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Kirby Smart going after Tennessee's 2027 QB commit is a huge worry for Josh Heupel

Kirby Smart is making a push to flip Tennessee’s prized 2027 quarterback commit.
ByConner Linsner|
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Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gestures from the sidelines against the Mississippi Rebels during the first half during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gestures from the sidelines against the Mississippi Rebels during the first half during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Recruiting in the new era of college football is cutthroat, but with the competitiveness of the SEC, it becomes mayhem. Tennessee has had its fair share of recruiting battles between high school recruiting and the portal, and it looks like there will be no shortage of these battles in the class of 2027.

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Based on that, Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have offered three-star Tennessee quarterback commit Derrick Baker. The Alpharetta, Georgia product now has a big decision on his hands if he wants to stay with the Vols or flip to his home state team.

Georgia offers Tennessee QB commit Derrick Baker 

Baker has been committed to the Vols for three months now, but I’m sure with the Georgia offer he has a lot to think about. The Vols did just sign five-star signal-caller Faizon Brandon last cycle, one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, so that could scare Baker away. On the other hand, Georgia has a 2028 quarterback commit already in Jayden Wade from IMG Academy, the second-ranked player in next year’s class. So either way, Baker is going to have to compete with some high-level quarterbacks.

There’s no doubt Baker has a lot of talent and could outplay his three-star rating. He missed a lot of his junior season with a hand injury, which never helps your ranking. Obviously, Josh Heupel would love to keep him around, but with a quarterback room with Brandon, George MacIntyre, and plenty of quality options entering the portal every cycle, losing out on Baker wouldn’t be the end of the world. The worst part would just be seeing him go to Georgia and wear that ugly, red and black.

At this point, Tennessee just needs to keep recruiting Baker as hard as they can and sell him on the development plan of the Josh Heupel offense. The Vols have done a tremendous job developing offensive players under this regime, so Baker will not only have a good plan for himself, but a lot of talent around him.

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