After missing out on the top-rated running back for the 2026 class, might Tennessee football and head man Josh Heupel be able to flip the script for 2027? That's what the Vols are hoping for when it comes to electric running back Kemon Spell.
The high school junior was committed to Penn State for a little while, but last weekend he said that he wasn't 100 percent locked in with the Nittany Lions. Then right after James Franklin was fired by the Big Ten powerhouse, the 5-9 RB decommitted and opened up his recruitment.
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This is good news for the Vols for multiple reasons. At the top of the list is that Spell is now fully open with his recruitment. On top of that, he told Hayes Fawcett that the Vols are among the eight schools who are currently standing out to him. Might a trip to Knoxville be in the works for later this campaign?
Five-Star RB Kemon Spell tells @Rivals that these 8 Schools stand out to him after decommitting from Penn State
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 12, 2025
He immediately becomes one of the Top Available Recruits in the country, regardless of classhttps://t.co/bSeLYeRfyb https://t.co/e6CrXqmIaa pic.twitter.com/OZQNIkebrC
5-star RB Kemon Spell is high on Tennessee after he decommitted from Penn State
For the 2026 cycle, Tennessee was battling Michigan for 5-star running back Savion Hiter. It felt like the Vols were going to be able to come out on top of that recruiting battle, but Hiter ended up deciding that he wants to be Ann Arbor-bound for his college ball.
While that's a bummer for '26, it could lead to Heupel going all-in for Spell for the '27 cycle. Spell is without question one of the top playmakers in the country for his class, as he's got impressive speed and he's hard to bring down at the high school level.
According to the 247Sports Composite, he's ranked five stars, the No. 1 running back in the country, No. 1 player out of Pennsylvania and No. 8 recruit overall in the nation. It's not going to be easy for Tennessee to land him, as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, USC, Florida State and Miami are also programs that are turning his head.
There's been plenty of buzz surrounding Georgia, as Kirby Smart is also working his magic to try and land Spell now that he's wide open with his process. Only time will tell if Tennessee will become a serious player in his recruitment, but look for Heupel to make him a priority.