Overall, it was a big weekend for Tennessee and Josh Heupel. They added three new commits, firmly positioned themselves as a true contender for David Gabriel Georges, and their quarterback commit Derrick Baker is locked in with the program. Given that, it was a great weekend, but Tennessee did receive some bad news regarding a five-star target that the Vols have made a priority this cycle.
CBS has a bold breakout call on a former Tennessee fan favorite
IMG Academy wideout Eric McFarland announced his top three on Sunday, and Tennessee did not make the cut as he is now focusing on Georgia, Florida, and Texas A&M. The Vols hosted McFarland on an official visit on May 21, but it wasn’t enough to keep Tennessee in his recruitment. This one stings as it felt like things were heading in the right direction after his visit. He seemingly had a good time, and the Vols thought they set the bar high during his visit, but apparently not. After Tennesse missed out on flipping Easton Royal, many thought that was because Heupel and the staff were trending upward as with McFarland, but now tennesse is back at square one.
Right now on 247Sports, he has a crystal ball to end up at Texas A&M, where he visited this week after he was in Knoxville.
NEWS: Five-Star WR Eric McFarland is down to Florida, Georgia, and Texas A&M, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 7, 2026
He’s set to announce his college decision on June 28thhttps://t.co/3UJux12kBx pic.twitter.com/8YAVrOWNlx
Where does Tennessee pivot after losing WR Eric McFarland?
While missing on McFarland isn’t ideal, Tennessee is still in a strong position at wide receiver moving forward, with it being the deepest room on the roster. Their top commit is Kesean Bowman, who sits as a top-60 player right now. The Vols also added five-star TK Keys in 2026, along with four-star Tyreek King and three-star JaColby Cooper. The room is already deep, and while another addition wouldn’t hurt, it’s not a major setback to miss on McFarland. Kelsey Pope has Tennesse in a great spot.
As for this class, Tennessee still has two big-name wide receiver targets visiting in the upcoming weeks. This weekend, Osani Gayles will be on campus, another IMG Academy wide receiver who is an explosive YAC player that fits perfectly in the Heupel offense. Tennessee will have to fend off Alabama, Washington, Notre Dame, and Stanford to land him. He has a commitment date set for the end of June. Right now, Stanford leads on Rivals’ prediction meter, but with a big weekend, Tennessee could shift things back in their direction.
Next, Deshawn Hall will be on campus on June 19. The 6-foot-5 wide receiver has a huge catch radius and makes plays downfield. His ability to stretch the defense is a great fit for Tennessee, but as of right now he is crystal balled to Penn State, so the Vols are on the outside looking in. Once again, Tennessee needs a big weekend to get themselves back in the mix.
Tennessee has plenty of time to find another option if things don’t work out with Gayles or Hall, and this staff has proven they can find gems, especially on offense.
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