Vols quarterback commit drops strong statement about his future with Tennessee football
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers made a big addition to their 2027 recruiting class earlier this offseason by landing three-star quarterback Derrick Baker, an under-the-radar prospect who is turning heads.
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols made a big addition to their 2027 recruiting class earlier this offseason by landing three-star quarterback Derrick Baker.
Baker, 6-foot-1/226 pounds from Alpharetta, GA, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 39 quarterback in the nation and the No. 86 player in the state of Georgia.
The Georgia native isn’t highly rated, but he’s well thought of in recruiting circles.
“There was a deep group of passers at Under Armour Atlanta and two quarterbacks surged to the top of the group, but we had to give the edge to the stronger arm and that was Derrick Baker,” wrote On3’s Cody Bellaire. “He’s college-ready right now from a physical and athletic perspective. At 6’1, 220-plus pounds, Baker looks the part of a college linebacker [more] than he does a quarterback. But don’t get it twisted, Baker has the arm talent and accuracy to throw it with the best of the best at the quarterback position. He’s also extremely comfortable throwing on the run and is capable of letting off the gas in order to layer the football into tighter windows. If he’s able to carry over his camp performance onto the field on Friday nights, he has a chance to be one of the biggest risers in the country.”
VolQuest’s Austin Price noted after Baker’s commitment that other programs are going to try to flip him from Tennessee.
“He’s a thick kid,” said Price in February on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “He weighs 225ish, and he’s got a strong arm. He’s got to stay healthy and stay on the field, but they loved what they saw from him at camp last summer. That’s when they offered him. That’s when they really started to go harder at him. They were after him all fall — even when he was injured.
“And then (Vols OC) Joey Halzle was down there to see him shortly after he got cleared back to start throwing again. And Tennessee just kind of stayed on that one. And they’ll have to stay on it because he’s going to start playing more as he gets healthier, and I’m sure others will come back in here trying to flip him. So that’s one that Tennessee will have to stay on top of.”
Derrick Baker makes strong statement about his future at Tennessee
Baker is expected to visit other schools this summer, which has given some fans concern that he could indeed flip to another program.
The three-star quarterback, however, told The Gunslinger Buzz this month that he feels like Tennessee is a place he’s “staying” at.
“They gave me the reassurance and trust that I need for the next 3-4 years there as the next part of my career,” said Baker. “I just feel like this is a place that I’m going and staying.”
It’s refreshing to hear that “staying” for a few years is Baker’s plan. There’s certainly nothing wrong with college athletes maximizing their value, but when it comes to quarterback development, continuity is best.