Tennessee Football Looking to Keep Top Three In-State Player Home

4-star athlete Tae Walden spoke with Vols on SI as Tennessee attempts to land a commitment from the prospect.

Collierville’s Tae Walden (1) jumps to catch a pass during the game between Collierville High School and Arlington High School in Arlington, Tenn., on September 19, 2025. Collierville defeated Arlington 58-0. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the past few years, the Tennessee Volunteers have been trying to increase the amount of local talent they sign from the state of Tennessee. They went from signing zero top 10 players in their own state in 2020 to signing six of the top 10 players in the state six years later in the most recent recruiting cycle. 

In the upcoming 2027 recruiting cycle, Tennessee is looking to land a lot of the top talent from the Volunteer State. One such player is athlete Tae Walden out of Collierville High School. He is listed as a 4-star recruit and the 3rd best player in the state of Tennessee by 247 Sports Composite and 63rd overall best player in the nation. He is an athlete who plays both receiver and corner and could play either at the next level.

His dad, Erik Walden, played at Middle Tennessee State and would eventually get drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, where he ended up carving out a decade-long career for himself. 

Walden Talks Relationship with Tennessee

Collierville’s Tae Walden (1) celebrates as he runs into the end zone for a touchdown during a preseason scrimmage between Collierville High School and MASE in Collierville, Tenn., on August 1, 2025. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 4-star prospect has built a connection with a few of the Volunteers' coaches that might go a long way in his recruitment.

“Tennessee is towards the top of my list because I talk to them almost every day, from coach Pope (receivers coach) to coach Jones (corners coach). I also talk to coach Heupel a lot, and our relationship is strong.”

Walden visited Rocky Top for the Oklahoma game and was blown away by the experience.

“The atmosphere is different up there, and it was just different. The fanbase creates an amazing environment.”

He has not announced a top schools list, but he mentioned that besides Tennessee, he is looking at Oregon, Georgia, Clemson (where he will visit this weekend), Missouri, Indiana, and LSU. Getting a commitment from Walden will be huge for whichever school can land the 6-foot-2 athlete. 

It is too early for Walden to have a commitment date right now, but he does plan on committing around the start of his high school season in August.

The Volunteers are not your average program; they do things differently in the Smoky Mountains, and Walden likes what he sees in how the program is run.

“I like the way they use their guys. Coach Pope has promised to develop me and I am big on development.”

Walden will visit Knoxville sometime in March for a spring practice.