Tennessee Football leapt up the recruiting rankings after a massive day on the trail on Tuesday.
The Vols began the afternoon by picking up two four-star commitments, who are teammates at Jackson Academy in Jackson, MS. Tennessee landed four-star linebacker TJ White and four-star defensive lineman Dereon Albert, two prospects set to bolster the Vols’ defense.
That wasn’t all, though. Less than an hour after landing the Mississippi recruits, Tennessee then hauled in a commitment from in-state three-star cornerback Jamyan Theodore, who played the 2024 season with the Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN.
White and Albert make up two of Tennessee’s highest-rated defensive prospects so far in the 2026 cycle. According to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, White is listed as the No. 113 overall player and the No. 7 linebacker in the class, while Albert is tagged as the No. 359 player and No. 42 defensive lineman in the class. Theodore, the fourth defensive back in the Vols’ class, lands as the No. 768 player and No. 64 cornerback in the 2026 cycle.
Prior to all three commitments on Tuesday morning, Tennessee had the No. 22 overall recruiting class and the No. 8 class in the SEC, according to 247. At the time of this publication, 5:00 p.m. ET, Tennessee has jumped up 10 spots to No. 12 in the rankings and is currently slotted as the fourth highest-ranked team from the SEC.
The Vols’ jump in On3 Sports/Rivals’ ranking wasn’t as drastic, but they were still on the move. Tennessee entered the day with the No. 15 recruiting class and the No. 6 class in the SEC, and now sits at No. 12 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC.
Pre-Commitments: No. 22 overall, No. 8 SEC
Post-Commitments (Tuesday evening): No. 12 overall, No. 4 SEC
- Passed No. 13 Texas, No. 14 LSU, No. 16 Florida, and No. 21 Arkansas in conference
Pre-Commitments: No. 15 overall, No. 6 SEC
Post-Commitments (Tuesday evening): No. 12 overall, No. 5 SEC
- Passed No. 15 Florida in conference
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Tennessee now has 16 total commitments in the 2026 class after a massive summer surge on the recruiting trail.
On3’s Industry Rankings have Tennessee with five-star QB Faizon Brandon, four-star LB TJ White, four-star OT Gabriel Osenda, four-star WR Tyreek King, four-star EDGE Zach Groves, four-star ATH Legend Bey, four-star TE Carson Sneed, four-star DL Dereon Albert, four-star EDGE Kedric Golston II, three-star CB Zay Anderson, three-star S KJ McClain, three-star EDGE CJ Edwards, three-star LB Braylon Outlaw, three-star CB Jamyan Theodore, three-star S Luke Thompson, and three-star OL Edward Baker.
While it took some time to develop, Tennessee has really bolstered its class this summer. Nine of the Vols’ 16 total commitments have come in the last 30 days, headlined by the pair of Jackson Academy prospects, TJ White and Dereon Albert.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee news and notes as Josh Heupel continues to put the pieces together for his 2026 recruiting class.
