One of Tennessee Football’s earliest commitments in the 2027 cycle was four-star offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo. The 6-foot-6 prospect out of Murfreesboro pledged his commitment to the Vols back in early November to stay in-state for his collegiate career.
While some may not be familiar with his name yet, they should be in the future. Uwaifo is one of the Top 15 offensive tackles in the 2027 recruiting class and lands just a tick outside of 247Sports’ Top 100 overall players for the cycle. He also comes in as the fifth-best player from the Volunteer State.
The numbers are good, but the fit may be even better. Brian Smith, the host of the Locked On Transfer Portal podcast, recently joined Volquest reporter Eric Cain on the Locked on Vols podcast. While diving into a number of Tennessee-related topics, Smith gave high praise for Uwaifo.
“That kid, I think he should play guard in college, but he could play tackle,” Smith said on the show. “That kid is built for Tennessee’s downhill running game. He is an animal. That kid is only ranked, like, borderline Top 100. But for this scheme that Tennessee runs, and he’s an in-state kid anyway from Murfreesboro, he could end up being a first-round draft pick. That guy could end up being the most important guy in the class, even if he ends up playing guard for Tennessee. Because we know they’re going to throw it around, but if you’re going to beat Georgia, if you’re going to beat Florida, and what I think they’re going to be, it’s going to be trenches.”
Could Princeton Uwaifo be the best commit for Tennessee in the 2027 class when it’s all said and done? @fbscout_florida with some HIGH praise for the in-state lineman 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/cUoFj0Renq
— Locked on Vols (@LockedOnVols) May 14, 2026
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Uwaifo is currently ranked as Tennessee’s second highest-rated commitment in the 2027, trailing only four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman. And while Tennessee still has plenty of room to fill out its class, Uwaifo will stay near the top of UT’s list.
Uwaifo has been a frequent visitor on Rocky Top and chose the Vols despite receiving offers from Vanderbilt, Auburn, Missouri, Ohio State, and South Carolina.
Tennessee added some nice pieces to the offensive line through the 2026 recruiting class and transfer portal class, including five-star Gabriel Osenda and four-star Kamari Blair. While Tennessee will still look to add more linemen to the 2027 cycle, Uwaifo continues that trend of strong recruiting in the trenches. And, clearly, he’s given some around the recruiting landscape to sing his praises.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news.
