2026 four-star DE Zach Groves lists Tennessee football, Clemson, Georgia in top 5
East Robertson defensive end Zach Groves has narrowed his list of schools to five, including Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, USC and Clemson.
The 6-foot-4, 252-pound prospect has a four-star rating and is ranked as the No. 6 player in Tennessee for the 2026 class and the No. 26 edge rusher nationally, according to 247Sports Composite.
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He also holds offers from LSU, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina and Indiana, among others.
Groves took visits to Ole Miss on March 29 and the following weekend to USC. He picked up offers from Josh Heupel and Tennessee as a sophomore in July of 2023 and from Kirby Smart and Georgia in January.
Georgia has already been active in Middle Tennessee, snagging the re-commitment of Nashville Christian's five-star quarterback Jared Curtis. Curtis is the nation's No. 1-ranked quarterback in the 2026 class.
Groves helped East Robertson finish 10-2, losing in the second round of the TSSAA Class 2A state playoffs. allow 9.7 points per game, totaling 59 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, a blocked punt, an interception and 15 QB hurries. On offense, he had 501 all-purpose yards and six TDs from the tight end position.
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He led East Robertson to the 2A state championship game in 2023, starring with his brother Elijah.
Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Zach Groves lists Tennessee football, Georgia, Clemson among top schools
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