Elite 4-star recruit cites former Vols standout as one of the reasons that Tennessee is among his top schools
2026 four-star running back Jonaz Walton has narrowed his focus to four programs. Walton told On3 this week that the Tennessee Vols, Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the four programs that are standing out the most in his recruitment. Those four programs will receive visits from Walton in […]
2026 four-star running back Jonaz Walton has narrowed his focus to four programs.
Walton told On3 this week that the Tennessee Vols, Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the four programs that are standing out the most in his recruitment.
Those four programs will receive visits from Walton in the spring.
Walton, 5-foot-9/205 lbs from Carrollton, GA, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 9 running back in the nation and the No. 13 player in the state of Georgia. He's also rated as the No. 106 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.
The Georgia native referenced running back Dylan Sampson's huge season for the Vols in 2024 as one of the reasons that he's interested in Tennessee.
“The way they run the ball. Dylan Sampson last year had a really big year," said Walton to On3. "Also Coach (Josh) Heupel and Coach (De'Rail) Sims. Love talking to them and they seem down to earth, personable people. That caught my eye when I’ve been up there a few times.”
Sampson, who is expected to be a mid-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, set a Tennessee record for rushing yards in a season (1,491 rushing yards) and rushing touchdowns (22 rushing touchdowns) in 2024.
Walton hasn't scheduled his official visits yet. Tennessee, however, will obviously hope to get one of those official visits later this summer. That's why it's imperative that the Volunteers make another good impression on the highly-coveted running back when he visits Rocky Top in early April.
Tennessee currently has eight players committed to their 2026 recruiting class. The Vols don't have a commitment yet from a 2026 running back.
