Tennessee in Battle With Surprise Rival Over Coveted Playmaker
Tennessee in Battle With Surprise Rival Over Coveted Playmaker originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Tennessee Volunteers are in the final two in the recruitment of one four-star prospect. To land the commitment, the Volunteers will have to edge their in-state rival.
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Four-star athlete Joel Wyatt has Tennessee and the Vanderbilt Commodores in his final two schools.
The Commodores aren't a program that usually competed with the Volunteers for recruits. But Rivals' Sam Spiegelman wrote Monday that Vanderbilt has seemingly gained ground on their in-state foe with Wyatt in recent weeks.
"Vandy has tightened this race significantly after hosting Wyatt for his official visit in June and has traction with the in-state target."
Tennessee Volunteers football head coach Josh Heupel© Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Despite Vanderbilt's push, Tennessee appears to be in good position for Wyatt. There isn't a program in the country that has placed as much emphasis on recruiting Wyatt as the Volunteers.
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"No team has hosted the top-100 ATH more than the Volunteers, who have made Wyatt a top priority for the span of this 2026 cycle -- evident by a leading role from Josh Heuepel. My FutureCast is standing on Tennessee," wrote Spiegelman.
Wyatt is widely considered an "athlete" on the recruiting rankings. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 4 athlete and No. 2 Tennessee prospect in the 2026 class.
Overall, the same rankings have Wyatt placed as the No. 43 recruit.
Although Vanderbilt has been pushing, the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine agrees with Spiegelman, projecting a 97.9% chance Wyatt lands with the Volunteers. The On3 RPM gave the Commodores under a 1% chance of getting Wyatt.
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Other SEC foes such as the Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs also have a 1% chance of landing Wyatt according to the On3 RPM.
Related: Tennessee Dealt Concerning News on Predicted Change of Heart From Star Playmaker
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
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