One thing that is always prevalent in college sports is that recruiting is the lifeblood of the program, and recruiting never stops. In a couple of weeks, the transfer portal will open, and you can be sure Josh Heupel will add some bodies. Plus, Tennessee just signed a top 2026 class two weeks ago, and we already have a top 2027 target deciding soon.
On X, top 2027 safety Marquis Bryant posted that he will make his college decision on Wednesday afternoon. Getting the pledge from the Blue Chip safety won't be easy, as the competition is very strong. Bryant has a top six of North Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ohio State, Clemson, and Nebraska.
Everyone be there!! https://t.co/uNlpnPziXU
— Marquis Bryant 4⭐️( 2027) (@QuisBryantt) December 14, 2025
4-star Marquis Bryant will decide college on Wednesday
If Josh Heupel is able to pull this off, it will be a significant win on the recruiting trail. It's no easy feat to beat out Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Clemson for defensive recruits. You can't help but feel like it might be an uphill battle for the Vols as they just fired Tim Banks and hired Jim Knowles to run the defense. Bryant did take a gameday visit to Tennessee on September 13th when the Vols played Georgia. Although the outcome wasn't great, Neyland Stadium was a madhouse that Saturday afternoon.
Bryant is rated as a 4-star and the 176th player in the nation by 247Sports. The Rotesville, North Carolina, product is the 20th safety in the nation and the eighth-ranked player in North Carolina. Bryant offers positional versatility as he can play both safety and nickel. He's a true ball hawk at the center field spot, making plays on the ball left and right. His coverage instincts are very good for a junior in high school.
The Vols currently have the 14th ranked class in 2027. It features four commits, two of which are 4-stars. Looking at the bigger picture, if Tennessee can add Bryant to the class, it would really position Tennessee to once again sign a top-ten class in the country.
Stay tuned Tennessee fans because we might have good recruiting news on the way.