While Tennessee has had a solid 2027 class, Josh Heupel and his staff have begun to shoot for the stars in the 2028 class, and so far, they're in a great spot.
One thing is true about recruiting, and it's that you can never be too far ahead in getting involved with elite prospects. Tennessee is currently going after a plethora of blue-chip 2028 players, and they have just added the top-15 for five-star safety Casey Barner, who plays at powerhouse high school McEachern in Powder Springs, Georgia. 247Sports composite rankings have him rated as the No. 1 safety and the No. 6 player in the 2028 class.
Tennessee’s EA Sports CFB 27 rating is turning heads, and not in a bad way
Josh Heupel has to love the progress so far in the 2028 class, and fans should, too. A top-15 cut isn’t final, but it signals Tennessee is firmly in the mix.
The chase for Barner will be incredibly tough, as basically every big-name college is after him. Tennessee will have to take down Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas, among others, to get his commitment. This recruitment is far from over, but Tennessee is putting itself in the mix, and that's all you can ask for.
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Tennessee makes the top-15 for 5-star safety Casey Barner
Barner is one of the best safety prospects to come out of high school in years. He has already been named a Polynesian Bowl selection and a Navy All-American, two of the biggest high school all-star games in the nation.
Bigger picture, Barner has all the instincts in the world and would be a great addition to Jim Knowles’ system. Knowles likes to use versatile safeties to create different shells and disguise coverages. A player like Barner, who can move sideline to sideline while also being able to cover, is perfect for Tennessee.
Plus, with safeties Edrees Farooq, Qua Moss, TJ Metcalf, and Dejuan Lane all having only one or two years left, Tennessee needs to replenish the room with talent. So why not add the best safety in the 2028 class to help replace them?
A summertime commitment from a 2028 player would be really ideal, similar to what Tennessee secured in the 2027 class with linebacker JP Peace, to help jump-start the cycle. Landing one pledge can help the staff recruit more effectively and generate some buzz and momentum around the program. The class is still getting started, and as mentioned above, Tennessee has done well to start things off, but ultimately, it doesn't matter unless it translates into commitments.
Adding a player like Barner to the class would be a game-changer. He's the type of player who can be the anchor in the Vols' secondary for years to come if they can pull off a big recruiting win.
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