Tennessee football is one of the remaining schools in the pursuit of one of the best defensive line recruits in the class of 2027. Earlier this month, four-star prospect Cahron Wheeler narrowed his list down to six, which featured the Vols.
The other schools still in the hunt for Wheeler include Virginia Tech, Maryland, Auburn, Clemson and Florida. He also holds offers from the likes of Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas A&M and more.
Wheeler is ranked as the No. 107 recruit in the cycle, according to 247 Composite. He is the No. 11 defensive lineman and No. 3 player from Maryland. Wheeler is from Baltimore, Maryland, where he plays for St. Paul’s School.
Where’s home? pic.twitter.com/RNstC48iJj
— Cahron Wheeler (@WheelerCahron) April 19, 2026
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Wheeler’s primary recruiter is Rodney Garner. Projected as an interior defensive lineman at 6-foot-5, 266 pounds, Garner has a history of producing NFL-ready players at the position.
In April, Wheeler took his most recent visit to Knoxville. He was in town on April 11 for the annual Orange and White Game. This gave him a look at a pseudo game day environment. Fans packed the open portions of the stadium with the team scrimmaging inside Neyland Stadium.
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.
