Josh Heupel just landed one of his most important commitments in the 2026 class on the eve of the Tennessee Vols' fall camp
One of the most important goals in recruiting as Tennessee continues its transformation back into an elite program in the sport is being able to put a fence around the state of Tennessee and keep the top talents at home. For too many years, top programs came in and pulled the best from the state […]
One of the most important goals in recruiting as Tennessee continues its transformation back into an elite program in the sport is being able to put a fence around the state of Tennessee and keep the top talents at home. For too many years, top programs came in and pulled the best from the state while the Vols were down.
Fortunately, Josh Heupel has started to break that trend, and that's particularly the case for 2026 after a huge pickup on Monday. 2026 top 100 four-star athlete Joel Wyatt from Murfreesboro (Oakland) pulled the trigger on the Vols.
Wyatt instantly becomes one of the Vols' highest ranked players by Rivals/On3 at #58 overall in the country per their industry ratings. He's also the #4 athlete and #2 player in the state of Tennessee.
His recruitment was a notable one recently because nearby Vanderbilt had been pushing and apparently making some headway in his recruitment. It had come down to the Vols and Commodores, but Heupel and his staff were able to do enough to secure the pledge from the uber-talented Wyatt. He also held offers from Ole Miss, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, North Carolina, and many others.
Wyatt was the last remaining uncommitted player in the top 35 in the state of Tennessee for 2026 per Rivals/On3's rankings. With Wyatt's commitment, Tennessee now holds pledges from four of the top six players in the state, including WR Tyreek King (Knoxville Catholic), OT Gabriel Osenda (Baylor School), and Edge Zach Groves (East Roberston – Cross Plains).
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