Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Tennessee
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May 30, 2025
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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.
- National rank: #486 (3 stars) - Position rank: #58 - College: UCLA - Offers: UCLA, Arizona, Austin Peay, Florida State, Georgia - High school: South Gibson (Medina, TN)
7 / 20
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#14. Zay Anderson (ATH)
- National rank: #418 (3 stars) - Position rank: #28 - College: not committed - Offers: Tennessee, Toledo, Arkansas State, Ball State, Cincinnati - High school: Greeneville (Greeneville, TN)
8 / 20
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#13. Briggs Cherry (QB)
- National rank: #394 (4 stars) - Position rank: #26 - College: Louisville - Offers: Louisville, Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky - High school: Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN)
9 / 20
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#12. Shavar Young Jr. (ATH)
- National rank: #393 (4 stars) - Position rank: #25 - College: Clemson - Offers: Clemson, Arkansas, Boston College, Colorado, Colorado State - High school: Webb School of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
10 / 20
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#11. Justin Hopkins (S)
- National rank: #376 (4 stars) - Position rank: #35 - College: Minnesota - Offers: Minnesota, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Auburn, Charlotte - High school: Ensworth (Nashville, TN)
- National rank: #313 (4 stars) - Position rank: #25 - College: Notre Dame - Offers: Notre Dame, Florida State, Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn - High school: McCallie School (Chattanooga, TN)
12 / 20
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#9. Kamari Blair (OT)
- National rank: #287 (4 stars) - Position rank: #25 - College: not committed - Offers: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida State, South Carolina, Wisconsin - High school: Kirkwood (Clarksville, TN)
13 / 20
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#8. Carson Sneed (TE)
- National rank: #263 (4 stars) - Position rank: #13 - College: Tennessee - Offers: Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama - High school: Donelson Christian Academy (Nashville, TN)
14 / 20
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#7. Zach Groves (Edge)
- National rank: #259 (4 stars) - Position rank: #25 - College: Tennessee - Offers: Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky - High school: East Robertson (Cross Plains, TN)
15 / 20
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#6. Gabriel Osenda (OT)
- National rank: #245 (4 stars) - Position rank: #21 - College: Tennessee - Offers: Tennessee, Auburn, California, East Carolina, Florida - High school: Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN)
- National rank: #244 (4 stars) - Position rank: #22 - College: not committed - Offers: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Michigan, Alabama, Auburn - High school: Oakland (Murfreesboro, TN)
17 / 20
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#4. Tyreek King (WR)
- National rank: #88 (4 stars) - Position rank: #10 - College: Tennessee - Offers: Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Eastern Kentucky - High school: Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, TN)
18 / 20
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#3. Caden Harris (CB)
- National rank: #84 (4 stars) - Position rank: #11 - College: Vanderbilt - Offers: Vanderbilt, Missouri, Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame - High school: Haywood (Brownsville, TN)
19 / 20
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#2. Joel Wyatt (ATH)
- National rank: #44 (4 stars) - Position rank: #4 - College: not committed - Offers: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas - High school: The Webb School (Bell Buckle, TN)
20 / 20
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#1. Jared Curtis (QB)
- National rank: #2 (5 stars) - Position rank: #1 - College: Georgia - Offers: Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas - High school: Nashville Christian School (Nashville, TN)
