Tennessee football is looking to recruit top talent to its defense now under the direction of Jim Knowles. In this effort, the Vols have built on their relationship with one of the top safeties in the country in the 2027 class.
Ta’Shawn Poole, a four-star recruit, named UT, LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Florida State as his top six, according to Hayes Fawcett.
Poole ranks as the No. 52 player in the 2027 class, via 247 Composite. He is the No. 4 safety and No. 3 recruit out of Georgia, as well. Poole is from Macon, Georgia, where he plays for Howard.
As a safety, Poole’s primary recruiter at Tennessee is Anthony Poindexter. Formerly one of the best defensive backs in the ACC at Virginia, Poindexter is the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach at UT, focusing on safeties. He has prior experience working under Knowles at Penn State.
NEWS: Elite 2027 Safety Ta’Shawn Poole is down to 6 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
The 6’1 195 S from Macon, GA is ranked as a Top 5 Safety in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals)https://t.co/8brkh1nwS6 pic.twitter.com/TscfdkptDS
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 2, 2026
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Currently, Tennessee holds six commitments in the 2027 class. This features a trio of highly-touted four-stars. Headlining is in-state wide receiver, Kesean Bowman. He is a top-50 prospect and one of the top pass catchers in the class. In-state offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo and defensive lineman Kadin Fife are also highly ranked.
Three-stars in the class are quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler and in-state legacy linebacker JP Peace.
Currently, this group is ranked inside the top-15 on both 247 and Rivals for the young 2027 cycle. More commitments are expected to roll in, as well.
