Tennessee
Bella Flemings, No. 16 recruit in 2026 class, commits to Duke over Lady Vols basketball
Five-star guard Bella Flemings has committed to Duke over Lady Vols basketball.
Flemings, who’s ranked No. 16 in the 2026 class, announced her commitment on social media on Oct. 13. Baylor, Miami and TCU were also among her top five schools. She was scheduled to take an official visit to Tennessee on Oct. 9.
The 6-foot prospect out of San Antonio plays at William J. Brennan. Flemings will play for former Lady Vols star Kara Lawson, who was recently named the head coach of the USA Basketball women’s national team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Tennessee has one commitment in the 2026 class. Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards announced her commitment to the Lady Vols during her official visit on Sept. 13. Edwards, who’s ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class, will be the highest-ranked player to sign with Tennessee since Jordan Horston, who was ranked No. 2 in the 2019 class.
The Lady Vols are also targeting five-star guard Trinity Jones, who’s ranked No. 7; five-star forward Brihanna Crittendon, who’s ranked No. 9; five-star guard Olivia Jones, who’s ranked No. 16; four-star wing Lolä Lampley, who’s ranked No. 29; and four-star wing Gabby Minus, who’s ranked No. 44.
Jones, Crittendon and Minus have already taken their official visits. Lampley is set to take her official visit with Tennessee on Oct. 30.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
Tennessee
How to avoid traffic and beat the crowds: In-N-Out Burger opening first Tennessee locations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – In-N-Out Burger will open its first two Tennessee locations Wednesday morning in Antioch and Lebanon, with a third location opening Friday in Murfreesboro as the California chain expands into Middle Tennessee.
Both Wednesday locations will open at 10 a.m., with officials expecting crowds large enough to back up traffic onto I-40. The restaurants each have one drive-thru lane and about 100 seats for customers.
In-N-Out’s first Tennessee locations to open in December
Lebanon officials expect the opening to make In-N-Out a regional destination instead of just a local restaurant. People from across the state and as far away as Mississippi and Arkansas have said they’re making the drive to try a Double-Double burger and Animal Style fries.
Sarah Haston, Lebanon Economic and Community Development Director, said the excitement has been palpable among local officials as the opening approaches.
“We are thrilled,” Haston said. “We take so much pride in being one of the first to open. This is a good time for Lebanon and we are expecting to shine through it.”
In-N-Out has purchased extra land near both locations to accommodate long lines of cars waiting in line. The Lebanon lot has space for 806 cars and includes bathrooms for people waiting.
The restaurant has hired a private traffic management company that will use large signs and personnel to direct traffic flow. In-N-Out has been working with police on traffic plans for the past four months.
“We feel like we have really put a lot of effort into it,” Haston said. “Kudos to In-N-Out and their team. They’ve really put a lot of thought into it, and they have people that are trained for this. People that are specific to opening locations.”
The Lebanon location sits close to the I-40 interchange, raising concerns about traffic backing up onto the highway. Haston said they’ve added more turn lanes, traffic lights and other measures to mitigate the issue.
For drivers trying to avoid the congestion, Haston recommended using different entry and exit ramps for the highway and taking routes that avoid the South Hartmann Drive area.
Officials expect the busy area around the Lebanon location to remain congested for several weeks after opening. For customers willing to wait to try In-N-Out, officials suggest visiting after the initial crowds subside in a couple of weeks.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
Reporter Provides Key Information During Tennessee Vols Defensive Coordinator Search
The Tennessee Volunteers have the chance to make some big-time moves in the month of December, as they are looking to make a decision that can impact the future of the defense in a positive way.
Former Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks, that Monday as the DC for the Vols, but he would close the day off the staff. This is due to a decision that was made by Josh Heupel and others to part ways with the long-term DC for the Vols. Fans were calling for this decision on both social media and in real life, as fans even went as far as painting the rock and putting “Fire Tim Banks” on it.
After this was made official, fans started to speculate on what’s next for the Vols with the defensive coordinator opening. They started naming options and timelines, but since then more information has been revealed by a reliable source. Here is what was said.
Chris Low Confirms Some Details
“Would expect this one to be done pretty quickly. Vols made Banks one of the highest-paid DCs a year ago and will be willing to pay big money again,” said Chris Low.
This is good news as fans are hopeful that the Vols will go for a quality-based choice and try their hardest to land a top defensive coordinator in college football. There have been multiple names that have been thrown around, and some are among the best in the nation. Others may have to prove a bit to the fanbase. All of the names that have been released as possible options seem to be additions outside the current staff, except for one coach who could also be promoted.
That coach is William Inge, who has been named as the interim defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers for their game against the Illinois Fighting Illini. The other question has been, “Will Josh Heupel make an addition with someone he has had ties to?”
If that’s the case, then there is a chance that the Vols shoot their shot with Ryan Walters. Walters is the current defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies and has been improving with that program. He is a former staff member who was on the opposite side of the football coaching staff from Josh Heupel. Heupel was the offensive coordinator while Walters served as a co-defensive coordinator.
Make sure to stay tuned with Vols on SI.
More Vols News
Tennessee
Whataburger closing four Middle Tennessee restaurants. When and where
Whataburger has announced plans to close four of its 24 Middle Tennessee restaurants less than four years after returning to the region.
Restaurants that are closing Dec. 15 are:
- Mt. Juliet: 11190 Lebanon Road
- Murfreesboro: 1924 Memorial Boulevard
- Clarksville: 791 North 2nd Street
- Clarksville: 1602 Haynes Street
“We regularly conduct a business review of our locations to maximize opportunities for growth and keep Whataburger strong in the communities we serve. In a few cases that means closing restaurants,” according to a company statement.
The decision to close the four restaurants “helps focus our efforts where we can make the biggest impact,” the company stated.
The Mt. Juliet restaurant opened on July 9, 2024 at the southeast corner of Lebanon Road and North Mt. Juliet Road.
Whataburger also has a restaurant on Rutland Drive in Mt. Juliet and two restaurants in neighboring Lebanon in Wilson County.
Lineberry Properties is the property landlord for the Mt. Juliet restaurant that will close.
The lease is for 15 years. Mark Lineberry of Lineberry Properties expects Whataburger’s broker to sublease the property.
Whataburger plans to continue opening new restaurants in the Nashville area that includes a location off Gallatin Avenue in Nashville in the coming months.
Whataburger returned to the Nashville area for the first time since the 1970s with a restaurant in Hermitage in January 2022.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com.
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