The transfer portal is taking the majority of headlines at the moment, but high school recruiting also never stops across college football. After heading west to Martin, Tennessee, a day ago, Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel went east to Fort Mill, South Carolina on Tuesday.
There, Heupel and the Vols’ newly hired cornerbacks coach, Michael Hunter Jr., checked in on one of the best recruits in the entire 2027 class. Joshua Dobson, a five-star cornerback and the No. 3 player in the cycle according to 247 Composite, got to see the UT staff at his Catawba Ridge High School.
Tennessee was one of the first schools to ever get in the mix for Dobson. The Vols extended their offer to him back in June of 2024 after a school camp he attended. Since then, he’s gotten to Knoxville for visits at least three times, including for a game day trip this past season.
GBO??? pic.twitter.com/yprJrVLnjk
— 5⭐️Joshua Dobson (@JoshDobsonDB) January 6, 2026
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Defensive Lineman Enters Transfer Portal After One Year With Vols
However, while Heupel is still leading the charge for Tennessee, it’s a much different defensive staff and system that Dobson is now going to get used to with the Vols. Before, it was defensive coordinator Tim Banks and secondary coach Willie Martinez in contact with him. Now, it’ll likely be defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter and the cornerbacks coach, Hunter, in communication.
So far, that defensive staff has landed one commitment. Through the transfer portal, Tennessee picked up safety Qua Moss out of Kansas State, who ultimately may end up playing the nickelback role. He’s one of two commitments through the portal for the Vols, with offensive tackle Ory Williams from LSU committing earlier on Tuesday.
Tennessee is in the mix for multiple other big-name transfer targets. The Vols have already hosted a good number, are currently hosting some more and have plenty of future visits lined up. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for all the information you need this portal season.
