Wednesday marks the beginning of the early signing period across the college football landscape, bringing the next crop of high-level prospects to various programs around the nation. Announcements will begin early in the morning as players sign with their programs for the coming year.
Tennessee is one of the teams on the fringe of the Top 10 rankings for the 2026 cycle. It’s also reportedly one of the programs that could have some surprises up its sleeve on signing day, making the Vols one of the teams to watch closely throughout the day on Wednesday.
ESPN released its pre-signing day team recruiting rankings on Tuesday, with Tennessee landing as the No. 11 team in the nation. It’s a one-spot drop from its previous rankings update. The Vols are the fifth-ranked team from the SEC, behind No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, No. 6 Texas A&M, and No. 8 Alabama.
ESPN highlights quarterback Faizon Brandon as the Vols’ top offensive prospect and athlete Joel Wyatt as the top defensive prospect.
“Faizon Brandon, a five-star quarterback, is the headliner here, and rightfully so,” Craig Haubert writes for ESPN. “He’s a strong, accurate passer who fits Tennessee’s offense perfectly. His commitment was big initially but seems even more impactful after the Vols’ publicized split with Nico Iamaleava and replacement Joey Aguilar coming in as a fifth-year senior.”
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ESPN tags Tennessee with 11 commits from the SC Next 300. The Vols’ eleven Top 300 commits include QB Faizon Brandon (No. 9), WR Tristen Keys (No. 10), WR Salesi Moa (No. 38), WR Tyreek King (No. 51), ATH Joel Wyatt (No. 66), LB T.J. White (No. 105), OLB Brayden Rouse (No. 129), DE Hezekiah Harris (No. 137), OT Gabriel Osenda (No. 163), DE Zach Groves (No. 270), and DT Dereon Albert (No. 296).
“In-state four-star receiver Tyreek King (Knoxville Catholic) could be highly productive as he is a quick, fluid target who has clocked in-game speeds faster than 21 mph,” Haubert writes. “Tristen Keys, out of Mississippi, was a big flip from SEC foe LSU. He brings excellent ball skills and body control and offers a wide catch radius. Joel Wyatt (Oakland) is another potential receiver but the versatile athlete projects to play safety in Knoxville. Keep an eye on in-state offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda, who is a massive presence (6-7, 330 pounds) for the Vols to develop and was a riser in the fall player ranking update.”
ESPN is the lowest on Tennessee’s class as a whole, but not by much. 247Sports has Tennessee at No. 8 in its set of rankings, while Rivals has the Vols at No. 10.
As previously mentioned, though, these rankings can be shaken up in a hurry over the next 24 hours. Tennessee, for instance, has already landed a new commitment on Tuesday with three-star defensive lineman Nic’Quayvion “Nuk” Simmons from Columbus, GA. Tennessee is also a reported favorite to flip Alabama defensive line commit JJ Finch on signing day on Wednesday. We’ll see if that one turns out in Tennessee’s favor, but it’s one of a few key players that are worth watching for the Big Orange.
Check out ESPN’s full 2026 team rankings here.
