Tennessee football’s linebacker recruiting under William Inge has been nothing but elite.
The Vols don’t seem to plan on taking a step back in the upcoming 2027 class, either. On Thursday evening, four-star linebacker Braylon Williams revealed his list of 20 schools he’ll be focusing on going forward, and Tennessee made the cut.
UT joins South Carolina, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, Georgia, Missouri and Auburn as SEC schools he’ll be looking at. Other notable programs in the mix include Oregon, Florida State, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame.
These is the Real Deal The “Real Top 20” @adamgorney @PhenomElite @MishCFB @CoachWhitmire pic.twitter.com/plGC1fkETE
— ⭐️Braylon “BEAST” Williams⭐️ 5⭐️MLB (@BraylonW2027) July 10, 2025
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Williams is a four-star recruit according to 247’s composite rankings. The site lists him as the No. 297 recruit in the nation, No. 21 linebacker and No. 42 player out of Texas. Rivals is even higher on Williams, too. They list him as the No. 118 recruit in the country and No. 6 linebacker in the cycle.
He has plenty of time to shoot up even further in the rankings, as well. He now enters just his junior year at Lamar in Arlington, Texas. With two years of high school ball left, he has a clear goal.
“Be the best player in the nation,” Williams told Rocky Top Insider.
What stands out to this point about Tennessee to Williams is the people around the program. That tracks with what previous linebacker commits have said about what Inge and Josh Heupel are building in Knoxville.
“I like the culture and I love the people and facilities,” Williams told RTI.
This current 2026 cycle, the Vols cleaned up in linebacker recruiting. Tennessee holds commitments from the No. 4 linebacker, Brayden Rouse, and the No. 5 recruit at the position, TJ White. UT also landed three-star Braylon Outlaw to join the room.
In Inge’s first year, he landed four-stars Jadon Perlotte and Jaedon Harmon, as well as three-star Brenden Anes. In 2027, he has already brought in legacy three-star JP Peace.
Now, Williams could help start the push for another impressive year on the trail. Other 2027 linebackers to know include Cooper Witten, the No. 1 player at the position and son of Tennessee legendary tight end Jason Witten, and in-state and No. 2 linebacker Omarii Sanders.
