Early Signing Day Profile: 2026 EDGE Zach Groves Officially Signs with Tennessee Football

2026 in-state edge Zach Groves signs with Tennessee football.

Zach Groves | 247Sports.com

The early national signing period for the class of 2026 is finally here. Prospects ranging all over the country will be signing and sending in their official Letter of Intent (LOI) to play for their selected college of choice.

For the most part, it will be casual business as the majority of young men will sign with a school that they have been committed to leading up to this point, but there are usually a few cases that provide a handful of fireworks.

The Josh Heupel led Tennessee Volunteers are expected to sign around 25 players, give or take a few. This does not factor in the ones who could decide to commit today, or the ones who could potentially flip. After all, it is early signing day. Expect some of the unexpected.

You have a number of prospects each year that no matter what the journey was, will make a final decision on signing day, and then there will be some that are anticipated to put pen to paper for a school, and have last second thoughts, or a premeditated surprise and the signed LOI lands at another school.

The Volunteer staff has maintained relationships and consistently pressed on a few potential flip targets coming down the stretch, as well as a few uncommitted prospects, so note that the final number of signees may differ from the number on the committed list.

The Vols have officially signed 2026 EDGE Zach Groves.

The in-state defender will be a nice addition to the defensive side of the ball, as Tennessee is looking to add to the cupboard in Knoxville.

Groves is on the upper end of the nation's best edge rushers in the 2026 cycle. Rodney Garner and Levorn 'Chop' Harbin has to be excited for this one.

BIO

Zach Groves | Zach Groves/Instagram

Zach Groves

Cross Plains (Tennessee)

EDGE

6-foot-4, 255-pounds

Tennessee Recruiting History

Zach Groves | Zach Groves/Instagram

Offered: July 29, 2023

Committed: May 21, 2025

Signed: December 3, 2025

The Vols have been active in this recruitment for a while, with the initial offer being extended back in 2023. Over two years later and Tennessee pressed enough to earn the commitment from the talented in-state defender.

Highlights

Provided by Hudl.

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