Josh Heupel has quickly turned Tennessee football into a place that attracts every quarterback’s attention. The same can be said for Josiah Oxendine.
Oxendine is a 2026 quarterback prospect out of South Carolina who Tennessee recently extended a scholarship offer.
When Oxendine, who attends Dillon High School in Dillon, S.C., was informed of the Tennessee offer by his head coach Kelvin Roller, the first thing he did was call his family.
“I have five colleges that I have admired since I was a young kid,” Oxendine said. “Tennessee is one of those five. I have visited the campus and camped under Coach Heupel and received QB instructions from Coach Halzle at camp. I have a tremendous respect for the Tennessee football Program and what they are doing at Rocky Top”
Oxendine’s family plays a big role in his life, including in his recruitment. The 6-foot and 175-pound quarterback touted how important his family is to keep him grounded while he quickly gains attention from college coaches.
“I have a great supporting cast around me that helps me to keep everything in balance,” Oxendine said. “Between my family, coaches and QB trainer Ramon Robinson, my attention stays focused on the process and the journey of reaching my ultimate goals.
“So, the (attention from college coaches) is not the focus or goal. The main focus for me is my class work, QB training, lifting weights, proper nutrition, and resting well at night.”
Just a freshman in high school, Oxendine has quickly risen up as one of the top young athletes to keep an eye on.
Heupel caught Oxendine’s attention when he was at UCF. The up-tempo offense he runs is a quarterback’s dream.
Watching Hendon Hooker before his injury was something that Oxendine said he also liked.
“I remember when coach (Heupel) was at UCF, he was lighting up back then too,” he said. “Vols going to do big things again this year.”
While early in his recruitment, and everything is still open, Tennessee football checked every one of Oxendine’s boxes.
“I want to win at the highest level possible, but I know that will only take place if I have outstanding coaching and accountable teammates around me that want the same goals,” he said. “I believe Tennessee offers all those things for me.”
Oxendine hasn’t finalized his schedule for the offseason yet, but he plans to visit several places as well as camp with some schools as well. One of the places he’d like to get to is Knoxville.
He’s already camped with Tennessee, but he looks forward to visiting the Vols.
“Does it feel like family,” Oxendine said about what he looks for on a visit. “How the team goes through their preparation before battle. Of course, the overall game day atmosphere throughout the visit.”
