Nation's No. 1 player spurns Tennessee football and commits to Texas Tech instead

Leading up to the new season, Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel continues to keep a close eye on recruiting and he's in the mix to land some of the top prospects in the country. Unfortunately, there's one playmaker you can cross off the board.

That'd be 5-star EDGE LaDamion Guyton, who announced his college decision on Thursday afternoon. The 2027 recruit was down to Tennessee, Texas Tech, South Carolina and Georgia. The Red Raiders were the heavy favorite, which is why it was no surprise that Tennessee whiffed in this case, with Guyton letting everyone know that he's going to be Texas Tech-bound for his college ball:

5-star EDGE LaDamion Guyton committed to Texas Tech over Tennessee and others

You've got to give it to Texas Tech, as the Big 12 program also landed 2026 5-star OT Felix Ojo not that long ago. Again, it wasn't a huge surprise that Guyton didn't commit to Tennessee, as he didn't even take a visit to Knoxville.

While being able to land the nation's top prospect would have been nice, keep in mind that Heupel has already done that for 2026, as quarterback Faizon Brandon will be UT-bound next year. As for 2027, there are plenty of big-name prospects Heupel is in on.

The list includes Cooper Witten, one of the top linebackers in the country. He's also the son of Tennessee legend Jason Witten, which only makes Vols fans want Tennessee to land this kid even more. Fellow legacy target Kenneth Simon is also high on the Vols, but Notre Dame is pushing hard.

Tennessee already holds one commit for '27, with legacy JP Peace on board. The 6-3, 215-pound linebacker is ranked three stars, the No. 26 LB in the nation and No. 11 prospect overall from Tennessee. He's the son of former Tennessee linebacker Robert Peace. Oh, and he's also the grandson of the one and only Phillip Fulmer. Talk about keeping things in the family.