In news that won't surprise anyone, 4-star tight end Carson Sneed is no longer headed to play for Tennessee once he gets to college. In a move that has been in the works for months, Sneed officially flipped his verbal to UNC on Friday.
This was something that Josh Heupel and the Vols were clearly getting ready for. That much was made clear with the latest offer then went out. On Friday morning, per 247Sports' Allen Trieu reported that Tennessee put a scholarship on the table for Kentucky commit Lincoln Watkins.
Watkins is a standout for Port Huron Northern High in Michigan and he has been pledged to the Wildcats since June 21. Despite that, Heupel is now looking for a new stud tight end to be featured for his '26 class and he's got his eyes on the 6-4, 233-pounder:
Tennessee has offered Port Huron (Mich.) Northern TE Lincoln Watkins, a Kentucky commit.
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) August 1, 2025
He has visited the Vols previously.
(VIP) https://t.co/eAr3AHciNB pic.twitter.com/Ead9MFL9FD
Tennessee offered Lincoln Watkins right before Carson Sneed flipped to UNC
Again, the Sneed flip had been in the works for quite some time and earlier in the week when multiple Rivals' analysts put in their predictions for UNC to land him, we knew a new announcement was coming. Losing the in-state TE hurts, but it's not devastating by any means for the Vols.
Plenty of Tennessee fans are still buzzing over the addition of 5-star safety/receiver Salesi Moa, who gave UT a Top 10 class at the time of his commitment. Now that Sneed is no longer in the mix, Heupel will look to work quickly to find a replacement.
Could that replacement end up being Watkins? He's ranked three stars, the No. 32 tight end in the country and the No. 12 player out of Michigan for the 2026 class. It goes without saying, but Heupel will now look to get him on campus for an official visit this fall. As we all know, a trip to Knoxville - especially for a home game weekend - can really send things over the top for a recruit when he's in town.