Since he arrived in Knoxville, it's safe to say that Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel is no stranger to pulling off some pretty impressive recruiting wins. David Sanders Jr. was the prized get for 2025 and Faizon Brandon, the No. 1 QB for 2026, is on board too.
More big-name targets are in the mix for the Vols for '26 and one player fans can add to their list to follow closely is no question Rodney Dunham. A standout EDGE from Charlotte, N.C., the 6-4, 225-pounder just released his Top 5 and the good news for Heupel is that UT made the cut:
🚨NEWS🚨 5-star EDGE Rodney Dunham is down to Duke, Georgia, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Tennessee, per @Hayesfawcett3‼️
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) March 9, 2025
Dunham is the No. 7 overall prospect in the 2026 On300⭐️
Read: https://t.co/pnLwI75Oro pic.twitter.com/tgyYNyq2Z7
5-star EDGE Rodney Dunham has included Tennessee football in his Top 5
This is not going to be an easy get for the Vols, as Dunham also has Georgia, South Carolina, Duke and Notre Dame among his finalists. Dunham is planning to take official visits to all five schools. The good news for Tennessee is that according to 247's Tom Loy, UT will be getting the final visit from Dunham, with that coming on June 20.
After that, the stud playmaker could be ready to make his decision, though no exact date has been set yet. Dunham is also no stranger to Knoxville, as he has previously taken multiple visits to campus to meet with Heupel and his staff.
The official visit will be a game-changer, however, as it could end up making the difference in Tennessee landing his signature in December during the Early Signing Period. Again, that won't be easy, but the Vols have put themselves in a strong position.
As of this writing, Heupel holds eight known pledges for the '26 group. With spring ball here, that number is expected to grow over the next month or so. Then this summer, Heupel will look to kick things into overdrive as well.