Josh Heupel and Tennessee eye final push as top 2027 OL decision looms

The last 14 days or so for Josh Heupel have been nothing short of spectacular, as Tennessee has completely turned the tables when it comes to the perception of this class. The Vols have managed to get back in the David Gabriel Georges sweepstakes, tying or even moving ahead of Ohio State. Plus, they are keeping quarterback Derrick Baker in the class and flipped Kenneth Simon from Alabama. It has been a substantial stretch over the last few weeks, and with one more official visit weekend ahead this summer, Heupel will look to build on that success.

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In light of that, Tennessee offensive line target Joshua Sam-Epelle from Douglasville, GA, who was supposed to visit this weekend, is making his decision on Friday at 1 o’clock, which is a clear sign it probably won’t be Tennessee. Based on how things look, it will likely be either in-state Georgia or Georgia Tech for Sam-Epelle, which hurts because Tennessee never got the chance to host him on an official visit.

Unless Heupel and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee can work some magic and get him to delay his commitment or put together a crazy NIL offer, it likely won’t be Tennessee. Sam-Epelle is rated as one of the top players in the 2027 class, with 247Sports ranking him as the No. 8 player in Georgia and the No. 112 player nationally.

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As of right now, Elarbee has a very good foundation on the offensive line for 2027. He’s had Princeton Uwaifo committed since November, a four-star tackle, and Tennessee just landed Q’Mari Hudson over James Franklin and Virginia Tech, so the Vols do have two good pickups so far. Since Tennessee took four linemen in last year’s class, they don’t need a huge haul, but one more player wouldn’t hurt the cause.

Niko Kampus will be in Knoxville this weekend. The four-star tackle comes from England, playing at the NFL Academy. Tennessee has some familiarity with this program, as they added Luca Wolf last year, a high-upside tight end. If they can seal the deal with Kampus this weekend, it would make the core of this line even better moving forward.

Top-100 lineman Caden Moss from Jackson, Mississippi, and four-star lineman Miller Westerfield have already visited Knoxville but have not made their decisions yet. Westerfield, from Roswell, Georgia, seems more likely right now, but if Tennessee can apply full-court pressure on Moss, they may be able to swing things back in their favor.

Overall, the room has a lot of potential, and the trenches will always be one of the main factors in how far Tennessee can go. If they get it right, it will only help the Vols’ future.

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