Tennessee received a massive win on the recruiting trail this past week with four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse in the 2026 class. But while it was a big win in its own right, it was the reward of a hard-fought battle, too.
On3 Sports’ Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons recently made an appearance on Josh Newberg’s On3 show and detailed just how hard Tennessee had to fight to get the elite prospect to commit to the Volunteers.
“(Bryaden) Rouse was a Tennessee lean for months and months and months,” Simmons said. “We kind of almost had him penciled into this class, going back to even February, April, early June. And then here comes Texas. And they get him on campus in the spring in Austin. He goes back for that (official visit). The last week or two, we think, man, does Tennessee still have an edge? Texas has closed this gap; they made a big push, they made a big offer NIL-wise. But he stayed true, man. (Rouse) went to that kind of the old school way of recruiting.”
It’s well reported that Tennessee and the Vols’ coaching staff made Rouse a recruiting priority early on, and it sounds like that all paid off when it came to keeping the four-star prospect hovering around the UT class. With Texas coming in and reportedly making big offers and a big push this spring, Rouse stayed true to the relationships that he developed with the Tennessee people in the end.
“He’s built those relationships with that (Tennessee) staff,” Simmons continued on to say. “They don’t only just know Brayden – they know his mom, his dad, his nine-year-old brother. It’s not just Heupel, it’s not just the position coach, it’s not just Coach (William) Inge, it’s not just (DC Tim) Banks, it’s the entire staff. I was told inside that building on Rocky Top, that helped get this thing done in the end for Brayden Rouse.”
More From RTI: WATCH – Elite Highlights From Tennessee LB Commit Brayden Rouse
Tennessee’s win on the recruiting trail with Rouse shows just how impactful those relationships can be in the end. And that’s not a surprise, either. While it’s not directly specific to Tennessee, you often hear commits and recruits discuss the bonds they have formed with people in Knoxville and how that influences their decisions. Culture is a word thrown around sometimes too casually in college football, but it’s evident over the last four years that Heupel and his staff have worked hard to create a welcome and unique environment on campus.
Prior to landing Rouse, Tennessee picked up a big commitment from four-star defensive lineman Dereon Albert on July 1. In an interview with Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert, Albert detailed some of the same things that Simmons talked about with Rouse.
“The people were great,” Albert told RTI. “The coaches were great. They showed initiative, they showed time. They talked to my sister, family… I like the people that keep it real with me. The people that keep it 100. So I know what I’m getting into because this is my future. This is where I want to leave my family, too.”
NIL is always going to be important in today’s day and age. But relationships matter, too. Whether it’s Heupel as the head coach, or position coaches that “keep it real” like Rodney Garner and William Inge, the relationships that Tennessee’s staff are building on the recruiting trail are going a long way in capturing talent.
Speaking of talent, Rouse is bringing a load of it to Knoxville.
“Great player,” Simmons said. “One of the best in Georgia. Bama wanted him, Michigan wanted him, Georgia wanted him, but (Tennessee) beat Texas in the end. Huge statement win for Josh Heupel and company here.”
Rouse ranks as a Top 100 player and the No. 7 linebacker in the class, according to On3’s Industry Rankings. 247Sports has him as high as the No. 4 linebacker in the class. Rouse is a versatile machine on the field – and when paired up with fellow four-star LB commit TJ White, big things could be in store for the Vols’ defense in the near future.
Check out the full clip from Chad Simmons on Josh Newberg’s show for On3 Sports below:
“Bama wanted him, Michigan wanted him, Georgia wanted him, but [Tennessee] beat Texas in the end.”@ChadSimmons_ says landing LB Brayden Rouse was a statement win for Josh Heupel & Tennessee recruiting 🍊
MORE: https://t.co/UCpCrMIXVE pic.twitter.com/jZjlD33sR3
— Josh Newberg (@josh_newberg) July 10, 2025
