It’s down to two Volunteer State schools for standout 2026 athlete Joel Wyatt, according to On3 Sports’ Chad Simmons on Monday morning.
Simmons’ report states that Wyatt, a Tennessee native, will choose between Tennessee and Vanderbilt when he makes his decision public on July 6.
Wyatt is a four-star athlete in the 2026 class from The Webb School in Bell Buckle, TN. 247Sports’ Composite Rankings have the 6-foot-4, 195-pound prospect as the No. 43 player in the nation, the No. 4 athlete in the class, and the No. 2 player from the state of Tennessee.
The report of Wyatt’s final two programs comes after he took official visits to both schools in June. Wyatt took an official to Tennessee on June 6 and followed that up with a Vanderbilt official visit on June 12.
Wyatt’s natural athleticism has him excelling at multiple positions on the field, which is why he’s listed as an athlete in the class. His size, speed, versatility, and jumping ability make him one of the Top 50 prospects in the class and a highly sought-after player in the cycle.
“Although he’s still developing as a pass catcher, the Top247 standout’s length, leaping ability and open field elusiveness make him one of the more dynamic prospects in his position group,” 247Sports’ Cooper Petagna wrote of Wyatt in a May evaluation. “On defense, the Tennessee native will situationally reside as an overhang safety, covering ground quickly while flashing natural instincts in run support but is primarily used as a 3-4 standup edge where his speed and athleticism are virtually impossible to defend for opposing offensive linemen.”
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While he’s down to his two in-state schools as finalists, Wyatt has garnered quite a bit of attention throughout his recruitment. Wyatt currently holds offers from notable programs such as Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Penn State, and Texas A&M.
While speaking to Simmons of On3, Wyatt revealed that Tennessee wants him to play linebacker, while Vanderbilt is looking at him for both wide receiver and safety. On3 Sports and 247Sports both have outside linebackers coach Levorn “Chop” Harbin as the primary recruiter on the Tennessee side, which matches up with Wyatt’s comments about the Vols.
“Position is something I have to think about,” Wyatt said in Simmons’ report. “NIL will be part of it too. I just want fair value.”
Simmons’ report states that class of 2026 athlete Joel Wyatt will announce his decision on July 6, 2025.
