After catching up with Tennessee four-star commit Joel Wyatt in Murfreesboro on Thursday night, UT head coach Josh Heupel was reportedly in Roswell, GA, on Friday to check in on two of the Vols’ defensive commitments in the 2026 recruiting class.
Heupel wasn’t alone, either. Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks also appeared to be in the house for the game between Kell High School and Blessed Trinity High School.
With two Tennessee commits set to be in action tonight, Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks are here. https://t.co/TtgfmtlDQy pic.twitter.com/XdlgmKmrRy
— Harrison Reno (@HarrisonReno) October 3, 2025
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The Longhorns house two of Tennessee’s defensive commitments on their roster. Both players committed to Josh Heupel’s program on back-to-back days over the summer.
The first commitment Tennessee landed between the two was four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse. The 6-foot-3 linebacker is a high-level four-star prospect and is ranked in the Top 70 of the 2026 class overall. 247Sports’ Composite Rankings have Rouse as the No. 4 linebacker in the class and the No. 9 player from the state of Georgia. Rouse is the highest-ranked defensive player in Tennessee’s eighth-ranked recruiting class.
One day after Rouse’s commitment, Tennessee landed his teammate Jowell Combay. The 6-foot-1 prospect is a three-star safety in the class and is ranked by 247Sports Composite as a Top 50 player at his position.
With Heupel and Banks in attendance for the game, Rouse and Combay helped Kell pitch a shutout against Blessed Trinity. The Longhorns ended up winning the game by a score of 3-0. In fact, it’s the second straight shutout and the third overall that Kell has had this season. In the previous weekend, Kell destroyed Columbia HS by a score of 48-0.
Not a bad way to make a strong impression in front of your future coaches.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news.
