2026 four-star tight end commits to Tennessee football

Class of 2026, four-star tight end Carson Sneed joins five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon in committing to Tennessee football one day after the country's No. 1 player announced his commitment. 

Sneed picked the Vols over Auburn, Louisville, Ohio State, and Ole Miss ahead of his junior season at Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville. If the name sounds familiar, it's because his older brother, Dayton Sneed, is a redshirt freshman wide receiver at Tennessee. 

The younger Sneed has visited Tennessee four times this year, but he has only visited each of the other four campuses once. 

According to On3 Recruiting, he's a top-200 prospect, the No. 4 player in the state of Tennessee, and the No. 9 tight end in the 2026 class. 

247Sports Director of Scounting Andrew Ivins loves Sneed because of his combination of size and skill. Ivins believes he would be a valuable asset for any team in the run game and could be a great sniffer back. 

"Throwback in-line tight end prospect that has actually received some valuable snaps at offensive tackle while also doubling as a front-seven defender," Ivins writes. "Size has not been third-party verified, but is believed to be over 6-foot-5 with the room to eventually carry 260 pounds or more.

"Rather effective at this stage as an attached blocker and should only get better at sealing off run lanes with improved technique and further physical development. Hasn't proven to be a real vertical threat in the passing game, but can slip out of the backfield and find soft spots in zone coverage, especially down in the red zone. Should be viewed as a potential asset in an offense that's heavy on the two and three tight end sets. Could thrive in a sniffer role."

Just as in the past three classes, the Vols' 2026 recruiting class is led by an elite five-star quarterback, which has immediately helped the Vols pick up its second blue-chip athlete.