More five-star recruits coming to Knoxville to visit the campus? Um, yes, please, I sure don't mind.
Josh Heupel has worked tirelessly this spring to bring high-level recruits to Tennessee and showcase the program. The next blue-chip prospect to make his way to campus is five -star edge rusher Anthony Sweeney from Olney, Maryland. Rivals' Steve Wiltfong reports that he was in Knoxville this weekend. At 6-foot-4, 230-pounds Sweeney is rated the No. 20 player and No. 3 edge rusher in the class of 2027.
David Sanders Jr. delivers a highlight block, and the Vols offense could be in great shape
There's no question that Knoxville is a great place to have a college career, but hearing it from recruits means more. Sweeny told Wiltofong, "Tennessee is a special Place!" Hearing blue-chips talk about Knoxville like this is very encouraging, and these are the type of recruitments that if Tennesse wins, they can take the step from very good to elite.
5-star EDGE Anthony Sweeney will be back at Tennessee this weekend, he tells @SWiltfong_🍊
— Rivals (@Rivals) March 20, 2026
“Tennessee is a special place!”
Read: https://t.co/Xc0VTEqm7d pic.twitter.com/90YCHLbBvP
Five-star edge Anthony Sweeney is a Vols top target
The bottom line is that landing Sweeney will be no easy task. The Vols have the luxury of being closer to home and having a great defensive coordinator in Jim Knowles to sell Sweeney. Right now, Sweeney has offers from Alabama, Penn State, Ohio State, Clemson, Oregon, Georgia, and many others.
No matter how you look at it, if HYeupel can pull this off, it might be the biggest win in the 2027 class. Sweeney has a monster offer list, and getting elite edge rushers might be the hardest position to recruit. Tennessee signed five-star edge from the portal Chaz Colemna during the winter, and the Vols added three five-stars in the class of 2026 in quarterback Faizon Brandon, wide receiver TK Keys, and offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda.
Right now, Tennessee has four commits in the 2027 class, but that number is likely to grow with summer visits approaching. Once the first domino falls, Josh Heupel and the Vols have shown in past years that they can build on that momentum. It's still early, but I like the way the 2027 class is shaping up so far. The Vols have a lot of really good players visiting, too, and if they can land even just a few, it will be huge.