Tennessee football has lost one of its longest-tenured commitments of the 2026 class via flip.
Carson Sneed, an in-state, four-star tight end, has committed to North Carolina. For the majority of his commitment, Sneed has entertained the recruitment of multiple other programs. For a while, it seemed Florida was the frontrunner to force the flip, but Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels ultimately won the fight.
Sneed ranks as a four-star recruit and the No. 404 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. He also ranks as the No. 18 tight end nationally and the No. 13 overall player in the state of Tennessee.
The 6-foot-6, 248-pound recruit is a high school offensive tackle at Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville. Despite playing on the offensive line at a small high school, Sneed projects as a blocking tight end at the collegiate level.
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There’s an obvious connection between Sneed and North Carolina. Former Tennessee walk-on receiver Dayton Sneed transferred to North Carolina in the spring transfer portal window. The younger Sneed brother officially visited North Carolina in late April, shortly after Dayton committed to the Tar Heels.
Sneed also took official visits to Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee in the late spring and early summer. For a while, Florida seemed to be Tennessee’s biggest threat with the blue-chip tight end donning Florida gloves at a recruiting camp following his visit to Gainesville.
The in-state tight end was the only player at the position committed to Tennessee in the 2026 recruiting cycle. There are no other obvious targets for the Vols on the table at this point, either.
However, Tennessee has three underclassmen tight end on campus with sophomore Cole Harrison as well as freshmen DaSaahn Brame and Jack Van Dorselaer. Both Brame and Van Dorselaer have impressed early in their first fall camp.
Tennessee football’s 2026 recruiting class now contains 22 commitments and ranks No. 10 nationally and No. 6 in the SEC according to the 247sports team rankings.
