It seems like prospects are making big announcements earlier than normal this year, as social media has been on fire with elite prospects announcing visits and their finalists. On Wednesday, 5-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho joined the list of youngsters trimming things down.
The 6-6, 345-pound offensive tackle revealed he's now down to a Top 11. In some positive news for Josh Huepel and his Tennessee football assistants, the Vols made the cut. UT is joined by Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, LSU, Texas A&M, Maryland, Florida, Auburn and Miami. Yes, there are 10 other programs to compete with, but the Vols indeed remain in the hunt:
NEWS: Five-Star Plus+ OT Immanuel Iheanacho is down to 1️⃣1️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 12, 2025
The 6’7 350 OT from Baltimore, MD is ranked as the No. 2 Recruit in the ‘26 Class (per On3)
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/EwovRFlpMu pic.twitter.com/e8WHlxveaS
5-star OT Immanuel Iheanacho has Tennessee football among his finalists
So, you're saying there's a chance? Iheanacho is one of the best playmakers still on the board for the 2026 class. According to the 247Sports Composite, he's ranked five stars, the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country, No. 1 player out of Maryland and No. 3 prospect nationally.
Throughout his recruitment, the Tennessee target has been offered by 31 programs. Making the Top 11 is one thing, but now Heupel is going to hope he can get Iheanacho on campus for an official visit later this year. June is looking to be quite busy for the Vols, so maybe it would make sense to get him in Knoxville then?
Another offensive tackle high on Tennessee's board is 5-star Texas native John Turntine III. Turntine is the No. 3 OT in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. Can you imagine if both of those recruits not only visited at the same time, but also ended up playing for Heupel?
Future quarterback Faizon Brandon, the No. 1 QB for '26, sure would love that. There's no set timeline for when Iheanacho will either trim his list down further or make a decision, but his process is something plenty of people will be watching closely. Tennessee holds one OT verbal for '26, as 4-star standout Gabriel Osena committed back on Jan. 11.