Four-star defensive tackle Dereon Albert committed to Tennessee football over North Carolina in a ceremony at his high school Tuesday afternoon.
Albert also cancelled originally scheduled official visits to Arkansas and Mississippi State before committing to Josh Heupel and the Vols.
The 6-foot-2, 305-pound defensive tackle has had a dominant first three high school seasons at the Jackson Academy, combining for 246 tackles, 61.5 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Albert totaled 81 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks while helping the Raiders post a 9-4 record in his junior season.
The Jackson, Mississippi native ranks as a four-star recruit and the No. 359 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. Albert also ranks as the No. 14 player in the state of Mississippi and the No. 42 defensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
247sports own rankings are even higher on Albert, tabbing him as the No. 184 player and No. 28 defensive lineman in his recruiting class.
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Albert is one of two Jackson Academy standouts to commit to Tennessee football Tuesday along with four-star linebacker TJ White. Tennessee has been red-hot on the recruiting trail as of late, landing six commitments in the last five days.
Josh Heupel and his staff have landed an edge rusher, defensive tackle, cornerback, inside linebacker, receiver and interior offensive lineman in the last week. Three of the prospects are four-star recruits while the other three are three-star recruits.
Albert’s commitment is particularly important because Tennessee didn’t previously boast a commitment from an interior defensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The Vols have three edge rushers committed and have frequently recruited that spot well in recent seasons. Recruiting results at defensive tackle have been more of a mixed bag, increasing the magnitude of Albert’s commitment.
The commitment of Albert and White boosts Tennessee’s recruiting class from No. 22 to No. 13 nationally according to the 247sports team rankings. The Vols’ class also ranks No. 5 in the SEC.
