When the Oklahoma Sooners and Brent Venables hired Jason Witten as new tight ends coach, it sucked for multiple reasons. For starters, the idea of a Vols legend like Witten coaching up an SEC foe just feels wrong. Also, it may have cost Tennessee a shot at a 5-star linebacker.
Top 3 transfer additions for Tennessee football this offseason
Witten's son Cooper is the No. 1 linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite, with nearly 30 offers to his name. As soon as Oklahoma hired Witten, multiple predictions came in for the Sooners to land him. Not so fast, but it's not Heupel, for now, who's trying to work his magic. Instead, it's Georgia and Kirby Smart:
Elite. Set apart.
— Michelle Witten (@Witten82) February 2, 2026
Thank you, @OU_Football and @GeorgiaFootball , for an unforgettable 24 hours.@CooperWitten_ pic.twitter.com/TnssiEFoGI
Georgia has entered the race to land 5-star LB Cooper Witten over OU, Tennessee and others
In recent days, it looks like the 2027 playmaker took a pair of unofficial visits, meeting with Venables at Oklahoma, while also firing over to Athens to meet with Smart and his Georgia staff. What about Tennessee and Heupel?
Who knows, the 5-star 'backer could end up taking a trip to Knoxville later this year, but it's not great to see Smart and the Dawgs get involved like this. Georgia has been on fire out on the recruiting trail, with some big news just coming in.
That'd be that 5-star running back Kemon Spell, the No. 1 RB in the country for his class, has committed to Georgia over Notre Dame, Penn State and many others. Tennessee was never a finalist or anything there, but it was a statement recruiting win for Smart, especially with Spell being a Pennsylvania product, who was also once a Penn State verbal.
As things stand, the Vols hold pledges from four '27 players: offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, defensive lineman Kadin Fife, cornerback Kamauri Whitfield and Tennessee legacy JP Peace. UT supporters would love nothing more than to see Cooper Witten add his name to the list, but it sure looks like the Vols and Heupel have some serious catching up to do in this race.