Five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray is announcing his college commitment on Friday night as one of the most sought after prospects in the entire 2026 recruiting cycle comes off the board.
The Vols are in Gray’s top five and have been viewed as the wild card candidate in his recruitment behind a pair of steady leaders. Here’s how to watch Gray’s announcement and more previewing the commitment.
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How To Watch Darius Gray Commitment
- Date: Friday, Aug. 22
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Gray will go live on his Instagram
- Link: Gray’s Instagram
The Contenders In Gray’s Recruitment
Gray is down to a top group that includes Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Gamecocks and Tigers have long been viewed as the top two contenders in Gray’s recruitment with Tennessee emerging as a wild card in the last month.
There are no 247sports crystal ball predictions for Gray while Rivals gives LSU a 51.1% chance and South Carolina a 32.5% chance of landing the blue-chip lineman.
Throughout his recruitment, Gray took seven visits to South Carolina, six visits to Ohio State, three visits to Tennessee, three visits to LSU and two visits to Clemson.
Where Gray Ranks, Other Details
247sports is the only recruiting site to rank Gray as a five-star, tabbing him as the No. 16 player and the top interior offensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Rivals ranks Gray as a high four-star, the No. 45 player and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Rivals industry rankings, which take its own rankings, 247sports and ESPN’s rankings into affect, tab Gray as a five-star recruit and the No. 31 player in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Gray is a Richmond, Virginia native where he stars at the St. Cristopher’s School. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound prospect also plays basketball.
What Tennessee’s Offensive Line Class Looks Like
Tennessee has three offensive linemen committed in its 2026 recruiting class— four-star tackle Gabriel Osenda, four-star tackle J.B. Shabazz and three-star guard Edward Baker.
There’s no other obvious offensive line targets on Tennessee’s recruiting board but the Vols continue to push to flip four-star tackle Kamari Blair from South Carolina. A Clarksville native, Blair picked South Carolina over the Vols and Ole Miss back in July.
*UPDATE: Blair has flipped from South Carolina to Tennessee since the time this story originally published. Read about Blair flipping here.
