Tennessee fans had a feeling that some surprises were going to be on the way for head man Josh Heupel with the Early Signing Period here. Well, the first one has arrived, with a new 4-star commit on board for the SEC side.
Tennessee pulls off a shocker by flipping Ohio State commit at the last second
That'd be 4-star defensive lineman Carter Gooden, who was previously committed to UCLA. However, Heupel and the Vols kept on recruiting him and there was a strong feeling in recent days that the Vols were going to be able to pull off this flip on Wednesday. This adds to what's already a strong 2026 haul for Heupel. Are more late additions on the way?
BREAKING: Four-Star DL Carter Gooden has Flipped his Commitment from UCLA to Tennessee, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’4 250 DL had been Committed to the Bruins since July⁰⁰“GO VOLS”⁰⁰https://t.co/bhSVFPI1oE pic.twitter.com/swwKxtRiiK
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 3, 2025
4-star DL Carter Gooden has flipped from UCLA to Tennessee football
Originally from Canada, Gooden is a 6-4, 260-pounder out of the Tabor Academy in Massachusetts. He had been committed to the Bruins since the summer, but with the Early Signing Period here, he's had a change of heart. This is obviously good news for the Vols.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Gooden is ranked the No. 17 EDGE in the country and No. 1 player from Massachusetts for his class. Throughout his recruitment, the talented d-lineman picked up a total of 20 offers.
With Gooden now set to play his college ball in Knoxville, the focus for UT supporters shifts to Alabama commit JJ Finch. Finch previously took a visit to meet with Heupel and the rest of his staff and there's been buzz that he's also going to flip later on Wednesday. Will that end up going down?
While the Tennessee faithful wait for that news to drop, the Gooden commitment is enough to make a lot of people smile. Heupel is putting the finishing touches on a loaded 2026 group and it's a reminder that the future is incredibly bright for the program. Despite no College Football Playoff for the Vols this season, don't let that make you lose focus of what Heupel and his coaches are getting done behind the scenes.