Tennessee football’s elite defensive line is continuing to add talent.
On Friday, the Vols added three-star defensive lineman Darryl Rivers out of Powder Springs, Georgia. He is ranked as the No. 60 defensive lineman and No. 56 player out of Georgia, according to 247.
Rivers picked Tennessee over Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and Rutgers. He also held offers from Auburn, Baylor and Georgia.
This summer, Rivers took official visits to those top four schools. He hit Rutgers first, after picking up a Scarlet Knights offer just prior in May, before taking a look at Georgia Tech, then Mississippi State. He rounded it out by getting up to Knoxville on June 20 for his final visit.
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This is another nice pick-up for Rodney Garner and his defensive front. Rivers joins four-star Dereon Albert as a ‘defensive lineman’ on 247. The recruiting service lists Albert, a commit from Tuesday, as the No. 184 recruit in the class and No. 28 at his position.
While Rivers could certainly play on the inside at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, he does list himself as an edge rusher. Other EDGEs in the class for UT are in-state four-star Zach Groves, Virginian three-star Kedric Golston II and New Jersey three-star CJ Edwards.
Tennessee’s 2026 class ranks as the No. 14 in the country according to 247, as well. This is now 17 commits in the boat after the Vols went into last week with just nine players aboard. The top-ranked recruit is Faizon Brandon, a five-star quarterback who ranks as the No. 1 overall recruit, according to 247. UT also owns the commitment of five-star offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda.
The Vols are far from done, too. Tennessee is in the running for another commitment on Saturday with four-star athlete Salesi Moa coming off the board. He has two-way potential and is down to UT, Utah, Michigan State, Michigan and Washington. Other targets, such as in-state athletes Joel Wyatt and Javonte Smith and five-star running back Savion Hiter, are also soon to come off the board.
