Vols vault up the board
A two-day recruiting blitz at the end of June gave Tennessee a jolt of momentum in the 2026 cycle. After announcing four additions in a 48-hour span, the Volunteers’ class climbed to No. 15 nationally and No. 6 in the SEC in the On3 Industry Team Rankings, carrying a class score of 89.54. That’s a seven-spot jump from where the group sat a week earlier and positions Josh Heupel’s program squarely in the second tier behind Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M in the league pecking order. 247Sports still had the Vols outside the top 20 at the same snapshot, underscoring how fluid midsummer boards can be, but every major service now agrees Tennessee is trending upward.
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The four new pledges
Prospect Position / Hometown Stars Why the Vols wanted him
Kedric Golston II EDGE, Stone Bridge HS (Ashburn, VA) ★★★★ Legacy defender (son of former Georgia DL Kedric Golston) with an explosive first step; ranked the nation’s No. 41 edge rusher and a top-10 prospect in Virginia.
Edward Baker IOL, St. Frances Acad. (Baltimore, MD) ★★★ 6-4, 315-pound mauler who plays with a wrestling background; fills a glaring interior-line depth need and chose UT over Ole Miss and Penn State.
Zaydyn Anderson DB/WR, Greeneville HS (Greeneville, TN) ★★★ In-state speedster (6-1, 170) who can start at corner or slide to the slot; the No. 13 overall player in Tennessee, giving the class a key local pillar.
Legend Bey ATH, Forney HS (Forney, TX) ★★★★ Two-way playmaker ranked the nation’s No. 13 athlete; scouts rave about his spatial awareness, suggesting he could become a Percy-Harvin-style weapon in Heupel’s tempo attack.
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How the pieces fit
Before the weekend, Tennessee’s class leaned offense-heavy behind five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon and four-star tackle Gabriel Osenda. The latest haul adds balance: Golston supplies a twitchy edge rusher, while Baker shores up the interior OL—two areas the staff had circled after spring evaluations. Anderson and Bey inject versatility; both could start their careers on special teams and project as multi-year contributors once they settle on a permanent spot. With the quartet onboard, the Vols now feature 13 total commitments—one five-star, six four-stars and six three-stars—a roster that mirrors Heupel’s “speed everywhere” blueprint.
Recruiting ripple effects
Momentum matters in July, and rivals have noticed. Regional targets such as top-100 linebacker Brayden Rouse and elite EDGE Chris Whitehead immediately locked in Knoxville official visits after the news broke. Internally, staffers believe they can push the class score north of 91 by September, which historically correlates with a fringe top-10 finish. The challenge will be holding off late SEC poachers—particularly Auburn and Florida, both of whom covet Legend Bey and Zaydyn Anderson.
The big picture
Tennessee’s surge illustrates how a well-timed weekend can reshape perception. A week ago the Vols were treading water; today they’re in striking distance of the playoff contenders on the recruiting leaderboard. If Heupel can convert July’s official-visit traffic into two or three additional blue-chip verbals—especially in the defensive front seven—the 2026 class could become his deepest yet and provide the foundation for Tennessee’s first genuine SEC title push since 2007. For now, though, the headline is simple: **four new names, one big leap, and Rocky Top is rising.**
