Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Tennessee
Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Tennessee
The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Tennessee using data from 247Sports. Here's the players from Tennessee set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
#20. Marcelles Davis (RB)
- Position rank: #47
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Indiana, Kennesaw State, Miami (OH)
- High school: Houston (Germantown, TN)
#19. Richard Thigpen (OT)
- Position rank: #59
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arkansas State, Eastern Kentucky, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech
- High school: Ensworth (Nashville, TN)
#18. Jayden McClure (LB)
- Position rank: #51
- College: not committed
- Offers: Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Missouri, Tennessee
- High school: Mount Pleasant (Mount Pleasant, TN)
#17. Jack Fuchs (OT)
- Position rank: #50
- College: not committed
- Offers: Kentucky, Penn State, Indiana, Arkansas, Cincinnati
- High school: Beech (Hendersonville, TN)
#16. Keeyshawn Tabuteau (WR)
- Position rank: #87
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Duke, Georgia
- High school: McCallie School (Chattanooga, TN)
#15. Yahya Gaad (DL)
- Position rank: #58
- College: UCLA
- Offers: UCLA, Arizona, Austin Peay, Florida State, Georgia
- High school: South Gibson (Medina, TN)
#14. Zay Anderson (ATH)
- Position rank: #28
- College: not committed
- Offers: Tennessee, Toledo, Arkansas State, Ball State, Cincinnati
- High school: Greeneville (Greeneville, TN)
#13. Briggs Cherry (QB)
- Position rank: #26
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky
- High school: Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN)
#12. Shavar Young Jr. (ATH)
- Position rank: #25
- College: Clemson
- Offers: Clemson, Arkansas, Boston College, Colorado, Colorado State
- High school: Webb School of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
#11. Justin Hopkins (S)
- Position rank: #35
- College: Minnesota
- Offers: Minnesota, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Auburn, Charlotte
- High school: Ensworth (Nashville, TN)
#10. Chaston Smith (CB)
- Position rank: #25
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Florida State, Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn
- High school: McCallie School (Chattanooga, TN)
#9. Kamari Blair (OT)
- Position rank: #25
- College: not committed
- Offers: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida State, South Carolina, Wisconsin
- High school: Kirkwood (Clarksville, TN)
#8. Carson Sneed (TE)
- Position rank: #13
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama
- High school: Donelson Christian Academy (Nashville, TN)
#7. Zach Groves (Edge)
- Position rank: #25
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky
- High school: East Robertson (Cross Plains, TN)
#6. Gabriel Osenda (OT)
- Position rank: #21
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, Auburn, California, East Carolina, Florida
- High school: Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN)
#5. Craig Tutt (S)
- Position rank: #22
- College: not committed
- Offers: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Michigan, Alabama, Auburn
- High school: Oakland (Murfreesboro, TN)
#4. Tyreek King (WR)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Eastern Kentucky
- High school: Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, TN)
#3. Caden Harris (CB)
- Position rank: #11
- College: Vanderbilt
- Offers: Vanderbilt, Missouri, Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame
- High school: Haywood (Brownsville, TN)
#2. Joel Wyatt (ATH)
- Position rank: #4
- College: not committed
- Offers: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas
- High school: The Webb School (Bell Buckle, TN)
#1. Jared Curtis (QB)
- Position rank: #1
- College: Georgia
- Offers: Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas
- High school: Nashville Christian School (Nashville, TN)