‘More likely that he flips’ – Recruiting analyst provides mixed bag of news for Tennessee fans in the Vols’ battle to flip DJ Jacobs from Ohio State
The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the programs in the mix to flip 2027 five-star EDGE DJ Jacobs from the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The recruiting battle for 2027 five-star EDGE DJ Jacobs is coming down to the wire.
Jacobs, the No. 1 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class (per 247Sports), has been committed to Ohio State since last December, but there’s no guarantee that he signs with the Buckeyes during the early signing period next month.
Georgia, Miami, and Tennessee are all pushing hard to flip the five-star pass rusher.
The Vols have been viewed by some as the favorites to flip Jacobs due to Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner’s close relationship with Jacobs’ father. There’s also the fact that Tennessee is an Adidas school and Jacobs has an NIL deal with Adidas (the other three schools are all Nike schools with Miami set to make the switch in 2027).
247Sports’ Tom Loy reported this week that it’s considered more likely than not that Jacobs flips from Ohio State.
That’s obviously encouraging news for the Volunteers.
What’s not encouraging, though, is that Loy says Georgia is “the one to watch” in this battle.
“As it stands now, while Ohio State feels great about keeping DJ in the class, I struggle to see him sticking with the Buckeyes,” wrote Loy. “247Sports national analyst Benjamin Wolk, who covers the Peach State, agrees. … Sources around this recruitment believe it is more likely that he flips rather than sticks.
“Based on everything I’ve heard, the one to watch as of this second looks like the in-state Georgia Bulldogs. … I believe they are pushing all of the right buttons to make another big splash on or around Signing Day. Nothing is set, but there is plenty of buzz on head coach Kirby Smart and his program.”
You never really know when it comes to recruiting — especially in the NIL era. Decisions can change at a moment’s notice.
Jacobs is an elite player with the talent to be a gamechanger in the SEC/Big 10. That’s why some of the top programs in the nation are going all-in on trying to flip him from the Buckeyes.
I’m not sure Jacobs knows right now what he’s going to do, so we’ll just have to see how this one plays out down the stretch.
