Tennessee football predicted to land elite blue-chip defensive prospect

Tennessee football could be on the verge of landing another blue-chip defensive prospect after On3 Sports' Chad Simmons made the expert prediction that four-star defensive lineman Dereon Albert will commit to Tennessee.

The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Jackson, Mississippi, native was one of several 2026 recruiting prospects on campus last weekend as Tennessee looks to fill out its recruiting class. 

Since his visit to Rocky Top, he has canceled his Mississippi State visit and all other future visits. That could mean he has narrowed the schools he is interested in or even decided to come to Knoxville and play for Tennessee. 

The No. 34 defensive lineman spoke highly of his visit to Tennessee and plans to announce his commitment decision on July 1. 

"The visit boosted them up high. They are probably number one right now," Albert told On3. "Coach [Rodney Gardner] and I spent a lot of time together," Albert explained. "We spent time getting familiar with each other.

"Coach G is very real with people. He's going to keep it 100 with you. He's a great person. He's going to love on you hard. Coach Heupel is real, too. There's love there with him."

Albert shared that many of his conversations with Heupel and the coaching staff were about how Tennessee plans to develop him as a player while he's on Rocky Top. He also likes how Tennessee's defensive line plays and their success against SEC offenses in recent years. 

"They play vertical and let their d-line go at it. I like that a lot. They like that I get after the quarterback. They like my first step and that I'm aggressive with my hands on people."

Albert believes Tennessee could be a good fit for him, and all the signs point to him potentially committing to the Vols when he makes his commitment decision on July 1.