Tennessee Football landed its eighth commitment in the 2027 cycle on Monday night, according to a report from Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. The Vols landed in-state defensive back Brandon “Slim” Leavell out of Goodpasture High School in Madison, TN. His high school is located just a bit northeast of Nashville and is just under three hours away from Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
Leavell announced his commitment in front of his friends and peers at Goodpasture on Monday night. He committed to the Vols over Florida, Clemson, Florida State, and NC State.
247Sports’ Composite Rankings tag Leavell as a three-star prospect in the 2027 cycle. He ranks as the No. 603 player in the nation, the No. 44 athlete in the class, and the No. 28 player out of the state of Tennessee. Additionally, Rivals ranks Leavell as the No. 76 cornerback in the cycle.
This is a nice in-state victory for new Tennessee defensive back coaches Anthony Poindexter and Derek Jones. Poindexter, the Vols’ new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, visited Leavell at his high school last week. The three-star prospect then posted a picture of the two together, while also tagging cornerbacks coach Derek Jones in the post.
🍊🍊@Coachpoindexter @Vol_Football @CoachdjCheetah pic.twitter.com/tlBcYnKRK2
— Brandon “Slim” Leavell (@Slim_Leavell14) May 15, 2026
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Leavell’s commitment to Tennessee on Monday comes after two recent trips to Rocky Top during the spring. He was in Knoxville for one of Tennessee Football’s spring practices on March 31, and then returned a few weeks later for the Vols’ Orange & White Spring Game on April 11.
Standing at 6-foot-2, Leavell packs a load of athleticism. 247Sports documents that Leavell is a multi-sport athlete who also competes in basketball and track & field.
Leavell’s athleticism expands onto the gridiron as a two-way athlete for Goodpasture. During the 2025 season, he played both cornerback and wide receiver, racking up 12 touchdowns and four interceptions during the season, according to MaxPreps.
Tennessee now has eight commitments in the 2027 cycle, and Leavell makes for the third defensive back in the class after his verbal pledge to the Vols on Monday. Tennessee’s other seven commits include four-star WR Kesean Bowman, four-star OT Princeton Uwaifo, four-star defensive lineman Kadin Fife, three-star safety Jaden Butler, three-star LB J.P. Peace, three-star quarterback Derrick Baker, and three-star cornerback Carter Jamison.
Here’s a look at some of Leavell’s highlights from the 2025 football season:
