Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are still a thorn in the side of the Tennessee Vols
The Clemson Tigers have been a thorn in the side of the Tennessee Vols on the recruiting trail for over a decade. Several elite players that either grew up in East Tennessee or grew up rooting for the Volunteers have chosen to play for Clemson instead of UT over the last 10 years. Wide receiver […]
The Clemson Tigers have been a thorn in the side of the Tennessee Vols on the recruiting trail for over a decade.
Several elite players that either grew up in East Tennessee or grew up rooting for the Volunteers have chosen to play for Clemson instead of UT over the last 10 years.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins (grew up just outside of Knoxville), wide receiver Amari Rodgers (son of Vols legend Tee Martin and grew up in Knoxville), quarterback Trevor Lawrence (grew up rooting for Tennessee), and running back Travis Etienne (grew up rooting for Tennessee) are among the talented players with deep UT connections that played for Clemson instead of Tennessee.
Clemson isn't quite the juggernaut that it was in the pre-COVID years, but the Tigers are still a problem on the recruiting trail for Tennessee.
2026 five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson is a player that Tennessee (along with every program in college football) would love to have on their roster.
Atkinson, 6-foot-2/210 lbs, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 linebacker in the nation and the No. 7 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.
The highly-coveted recruit plays high school football for Grayson in Loganville, GA, but he was born in Knoxville.
“Tennessee’s my hometown. I was born here, so it was just like, I needed to get back to come visit,” said Atkinson to 247Sports in 2023 after a visit to UT. “And Tennessee has been doing very well, so I just wanted to come check them out."
Unfortunately for Tennessee, it appears to be Clemson that currently has the momentum in the recruiting battle for Atkinson.
Atkinson is coming off a visit to Clemson that reportedly went very well.
“They really made me feel like the top priority….people always talk about how different Clemson is, and I honestly agree," said Atkinson to On3 of his recent visit to Clemson. "Clemson’s feel is just different, and they check a lot of my boxes for sure.”
Tennessee needs to get Atkinson back on campus this spring/summer to have a realistic shot in this recruiting battle. Otherwise, Atkinson will be another elite player from Knoxville that suits up in college in Clemson orange instead of Tennessee orange.
