Tennessee is on the hunt for one of the standout EDGE rushers in the 2027 recruiting cycle. According to a report from Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett on Tuesday, Tennessee has made the list of top finalists for four-star prospect James Pace. The Vols sit alongside South Carolina, Auburn, Georgia, and Maryland in the group.
Rivals’ industry recruiting rankings have Pace listed as the No. 154 overall player in the class, the No. 18 EDGE rusher in the cycle, and the No. 4 player from the state of Maryland. He currently plays for DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, MD.
While Pace is down to a top-five group moving forward, he’s racked up nearly 30 offers throughout his recruitment so far. Other programs that didn’t make the cut include Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, Florida, Indiana, Miami, and Michigan.
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Tennessee has been strong in recruiting the EDGE position throughout Josh Heupel’s time on Rocky Top. In all five of his signing classes so far, the Vols have signed a four-star player at the position at a minimum. That includes James Pearce and Joshua Josephs in 2022, Caleb Herring and Chandavian Bradley in 2023, Jordan Ross in 2024, Jayden Loftin in 2025, and Zach Groves in 2026. Much of that work can also be attributed to defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who Tennessee retained as part of the change to Jim Knowles’ staff over the offseason.
Tennessee currently has six commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, which ranks 17th in the nation on Rivals. The Vols’ commit group includes four-star WR Kesean Bowman, four-star OT Princeton Uwaifo, four-star DL Kadin Fife, three-star safety Jaden Butler, three-star LB J.P. Peace, and three-star quarterback Derrick Baker.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news and coverage.
