Clemson beat out Tennessee for a highly-touted Knoxville prospect back in May, but it looks like the Halls High School defensive back is still keeping an eye on what’s happening around the Volunteers program.
Jarrell Chandler is a four-star safety from the Knoxville area. He was a big target for the Vols’ recruiting class, but opted to commit to Clemson on May 18 over a group that included Vanderbilt, Miami, and Tennessee.
Still, though, Chandler had some Tigers fans on notice Saturday when he reacted to Tennessee flipping four-star legacy linebacker Kenneth Simon II away from Alabama. He quote-tweeted the announcement saying, “GBO,” along with the eyes emoji.
#GBO 👀 https://t.co/YXjIcMEm3n
— Jarrell Chandler (@JarrellChandle2) June 13, 2026
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This obviously drew some attention from both fan bases, with Tennessee fans pleading their case for why he should do the same thing as Simon and flip over to his in-state flagship program. Clemson fans, on the other hand, made their case for why he shouldn’t.
There’s no telling what sort of actual meaning this post has. Perhaps Chandler really is taking note of what his local collegiate program is doing, while he could also just be keeping up-to-date tabs on what’s happening around him. It’s hard to tell from such a short post, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Rivals has Chandler listed as a four-star prospect. Their internal rankings have him tagged as the No. 91 player in the country, the No. 6 safety in the class, and the No. 4 player from the Volunteer State. He plays for Halls High School in Knoxville, which is only about 12 miles away from Neyland Stadium.
“Big-framed two-way athlete who projects as a big safety with the potential to grow into a linebacker,” Rivals’ scouting summary states. “Measured in at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with solid length and 10-inch hands prior to his senior season. Strong overall football player on Friday nights, making big plays as a safety and wide receiver. Primarily lines up covering the slot on defense, but will move around depending on matchups. Projects as a plus run defender. A physical presence when operating in the flats. Diagnoses, breaks down in space, and closes quickly. Quality form tackler and finishes with authority. Also sticky in coverage.”
Tennessee has had quite a recruiting weekend already by landing two four-star prospects on Saturday. First, the Vols flipped four-star LB Kenneth Simon II away from Alabama, who is the son of former Tennessee linebacker Kevin Simon. A few hours later, the Vols beat out Virginia and Virginia Tech for four-star offensive tackle Q’Mari Hudson.
Josh Heupel and his staff have proven a willingness to stick with prospects past a commitment to an opposing team. Five-star wide receiver TK Keys was the big standout from the 2026 cycle, but the Vols had multiple other flips in that class. Tennessee flipped Simon on Saturday, and also appears to be making a push for Florida State athlete commit Dayon Cooper during an official visit in Knoxville this weekend.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football recruiting news.
