Tennessee football gains recruiting momentum after Florida win
Tennessee football has been hot on the recruiting trail this year, and it has picked up some more momentum over the past week. The Vols currently have the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, headlined by five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. and four-star quarterback George MacIntyre.
The Vols are coming off a huge recruiting weekend against Florida, and it looks like it has paid off for Josh Heupel and the staff. Blue-chip athletes in the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes were in attendance and were impressed by the atmosphere, fan base, and win.
On3 Sports' Director of Recruiting Steven Wiltfong made an expert prediction for four-star defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell. The 6-foot-3.5, 265-pound defensive lineman from Durham, North Carolina, is also being recruited by Clemson, North Carolina, and Duke.
Tennessee welcomed a lot of commits, like four-star safety Lagonza Hayward, who clarified he's not flipping after visiting Georgia the week before. Four-star receiver Tristen Keys was also in attendance and was impressed with the fan base.
“It’s a great environment and I mean it man,” Keys said. “It’s huge, supportive and loud and that’s the type of fanbase I would want behind me. I love how the coaches believe in their guys to go out there and make plays despite of the negative play that happened previous and it’s awesome to see them go back out and make a huge impact play! It’s my first visit but I will be back 100 percent!”
Tennessee received a crystal ball from 247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Tom Loy for Keys after the Florida game. He's the No. 4 receiver in the class and currently ranks as the No. 23 Player in the 2026 recruiting class.
Tennessee also made the top eight for 2026 four-star wide receiver Tyreek King. The hometown receiver will be in attendance for Tennessee's game against Alabama in another big recruiting weekend for Heupel and the Vols.
The On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine heavily favors the Vols early in the recruiting process for King. Tennessee has a 93.5% chance of landing the four-star receiver, with Louisville having the next-best odds at 1.5%.
It's safe to say that Tennessee's big recruiting weekend has paid off so far. The Vols are expected to have another big weekend with Alabama coming to town. The Vols and Tide are scheduled to kick off at 3:30 PM ET on ABC.