Tennessee football in the hunt to land 2 of the top uncommitted 5-stars left

Since June got here, Josh Heupel has been on a complete and total tear out on the recruiting trail. All of a sudden, Tennessee has a Top 10 recruiting class in the country for 2026 following the addition of 5-star safety/wideout Salesi Moa.

This summer, however, Heupel isn't done. There are two top targets in particular that Vols fans have their eyes on: running back Savion Hiter and lineman Darius Gray. The Vols are finalists for both 5-star prospects and their respective decisions are coming this month. Can Heupel keep the good vibes rolling and land either? What about both?

Tennessee remains in the hunt with Savion Hiter and Darius Gray

We'll start off with Hiter, the nation's No. 1 ranked running back, as he's first off the board with his Aug. 19 announcement date. He's got a final four of Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia and Ohio State. The latest buzz, however, is that this is a two-team battle between Tennessee and Michigan.

This one really feels like it's going to be a coin flip. The Vols have quarterback Faizon Brandon helping out with the recruiting efforts, which could end up making the difference. However, Bryce Underwood is also working for Michigan to land Hiter. This one might be 50-50, but our gut tells us he'll pick UT.

As for Gray, he'll be announcing shortly after on Aug. 22. He's down to LSU, Tennessee, Ohio State, South Carolina and Clemson. Unfortunately for Heupel, it feels like this one could come down to LSU and South Carolina, with Brian Kelly ahead by an inch.

Gray took an official visit to Tennessee in the spring and it was clear that he had a great time. However, LSU and South Carolina have been going over the top and have made him feel like a top priority. If we had to take a guess, we'll go with LSU here. Unless something drastic changes at the last minute, we don't anticipate Gray committing to the Vols, but you never know what might happen when it comes to recruiting.