Tennessee Football is set to host one of the top tight ends in the 2027 recruiting class in June. And fortunately for both sides, it won’t be a long trip over to Rocky Top.
Four-star tight end Malik Howard announced an upcoming visit to Tennessee set for June 5-7 this year. The 6-foot-4 tight end is from Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, TN, which is roughly 25 miles from Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium.
Howard is a talented and coveted prospect in the 2027 cycle. 247Sports lists Howard as a four-star recruit, the No. 181 player in the class, the No. 8 tight end in the cycle, and the No. 8 player from the Volunteer State. Howard helped lead Oak Ridge to the TSSAA Division I Class 6A playoffs as a junior last season, finishing the year with 778 yards and 11 touchdowns on 53 catches, according to 247.
Last November, Howard dropped a list of his top six finalists. Tennessee was on that list, alongside Alabama, Miami, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. 247Sports’ recruiting timeline shows that Howard took an unofficial visit to Tennessee on March 21 and has upcoming official visits to Alabama, Tennessee, and Notre Dame this spring.
Howard has racked up more than 35 scholarship offers, including programs such as LSU, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Auburn.
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“Modern F-TE projection with the hands, fluidity and post-catch urgency to be a featured target in any passing attack,” 247 Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in an evaluation last December. “Sticky hands and superb body control lead to acrobatic grabs in traffic as he can float with his timing and make mid-flight adjustments.”
Tennessee will head into the 2026 football season with redshirt junior Ethan Davis as the primary tight end in the Vols’ offense. Additionally, the Vols also have sophomore DaSaahn Brame, redshirt junior Trent Thomas, redshirt sophomore Cole Harrison, and freshman Luca Wolf in Alec Abeln’s tight end room.
Tennessee currently has six commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, including four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman, four-star offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, four-star defensive lineman Kadin Fife, three-star athlete Jaden Butler, three-star linebacker JP Peace, and three-star quarterback Derrick Baker. Bowman, Uwaifo, Butler, and Peace are all from the Volunteer State.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football recruiting coverage, and check out some of Malik Howard’s top highlights below:
