2028 EDGE Details Where Tennessee Football Stands Ahead of Early Commitment

2028 4-star edge Kylen Pope from Cartersville, Georgia, is planning on committing very early, and he details where the Volunteers stand to Vols on SI.

Kylen Pope

Tennessee has yet to land a commitment in the 2028 class. This makes sense as it is very early. However, that does not mean the Volunteers have not made an early impression on some of the top players in the class. In fact, one talented name in the 2028 class is getting set to commit, and he is very high on Tennessee. 

4-star edge rusher Kylen Pope is set to make an early commitment, and the Volunteers are very much in play, according to him. The Cartersville (Georgia) prospect has offers from all around the country, including from Texas Tech, Michigan, LSU, and of course, the Vols. 

He spoke about his connection with the Volunteers to Vols on SI.

“Tennessee has a great coaching staff, and I feel they really focus on player development. They specialize in a hard-nose SEC defense, especially looking at previous edge rushers they have developed.” He continued on about coach Heupel and defensive line coach Garner, “I love to build relationships, and they have done a really good job with that.”  

Pope also revealed that while he does not have a set-in-stone date for a commitment, he does have an idea that he wants to commit sometime in the spring. 

The Vols have enjoyed the talents of some former players from the Peach State. Last season, receiver Mike Matthews, originally from Parkview High School in Georgia, totaled 770 receiving yards, which was top 10 in the SEC. Also, Tennessee went into Georgia and took one of its best linebackers in Brayden Rouse in its 2026 class, and he will be one to look out for in the future.

Kylen Pope as a Prospect

Kylen Pope (Cartersville) warming up before a game | Kylen Pope Instagram

Pope possesses a lot of the qualities anyone is looking for in a good edge rusher. He has great size at 6-foot-3 and has quick feet, making him impossible to miss when watching his games. His high-end speed makes it difficult for quarterbacks to outrun him after he flushes them out of the pocket. 

His high school, Cartersville, went 12-1 with the defense, led by Pope, which had four shutouts last season. His school played a ton of teams with high-level division-one talent, including a pair of Volunteer signees, Brayden Rouse and Jowell Combay, who ended Pope’s sophomore season in the quarterfinals of 4A in Georgia.  He plays on a defensive line along with 4-star 2027 linebacker Cole Crawford and 3-star defensive lineman Elijah Peeks. Even still, he stood out on the defensive side of the ball.

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