‘Tennessee surprised me’ – Highly coveted quarterback leaves no doubt on how he feels about the Volunteers
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols are always searching for quarterbacks. The Vols have a 2027 quarterback commit in Derrick Baker, and they’re already looking at potential options in the 2028 recruiting class.
The Tennessee Vols have their quarterback for the 2027 recruiting cycle — three-star quarterback Derrick Baker committed to UT in February — which frees up the program to place an early focus on the 2028 recruiting cycle.
2028 quarterback Tristin Gaines, who recently visited Tennessee, is one quarterback recruit the Vols are already showing interest in.
Gaines, 6-foot-1/180 pounds from Waller, TX, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 8 quarterback in the nation and the No. 14 player in the talent-rich state of Texas.
Tristin Gaines makes it clear how he feels about the Tennessee Vols
Gaines spoke to On3 this week about his recent visit to Rocky Top and he noted that Tennessee “surprised” him… in a good way.
“Tennessee surprised me in the best way,” said Gaines. “Knoxville had a real vibe to it. You can feel how much the whole place rides for Tennessee sports. Facilities were on point and the staff is legit. The development piece hit different … they didn’t just talk it; they showed it in practice and in the meeting room. Left there feeling like they’re really building some dudes in the QB room.”
It’s still in the early stages of Gaines’ recruitment, and several programs are recruiting him hard — including Oklahoma, Florida, Houston, and Ohio State, among others. But the Vols should be one of the top teams in this battle based on Gaines’ first visit to Knoxville.
Tennessee has always landed its top high school quarterback target under Josh Heupel. If they make Gaines a top priority, the Vols could be tough to beat in this recruiting battle. But it remains to be seen if Gaines will emerge as the Volunteers’ top quarterback target in the 2028 recruiting cycle.
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