The Tennessee Vols and the Ohio State Buckeyes appear destined to engage in a five-star recruiting battle on an annual basis at this point.

Tennessee and Ohio State have battled for numerous elite recruits over the years, but it seems the two programs are crossing paths more than ever as of late.

Ohio State beat out Tennessee for five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate during the 2023 recruiting cycle (the Buckeyes also landed Ole Miss cornerback transfer Davison Igbinosun over the Vols in 2023).

Tennessee returned the favor by landing five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr over Ohio State during the 2025 recruiting cycle.

And the Vols, of course, just beat out the Buckeyes for 2027 five-star running back David Gabriel Georges this past week.

Ohio State fans have been crashing out so hard after losing Gabriel Georges to Tennessee that the five-star running back had to release a statement condemning the awful things that have been said about him and his family.

Tennessee and Ohio State are in the early stages of another battle for a five-star recruit

Tennessee and Ohio State are in the early stages of another battle for a five-star recruit.

And if the Buckeyes lose this one, it could cause an even bigger crash out.

2028 five-star offensive lineman Kavon Blackmon told Rivals this week that he’s starting to plan his visits for this fall.

Ohio State and Tennessee are two of the programs he’s interested in checking out.

“I’m excited to see OSU, Tennessee, and a couple more,” said Blackmon. “I just gotta plan things out with my mom and about me being able to get transportation to where I wanna go.”

According to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong, the Vols were the first SEC team to offer Blackmon.

“A couple of my favorite things about Tennessee right now is the coaching staff and the atmosphere there is real good,” said Blackmon of the Vols.

Blackmon, 6-foot-6/275 pounds from Springfield, OH, is rated by On3 as the No. 4 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 2 player in the state of Ohio. He’s also rated as the No. 25 overall player in the 2028 recruiting class.

Ohio State is undoubtedly the favorite to win this battle since Blackmon is from a town that’s just 45 minutes west of Columbus, but Tennessee is shooting its shot.

If the Vols somehow win this battle, I’m not sure Buckeyes fans will recover. It was one thing to lose a five-star running back who plays high school football in Chattanooga to Tennessee. But losing a five-star recruit who resides in Ohio State’s backyard to the Vols? It could lead to a meltdown unlike anything we’ve ever seen from a college football fan base.