Josh Heupel is still working heavily on the 2024 recruiting class, and Tennessee Football has barely started on its 2025 class. However, the Vols secured a commitment for their 2026 class on Monday, their first of that year.
Sharroid Whitehead, an athlete out of Mississippi, announced his commitment to the Vols. He is not yet rated on any recruiting service, but according to Yahoo, he has played quarterback, wide receiver, running back and return specialist and scored 34 touchdowns as a true freshman.
Standing at 5’9″ and weighing roughly 170 pounds, Whitehead hails from Pascagoula, Miss., which is in Jackson County on the gulf coast. A student at Ocean Springs High School, he announced his commitment to Tennessee Football Tuesday on Twitter.
Obviously, Whitehead’s size is fluid, as he’s likely to grow and put on more weight before his senior season. He’s only a sophomore after all, and while it seems early to get a commitment from him, he looks like he’ll be a huge star in the future.
After all, Whitehead was already fielding offers from the Florida State Seminoles, Penn State Nittany Lions, TCU Horned Frogs and Ole Miss Rebels among other schools. To get such high-profile programs targeting him already suggests he’ll be a five-star in the future.
Given his experience on offense, that’s likely where Whitehead would play at UT, but it’s still unclear which position that will be. If it comes down to running back or wide receiver, it likely depends on the size, so everything about his potential is up in the air at this point.
It’s also worth noting that Tennessee Football didn’t start recruiting him until August, and many of the other elite schools we mentioned were already targeting him, so the Vols legitimately won this battle. That’s a very positive sign for Heupel on the recruiting trail going forward.
