the Canes, but now that he's looking for a new home, both Heupel and Garner are hoping to seal the deal this time around.
“My relationship with Coach Garner has been great,” Lowe said. “I remember speaking to him in high school. He basically told me that they see me coming in there as a four-down guy. They want me to rush the inside and outside and just help them contribute to a winning season.”
“He’s (Heupel) a really good coach and I like him a lot,” Lowe added. “He’s personable too. He definitely let me know that the coaches are interested in me playing for them.”
The Vols pulling off a major recruiting win won't come easy, however. Lowe is planning to make his decision in the next two-to-three weeks, with some more visits on the way.
Following this recent trip to Knoxville and a previous one to Cal, Lowe is eyeing a visit to Missouri either this weekend or next weekend, followed by a trip to UCLA. Come Oct. 24, he’ll be headed to Tuscaloosa to meet with Kalen DeBoer and Co. His familiarity with the Bama staff is strong as well.
"Coach DeBoer and that whole staff first recruited me when they were still at Washington," Lowe said. "I know Courtney Morgan because he's from L.A. They've been telling me they need an EDGE guy. They've got two seniors who are leaving. I have a good relationship with the staff. It's kind of the same thing as Tennessee where they're expressing the need for an EDGE guy to come in, compete and take the starting spot."
Once he does wrap up all these visits, Lowe will return to California and sit down with his family to make the best decision he can. Academics will also play a role in things, while seeing which program will help get him to the NFL will also be something he prioritizes. For now, Tennessee has checked several boxes and they'll surely be in the hunt until the end.
“It was a great experience overall,” Lowe said of his time at Tennessee “I’ve never been to a game that was that loud, lively, and all about ball. It was just eye-opening.”
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