Tennessee football makes the Top 3 for 4-star California pass-rusher

And then there were three. The Tennessee Vols football are making quite the impact on prospects for the 2026 class across the country. The latest top target for fans to keep an eye on is 4-star pass-rusher Anthony Jones, a 6-5, 250-pounder out of Irvine, Calif.

This week, Jones revealed that he has trimmed his extensive offers list down to three schools: Tennessee, UCLA and Washington. So, it's the Vols and Josh Heupel going up against a pair of two west coach programs. One might think the Bruins are the favorites with UCLA's campus being so close to home, but not so fast.

Tennessee is a finalist for 4-star California pass-rusher Anthony Jones

According to 247's Blair Angulo, the Vols are the 'front-runners' for the 2026 product. Jones has taken multiple unofficial visits to Knoxville to meet with Heupel and his staff. Come June 20, he'll be back on campus, but this time for an official.

He also has an OV set for June 6 at UCLA, while things are TBD for when he'll make his way to Montlake to meet with the Huskies. There's clearly no rush for Jones to make his decision, with all three finalists hoping to impress him the rest of the way.

The expecation, though, is that Jones will be ready to make his final call this summer before his senior season gets underway. Right now, Tennessee is in a fantastic spot to potentially land his services, but keep in mind that there's still a long wait ahead before we find out where the stud recruit will be playing his college ball.

Thus far, Tennessee holds seven known verbal commits for the 2026 class, highlighted by 5-star QB Faizon Brandon. Once the spring arrives, more pledges will be on the way. We'll have to likely wait until the summer for Jones to make his call, but UT will be in the hunt until the end for him.