Former Alabama defensive line commit JJ Finch has officially flipped to Tennessee, Rivals announced on social media Wednesday evening.
Finch, a 6-foot-3, 278-pound defensive lineman from Indianapolis, originally committed to the Crimson Tide in late June. However, he was struggling to make a final decision between Tennessee and Alabama, according to a report from Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.
Tim Watts of BamaOnLine first reported on Monday night that a flip to Tennessee on early signing day could be in play, and that’s exactly what has taken place here on Wednesday.
Finch is a consensus three-star defensive lineman in the 2026 class, but Rivals’ rankings have him as high as a four-star recruit. Rivals Industry Rankings have the 6-foot-3, 278-pound prospect listed as the No. 457 player in the class, the No. 50 defensive lineman in the nation, and the No. 4 player from the state of Indiana.
He played for Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, IN, and was selected to the Navy All-American Bowl.
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247Sports states that Tennessee had Finch on campus for a visit during the Oklahoma game, and BamaOnLine added that he was in Knoxville this past weekend to watch the Vols take on Vanderbilt.
Tennessee has shown a clear commitment to the defensive trenches in this year’s recruiting class. The Vols have now landed four late-cycle defensive linemen in two days, with three-star defensive lineman Nic’Quayvion “Nuk” Simmons on Tuesday, four-star defensive lineman Carter Gooden on Wednesday, four-star defensive lineman Jordan Carter on Wednesday, and now four-star defensive lineman JJ Finch on Wednesday.
Tennessee now has 10 defensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting class, alongside four-star DT Dereon Albert, three-star lineman Kedric Golston II, three-star lineman Darryl Rivers, three-star EDGE Zach Groves, three-star EDGE Hezekiah Harris, and three-star EDGE CJ Edwards.
Tennessee has been working hard on Wednesday, the start of the early signing period, to get its 2026 recruiting class signed. Click here to see the full list of prospects that UT has seen put pen to paper.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting coverage during the early signing period.
