While some Tennessee football fans may be a bit disappointed that the program lost a 4-star commit earlier in the week in Tyran Evans, it feels like a positive update will be coming soon. That's right, you should probably circle July 1 on your calendars.
That's because 4-star defensive lineman Dereon Albert is all set to announce his college decision. Albert just took his Tennessee official visit and things went awesome for him. So much in fact, he decided to cancel his weekend trip to Mississippi State. With his decision coming soon, all signs are pointing to the Vols winning this recruiting battle:
On3’s @ChadSimmons_ has logged an expert prediction for Tennessee to land 4-star DL Dereon Albert🍊
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 19, 2025
Read: https://t.co/XG2khJs8p7 pic.twitter.com/Jq96GX8klK
Tennessee is the overwhelming favorite to land 4-star DL Dereon Albert
On Thursday, On3's Chad Simmons, a trusted source in the recruiting world, put in his official pick for Albert to pick the Vols. Usually when someone from On3 makes a prediction like this, they're on the money. Come July 1, we'll know for sure what Albert decides.
If he indeed ends up picking the Vols, it's going to be a big-time get for Heupel and his staff. Throughout his recruitment, the 6-2, 305-pounder has picked up more than 30 offers. His list includes Tennessee, Mississippi State, Arkansas, North Carolina, Auburn, Nebraska and many others.
According to 247Sports, the elite recruit is ranked the No. 28 DL in the country, No. 8 player from Mississippi and No. 184 playmaker nationally for the 2026 class. The Vols have shown high interest in Albert for quite some time, with Heupel hoping his efforts will pay off soon.
Thankfully, everyone isn't going to have to wait much longer for a final decision to arrive. As of this writing, we are less than two weeks away from Albert making his final call. At this point, however, it's going to feel like a bit of a shocker if he doesn't commit to Tennessee.