Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel picked the right game to watch on Thursday night while on the recruiting trail.
With the Vols on an open date this weekend, Heupel and his staff are making the rounds on Thursday and Friday to check in with some of the nation’s top prospects. For Heupel, that meant heading over to Murfreesboro on Thursday night to see the contest between Oakland (TN) and Rockvale (TN).
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel out here watching Oakland (TN) vs. Rockvale (TN) 👀
(Via @willie_phaler50)https://t.co/HQfiYHwMjR pic.twitter.com/JRCUrbTjI4
— Rivals High School (@Rivals_HS) October 3, 2025
Joel Wyatt, one of Tennessee’s top commitments in the 2026 cycle, is a playmaker for the Oakland team. With Heupel watching on from the sidelines, Wyatt took the top off the defense and hauled in a massive 42-yard touchdown score through the air.
Not a bad way to impress your future coach.
Oakland (TN) safety Joel Wyatt gets wide open for a 42-yard TD reception‼️
Wyatt is a 4-star Tennessee commit.
(via @jakeboldenmp)
https://t.co/8XFAAyZVZL pic.twitter.com/lQ9jPSZAlc
— Rivals High School (@Rivals_HS) October 3, 2025
More From RTI: Tennessee Reportedly Making A Push For This 2027 Defensive Prospect
Wyatt is the fifth-highest ranked prospect in Tennessee’s 2026 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound athlete is listed as a four-star prospect, the No. 47 player in the class, the No. 5 athlete in the nation, and the No. 3 player from the state of Tennessee.
He committed to Tennessee in late July, picking the Volunteers over in-state rival Vanderbilt.
“Polarizing two-way athlete with a robust multi-sport background that possesses the ability to project to either side of the football at the next level,” 247’s Cooper Petagna wrote in a May evaluation. “A long, gangly mover hovering around 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds, Wyatt operates with relative ease and athleticism on both sides of the ball while demonstrating the ability to chew up cushion quickly and navigate in and out of breaks efficiently at the wide receiver position.”
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel told the media on Wednesday that he and his staff would be out recruiting before the weekend, but wouldn’t quite say where. We now know that he was in Murfreesboro to see Oakland-Rockvale on Thursday night. It won’t take long to find out where he is once Friday evening rolls around as soon as he gets spotted. Maybe he’s checking in on another 2026 commit like Wyatt, or perhaps he’ll have his eyes on one of the top prospects from the 2027 cycle. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting coverage.
