Tennessee
Four-star 2026 defensive back Justin Hopkins narrows list to 12, including Tennessee football
Ensworth defensive back Justin Hopkins included Tennessee football among his final 12 schools in a social media post Wednesday.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound four-star cornerback listed the Vols along with Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Duke, Missouri, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Iowa, Ole Miss, Auburn and West Virginia on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.
He’s the No. 9-ranked prospect in Tennessee and No. 18 nationally at corner for the class of 2026, according to 247Sports Composite.
Hopkins also holds offers from Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Purdue, Toledo, UNLV and Western Kentucky.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols to a College Football Playoff berth as one of the 12 teams in the newly expanded field. Heupel has had success securing some of the state’s top recruits in recent years, including Brentwood Academy quarterback George MacIntyre, Hopkins’ teammate, defensive tackle, Ethan Utley as well as Baylor wide receiver Joakim Dodson, Jefferson County offensive lineman Nic Moore and Sheffield wideout Radarious Jackson.
Hopkins helped guide Ensworth to an 11-1 record that included a trip to the TSSAA Division II-AAA state semifinal game. He finished the 2024 season with 42 receptions for 705 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, he added 16 tackles, two for a loss, seven pass break-ups, two interceptions and a defensive TD.
Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
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North Florida Ospreys (0-1) at Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
Knoxville, Tennessee; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: No. 20 Tennessee takes on North Florida after Nate Ament scored 23 points in Tennessee’s 95-56 win over the Northern Kentucky Norse.
Tennessee went 16-1 at home a season ago while going 30-8 overall. The Volunteers averaged 14.5 points off of turnovers, 12.3 second-chance points and 19.9 bench points last season.
North Florida went 15-17 overall a season ago while going 7-10 on the road. The Ospreys averaged 82.8 points per game last season, 32.3 in the paint, 12.6 off of turnovers and 10.7 on fast breaks.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Tennessee Titans are sitting at home for their Week 10 bye, but they may have seen their outlook improve for the future.
The Titans came into the week in a tie for the No. 1 overall pick’s top odds with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, but results for the early slate of games in Week 10 have pushed Tennessee in sole possession of the chances for the top selection.
The Saints and Jets both got their second wins today, leaving the 1-8 Titans (who are on a bye) in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall pick with eight weeks to go.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2025
The Saints came in as underdogs on the road against the Carolina Panthers, who were coming off a massive win against the Green Bay Packers on the road.
Despite the Panthers’ momentum, the Saints were able to grab their second win of the season thanks to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. The second-round pick out of Louisville completed 19 of 27 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jets started the season 0-8, but they have now rattled off back-to-back victories against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
Despite trading several of their top players at the trade deadline earlier this week, the Jets are in the win column again thanks to a pair of special teams touchdowns to beat the Browns.
The Titans could snag the No. 1 overall pick for the second year in a row. If the Titans were to lose their final eight games, they will be on the clock at the start of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Things have been rough for the Titans in their rebuild this season. This year’s top pick Cam Ward has demonstrated signs of being a franchise quarterback, but he has also been put in a tough position with the lack of talent around him.
The Titans need a lot of help in the development department, so having the top selection will be crucial. There’s a good chance the Titans won’t be looking for a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, so they could use the top selection to trade back in the draft for even more picks, generating them into players who could work down the line.
At the end of the day, the Titans still need to draft the right players, regardless of whether they have No. 1, No. 2 or No. 32, but having the top selection open things up for the team.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
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