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Top-5 Must Have Prospects in the 2026 Recruting Class for Tennessee

Caleb Sisk|
Tristen “TK” Keys lining up for a play.
Tristen “TK” Keys lining up for a play. | Tristen Keys

The Tennessee Volunteers are off to a hot in the 2026 recruiting class with (7) commits in mid-February, including their top-ranked QB. Here are the remaining "Must Have" prospects.

The Tennessee Volunteers have been a program on the rise since the arrival of head coach Josh Heupel. He's raised the standard not only in the wins and loss columns, but he's also improved the caliber of prospects that they remain in pursuit of. Especially at the quarterback position. For the third recruiting cycle in just four years, the Vols are on pace to sign their third Five-Star at the QB position. Led by Nico Iamaleava, followed by George MacIntyre, the Vols have already gained the commitment from Faizon Brandon.

Now, they have to land the rest of their Must-Have prospects to add to an already Top-10 class.

Top-5 Must Have Prospects in the 2026 Recruting Class for Tennessee

1. Tristen Keys, WR
The Vols passing attack needs a plethora of weaponry added to it in the coming years, preferably from the high school ranks. The signing of Mike Matthews in 2024 should hopefully pay dividends this fall, but landing a prospect like Tristen Keys would go a long way for the future of their deep-game passing attack. Keys is undoubtedly the best receiver prospect on the Vols board and he's shown a tremendous amount of interest in the Vols. Tennessee will be competing with Texas A&M, Alabama, and Ole Miss most notably.

2. Savion Hiter, RB
Hiter is the consensus No. 1 running back on all of the recruiting services. The Mineral, Virginia prospect thinks fondly of the Vols as well. He's got four official visits set for this summer, taking trips to Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, and saving Tennessee for the final visit. The Vols have shown a tremendous track record with running backs under Heupel and Hiter would be no different if they were to land him.

3. Rodney Dunham, EDGE
A five-star pass rusher isn't something foreign to the Vols. They landed Jordan Ross out of Alabama in the 2024 signing class. In 2026, they are going to be in heavy competition with South Carolina for 5-star EDGE, Rodney Dunham. Dunham is a 6'5, 225-pound EDGE rusher who has tremendous upside. If Tennessee's defense is going to remain a constant problem for conference opponents, continuing to land edge rushers like Dunham will go a long way.

4. Anthony "Poppa" Jones, EDGE
A state of California prospect, Jones stand 6'5, 260 pounds as a rising senior. He's been to Knoxville on multiple occasions since October and it appears the Vols are the front-runner for this extremely talented prospect. There are questions as to whether or not he will continue to grow into more of a defensive lineman as opposed to a stand-up rusher, but nonetheless an extremely promising prospect who seems to have mutual interest with the Vols.

5. Rodney Colton Jr, LB
Colton is a top-200 prospect who recently de-committed from the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Newnan, Georgia native was quickly connected to the Vols when he opened up his recruitment for the first time since the fall of 2024. It's going to be a competitive race for this fluid mover at the linebacker position, however, the Vols are seemingly out front.

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Caleb Sisk
CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.

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