Tennessee Volunteers Make Top Five for Four-Star Receiver

Tennessee recently made the top five for four-star receiver Osani Gayles

IMG Academy's Osani Gayles (13) rushes for yards against Mandarin's Tamajh Mitchell (7) during the first quarter of a high school football matchup at Mandarin High School, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The IMG Academy Ascenders defeated the Mandarin Mustangs 57-7. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee’s 2027 recruiting class is looking good so far. The Volunteers have already landed one of their top targets in Kesean Bowman, as well as a lot of other good players, including Vols’ legacy J.P. Peace.

However, the Volunteers are looking to add to that list and land more commits. They have a few targets that will be narrowing down their lists and deciding on a school soon. More about some of those players and where Tennessee stands with them can be read by clicking here.

One player that the Volunteers are targeting is four-star receiver Osani Gayles.

Tennessee in Final Five for Gayles

IMG Academy's Osani Gayles (13) rushes for yards against Mandarin's Tamajh Mitchell (7) during the first quarter of a high school football matchup at Mandarin High School, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The IMG Academy Ascenders defeated the Mandarin Mustangs 57-7. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gayles is ranked as the 35th best overall prospect and the seventh best receiver in the 2027 recruiting class according to 247 Sports. The IMG Academy prospect recently narrowed down his list to just five schools: Tennessee, Alabama, Washington, Notre Dame, and Stanford.

He visited Tennessee last season for the homecoming game against New Mexico State and is scheduled to be back on June 12th for an official visit, and he is scheduled to visit Alabama on May 29th. He also had set an official visit to USC on June 5th, but that might have changed since he announced his top five.

Receivers coach Kelsey Pope has done a great job recruiting over the last few seasons, landing big recruits like TK Keys, Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley, and many more.

According to an article from 247 Sports, Tennessee is making Gayles feel like a priority, and he cited his liking for the use of Braylon Staley as a freshman, among other things.

He does not have a commitment date as of this article’s publication.

Scouting Report on Gayles

IMG Academy's Osani Gayles (13) rushes for yards during the second quarter of a high school football matchup at Mandarin High School, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The IMG Academy Ascenders defeated the Mandarin Mustangs 57-7. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here’s a scouting report on Gayles from Andrew Ivins.

-Gifted inside receiver with the intelligence, confidence and polish to elevate any passing attack.

-Manipulates defenders with impressive route tempo as he mixes speeds and snaps out of breaks at crisp angles.

-Can bypass coverage with advanced releases and easy acceleration.

-Tracks the ball extremely well and will find late burst when needed.

-Combative more times than not in 50-50 situations with his play strength.

-Slippery after the catch as he stacks cuts to avoid would-be tacklers.

-Not one that saw many targets come his way in a run-heavy attack as a junior, but did score on 40 percent of his receptions and has been a consistent top performer on the offseason circuit.

-Should be viewed as a potential high-volume slot that can get open at all three levels for a College Football Playoff hopeful.