Commitments are coming in bunches for Tennessee football right now. On Tuesday, the Vols picked up two more prospects for their 2026 recruiting class, giving them 10 new guys in the past 12 days. Of those 10, nine committed on the same day as at least one other person, including June 27-28, when they had two commitments on both days.
UT added in-state defensive back Javonte Smith first, and then they got the big fish in elite Georgia linebacker Brayden Rouse. That makes for eight of those 10 commitments being defensive prospects, including their last seven in a row. Simply put, Josh Heupel clearly has a focus.
Rouse, a four-star across the board out of Marietta, Ga., committed to Tennessee football over the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide. These are the type of recruiting wins Heupel needs on a regular basis to keep this program competing at an elite level, so getting one is a huge deal.
Standing at 6’3″ 210 pounds, Rouse is listed as an outside linebacker, but there’s no confusion in him playing that role at the next level, crucial to the Vols’ future. A look at his highlight reel shows the prospect out of Kell High School in Cobb County has an incredible ability to play coverage, which has been a weakness for UT linebackers to this point.
Smith, coming out of Jackson, Tenn., is nowhere near as highly touted, but Tim Banks and Willie Martinez have a solid track record of scouting undervalued cornerbacks, and that’s exactly what Smith. At 6’0″ 170 pounds, the prospect out of Madison County’s Jackson North Side High School also plays multiple sports, which may have hurt his star ratings.
His highlight reel shows more of his elite playmaking abilities at wide receiver on special teams, but he did show some skills in coverage, so the potential could be there. Given what Banks has shown with his ability to develop cornerbacks, there’s reason to believe in this prospect.
With these pickups, Tennessee football now has 19 players committed for 2026 and the No. 14 ranked 247Sports Composite recruiting class. Of those 19, 13 are now defensive players. However, their two most highlight touted prospects are still on offense: Quarterback Faizon Brandon and offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda.
