Tennessee
Looking back at Tennessee Football's summer recruiting run
Tennessee Football’s summer recruiting tear continued Sunday afternoon with the flip of four-star linebacker Jaedon Harmon, who was previously committed to Alabama. It continued a massive weekend for the Vols, who added On3 five-star+ offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. on Saturday.
The two new additions put Tennessee at 15 commitments since the start of June, including five-star quarterback Fazion Brandon and four-star tight end Carson Sneed as the first two commitments in 2026, giving the Vols an elite start to the next class.
Of the 15 commitments, 12 are four-star prospects or higher in the On3 Industry Ranking, including two five stars. Harmon was the second flip, too, following four-star tight end DaSaahn Brame, a former Oregon commit who switch to Tennessee on July 28.
Here’s a look back at Tennessee’s summer recruiting run to date:
June
Jayden Loftin: The four-star edge rusher started Tennessee’s summer with a commitment on June 12. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Lofting, out of Somerville, N.J., is ranked No. 158 overall in the On3 ratings. He’s the No. 16 edger rusher in the class and the No. 5 player out of New Jersey.
Nic Moore: Tennessee kept the four-star in-state interior offensive lineman home with his commitment on June 20. Moore, the 6-2.5, 290-pound prospect out of Jefferson County High School in Dandridge, Tenn., is ranked No. 211 overall in the On3 ratings. He’s the No. 12 interior offensive lineman and No. 6 player in Tennessee.
Charles House: The 6-3, 300-pound defensive lineman out of Charlotte, N.C., committed on June 22. He’s a four-star prospect in the On3 ratings, ranked No. 284 overall. He’s the No. 26 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 9 player in North Carolina.
Douglas Utu: Before the David Sanders Jr. commitment on Saturday, Utu was the highest-ranked prospect in the class. The 6-4, 315-pound interior offensive lineman, who committed on June 24, is the No. 55 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 4 interior offensive lineman and the No. 2 player in Nevada, out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He’s a five-star prospect ranked No. 13 overall according to ESPN’s rankings.
Tre Poteat: The 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback committed to Tennessee on June 25 out of Verona, Wisconsin. He’s the No. 51 corner in the On3 Industry Rankings and the No. 4 prospect out of Wisconsin.
Mariyon Dye: The four-star edge rusher ended the month on a high note when he committed to Tennessee on June 28. The 6-4.75, 268-pounder out of Elkhart, Indiana, is ranked No. 36 overall in the On3 Ratings. He’s ranked No. 9 among edge rushers and No. 2 in the state of Indiana. He picked the Vols over Ohio State.
July
Travis Smith: The four-star receiver started the new month with a commitment on July 13. The 6-3, 200-pound Smith, out of Westlake High School in Atlanta is the No. 59 overall prospect in the On3 Ratings. He’s ranked No. 10 at wide receiver nationally and No. 8 in the state of Georgia.
Christian Gass: The 6-2.5, 220-pound four-star linebacker gave Tennessee a second straight commitment out of Georgia on July 20. Gass is the No. 85 overall player in the On3 Ratings, ranked No. 6 at linebacker and No. 14 in Georgia, out of Eastside High School in Covington.
Shaedy Hayward: The 6-1, 205-pound four-star safety out of Toombs County High School in Lyons, Georgia, was the first of back-to-back commitments when he announced on July 27. He’s the No. 75 overall player in the On3 Ratings, ranked No. 4 at safety and No. 11 in Georgia.
DaSaahn Brame: The former Oregon commitment flipped to Tennessee on July 28. The 6-4.5, 225-pound tight end, out of Derby High School in Derby, Kansas, is ranked No. 99 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 3 tight end in the country and the No. 3 player in the state of Kansas.
Darrion Smith: The 6-2, 260-pound defensive lineman gave Tennessee three commitments in a span of four days when he pulled the trigger on July 30. He’s ranked No. 59 among defensive linemen in the On3 Industry Ranking and is the No. 18 overall player in Maryland, out of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore.
August
Faizon Brandon: The five-star quarterback started Tennessee’s 2026 class of commitments with a bang on August 3. The 6-3.5, 195-pound Brandon, out of Greensboro, N.C., is ranked No. 10 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 2 quarterback in the class and the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina.
Carson Sneed: Two days later, Tennessee added another huge name to its 2026 class, keeping four-star in-state tight end Carson Sneed home with a commitment on August 5. He’s ranked No. 9 among tight ends in the class and is the No. 4 player in the state of Tennessee, out of Nashville’s Donelson Christian Academy.
David Sanders Jr.: The 6-5.75, 276-pound Five-Star+ prospect out of Charlotte, N.C., announced his commitment at long last on Saturday, picking Tennessee over Ohio State, Georgia and Nebraska. Sanders is the No. 4 overall player in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking and is the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina.
Jaedon Harmon: The four-star linebacker flipped his commitment from Alabama to Tennessee on Sunday. The 6-1, 205-pound Harmon, out of Rome High School in Rome, Georgia, is ranked No. 129 overall in the On3 Ratings. He’s the No. 13 linebacker in the country and the No. 20 overall prospect in the state of Georgia.
Tennessee
Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee sheriff’s office is asking the community to pray for a family whose 5-year-old was hospitalized after falling into a swimming pool.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and family members were “administering life-saving measures” Thursday afternoon after pulling the child out of the water.
The child was then transferred to a hospital, where they are still being treated.
“The child was subsequently transported to the hospital, where they are currently receiving medical care‚” said a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details will be released at this time.”
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee
Sam Purcell felt good about the game plan for Mississippi State women’s basketball’s matchup with Tennessee.
But the Bulldogs gave up 26 points in the first quarter and trailed by seven points. It was a deficit they never recovered from in a 90-80 loss to the Lady Vols at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8.
“You look at that that first quarter, I thought it was crucial. We had a great scout, a great game plan, but we didn’t talk on ball screens,” Purcell said. “Their largest quarter was that first quarter, and we’re going to watch back and go, dang it, we need to be more vocal. And you got to give them credit – top to bottom, they’re probably as good as anybody in the country with athleticism. So you can’t let those athletic kids turn the corner for wide open layups, and we did.”
Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis led the Bulldogs with 22 points each, but MSU didn’t have enough defense to pull off the upset.
Had Mississippi State been able to slow down Tennessee’s drivers in the first quarter, it may have been a different result. But once the Bulldogs started slowing that down, the Lady Vols were “phenomenal hitting some big-time shots,” Purcell said.
Tennessee only had the edge in points in the paint, 42-40, but it also went 10-for-27 on 3-pointers, which was an area Mississippi State couldn’t match. The Bulldogs shot 2-for-13 from deep.
MSU also couldn’t stop Tennessee freshman point guard Mia Pauldo, who scored a game-high 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Bulldogs sent her to the foul line time and time again, and she went 8-for-9 on free throws.
“I thought (Pauldo) was poised, she was clutch,” Purcell said. “Obviously, that’s what you need in games like this that are gonna come down the to the wire. You need players to step up, and I thought she was the X factor for them.”
Tennessee
Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig
The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the main teams when it comes to producing talent and sending talent to the NFL, which is something that has often been discovered as a standard for the football program. This is something that has been going on for quite some time and isn’t anything new to the news cycle, as the Vols have been able to produce plenty of talented prospects.
Tennessee is the home of many stars, including some of the best defensive players in SEC history. Guys like Eric Berry have found their way through the Tennessee program and onto the NFL, where they would have legendary careers. However, the defensive side of the football is the only side that has produced plenty of talent, as Tennessee has produced a lot of offensive talent as well. With the likes of Peyton Manning and company, the Vols have shown a great track record in getting talent drafted.
The Vols have produced someone who could be considered as one of the best players to play the Tide end position, as the Knoxville, Tennessee program is the home to Dallas Cowboys legend, Jason Witten. Witten is someone who made the most of his career and has been viewed as a top player at the Tide in position, and someone who is often referred to as a legend for the Cowboys, along with being a legend in the game of football as a whole.
Jason Witten Accepts TE Coach Position For Oklahoma
Witten is now taking a new gig, which has him in a huge role inside the Southeastern Conference. The Vols legend is now the tight end coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have had some success out of their tight ends in the past, but the sky is the limit with a guy like Witten coaching up the players. Witten has the opportunity to do really well, as coaching tight ends won’t be an issue, and you have to imagine that he will be able to recruit very well, considering he has a huge name around him, as this is something that we have seen from positional coaches as well as head coaches who have done great work in the league. You have to imagine that the Vols will now have stiff competition for his son, Cooper, who is a five-star recruit for the upcoming 2027 class at the linebacker position.
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