Tennessee football is off to a strong start in the 2027 class, but will need to keep building momentum to match its 2026 pace. As it continues to create relationships with top prospects, it was named one of three schools sticking out for a top-25 recruit.
According to Blair Angulo, cornerback Hayden Stepp is seeing the Vols, Alabama and Oregon begin to separate themselves from the pack in his recruitment.
This comes after Tennessee made his top-five schools list in December. That list included Tennessee, Alabama, Oregon, Clemson and Miami.
Stepp is the No. 23 recruit in the class, according to 247‘s rankings. He is the No. 4 cornerback and No. 1 player out of the state of Nevada. Standing at over 6-foot-3, he is from Las Vegas, where he plays for Bishop Gorman.
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“It’s a deep year for corners out West and Stepp is our pick as the No. 1 guy on our board at this juncture,” 247 national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins wrote in September. “Has a long, athletic frame pushing 6-foot-4 and can smother opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage. Shows rare combination of length and athleticism as well as natural cover instincts. Despite his length, has quick feet and closes very well on the football.”
Stepp picked up his Tennessee offer in February of 2025. This made the Vols one of the first teams to extend an offer to him out of his finalists.
He took a visit to Knoxville to see the Vols this past season, getting to campus for Tennessee’s game against Oklahoma. Though the Vols lost, many recruits have raved about that game day experience.
Tennessee currently holds four commitments in the 2027 class. This comes after a recent commitment of three-star quarterback Derrick Baker and decommitment of three-star cornerback Kamauri Whitfield. The top-ranked commit of the group is four-star, in-state offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, though, at No. 111 in the country on 247.
