Tennessee

Tennessee football lands four-star CB Onis Konanbanny in 2025 recruiting class

Published

1 year ago

August 23, 2024

Tennessee football lands four-star CB Onis Konanbanny in 2025 recruiting class

Tennessee football landed four-star cornerback Onis Konanbanny, an international athlete who moved to the United States in 2022.

On Friday, Konanbanny committed to the Vols in the 2025 class. He joins what’s already UT’s highest ranked recruiting class since 2015.

Konanbanny’s parents are from the Ivory Coast. But he was born in France, where he lived during his childhood. He moved to London and then finally the United States.

Onis Konanbanny 247 ranking

Konanbanny, 6-foot-1, 180-pounder, is entering his senior season at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, South Carolina.

Konanbanny is ranked the No. 28 cornerback and No. 302 player overall in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports Composite. Four cornerbacks are committed to Tennessee in the 2025 class, but Konanbanny is the highest rated.

Konanbanny chose Tennessee over LSU, North Carolina, Florida State and Utah. He received scholarship offers from more than 40 schools.

He’s also an accomplished soccer player and track and field athlete.

Tennessee football recruiting class 2025

Konanbanny can sign with Tennessee on Dec. 4, when the early signing period begins. He is the Vols’ 24th commitment in the 2025 class, which includes one five-star recruit, 14 four stars and nine three stars.

Here are the committed recruits in Tennessee’s 2025 class, along with their 247Sports Composite star rating:

OT David Sanders, five stars
QB George MacIntyre, four stars
OL Douglas Utu, four stars
TE Da’Saahn Brame, four stars
S Lagonza Hayward, four stars
DL Mariyon Dye, four stars
WR Travis Smith, four stars
LB Jaedon Harmon, four stars
DL Ethan Utley, four stars
LB Christian Gass, four stars
WR Radarious Jackson, four stars
DE Jayden Loftin, four stars
OL Nic Moore, four stars
CB Onis Konanbanny, four stars
TE Jack Van Dorselaer, four stars
RB Justin Baker, three stars
S Sidney Walton, three stars
OT Antoni Kade Ogumoro, three stars
CB Tre Poteat, three stars
CB Dylan Lewis, three stars
DL Charles House, three stars
DL Darrion Smith, three stars
WR Joakim Dodson, three stars
CB Tyler Redmond, three stars

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Tennessee

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

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.”

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Tennessee

Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee

Published

17 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

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.”

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Tennessee

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

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

Oct 10, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) on the phone in the bench area in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Cowboys Stadium. The Titans beat the Cowboys 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

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.