Tennessee baseball got some more good news on an elite high school signee making it to campus on Sunday. Following the conclusion of the 10th round of the 2026 MLB Draft, elite catcher prospect Sean Dunlap announced he’ll play for the Vols on his Instagram story.
Dunlap committed to Tennessee all the way back in November 2024 and took his official visit to Knoxville shortly after Josh Elander took over as head coach, deciding to stick with the Vols.
An Indiana native, Dunlap ranks as the No. 38 overall player and No. 2 catcher in the 2026 recruiting class, according to Perfect Game. Dunlap entered the draft as a true toss-up on whether he would make it to Tennessee or not, making this a significant development for Elander and company.
As a senior, Dunlap earned Prep Baseball Indiana Player of the Year. He hit for a .473 average with nine home runs, 11 doubles, 45 RBI and slugged at a .946 mark.
Sean Dunlap has impressive power with a legitimate shot to stick at catcher 🤔
The high schooler is one of 20 2026 MLB Draft sleepers to know.
Here’s why: https://t.co/76lmZ5lKhb pic.twitter.com/qNh29yCaQ2
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 7, 2026
More From RTI: Pair of Tennessee Baseball Pitcher Signees Withdrawing From Draft, Will Play for Vols
Tennessee is absolutely loaded at catcher entering the 2027 season, as well. Trent Grindlinger, Stone Lawless and Levi Clark are all returning for next season, with Dunlap now entering the mix.
While Tennessee is officially getting Teasley, Grant, Sullivan and Dunlap to campus so far, it is losing a number of highly-rated signees to the draft. This features outfielder/left-handed pitcher Jared Grindlinger (Angels – Pick 12), outfielder Trevor Condon (Cardinals – Pick 13), right-handed pitcher Kaiden McCarthy (Braves – Pick 48) and right-handed pitcher Ty Putnam (Rockies – Pick 136).
Through 10 rounds, a quartet of Vols has also heard their names called. In the first round, star right-handed pitcher Tegan Kuhns went No. 31 overall to the St. Louis Cardinals. Then, infielder Henry Ford went with pick No. 191 in the sixth round to the Seattle Mariners. Next was right-handed pitcher Bo Rhudy to the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh round, and then utility man Garrett Wright to the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth.
