And then there were two. Fresh off his official visit with Tennessee football, it was clear that 4-star defensive lineman Dereon Albert was quite high on the Vols. However, Tennessee isn't the only school in the running to land his verbal.
Over the weekend, Albert revealed that he's all set to shut down his recruitment on July 1 and that this is a two-team battle. The 6-2, 305-pounder is all set to decide between North Carolina and Tennessee. Bill Belichick vs. Josh Heupel for the elite prospect? That's exactly what we have on the menu here:
Top247 defensive lineman Dereon Albert is ready to announce his commitment.
— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) June 22, 2025
The nation's No. 184 overall player in the 2026 class is down to @UNCFootball and @Vol_Football.
He'll commit on July 1.
VIP Update: https://t.co/xfooA06TwD@DereonAlbert50 / @247Sports pic.twitter.com/RLPaCCZirb
4-star DL Dereon Albert will decide between Tennessee and North Carolina on July 1
It sure would be nice to give Belichick another welcome to college football by beating him out for a prized target. Keep in mind that 5-star commit Faizon Brandon politely told North Carolina thanks, but no thanks when UNC showed interest after hiring Billy B.
With Albert, he's a true playmaker and he has taken OVs to meet with his two finalists. Albert was also scheduled to take a trip to Starkville to meet with Mississippi State, but he canceled that visit not long after he made his way home from Knoxville earlier this month.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Albert is ranked four stars, the No. 42 defensive lineman in the country, No. 14 player from Mississippi and No. 358 prospect nationally for the 2026 class. He has picked up more than 30 offers throughout his recruitment.
In addition to UNC and Tennessee, he was offered by Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Nebraska, LSU, Oregon State and many others. Come next week, we'll find out for sure where Albert will be playing his college ball, but the Vols and Heupel definitely have some momentum here. Adding Albert to an already impressive '26 haul would be great news for Heupel and his staff.