Tennessee football is building something special on Rocky Top, and a big reason why is five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon. The elite 2026 signee has already made waves, not just with his talent, but with the ripple effect he's having on the recruiting trail. With Brandon locked in early, Tennessee was able to secure a top-five class nationally, according to 247Sports - and the momentum may only be getting started.
That influence could stretch into the 2027 cycle, thanks to Brandon’s high school teammate, four-star edge rusher Andrew Rogers. Rogers, who lines up opposite Brandon at Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, is high on the Vols - and he’s not shy about it.
“Tennessee is a crazy place,” Rogers said in a recent interview. “The hype is real.”
Rogers is currently rated as the No. 348 overall player in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite. He’s the No. 29 edge rusher nationally and the No. 13 player in the state of North Carolina. Coming off a state championship season with Grimsley, Rogers has seen his stock rise - and Tennessee has been in the mix for a while.
His recruitment has taken a few turns. Rogers originally reclassified to the 2026 class, but has since reverted back to his original 2027 designation.
That means he’s set to return for another year of high school football before making a final decision. He was previously committed to Virginia Tech, but decommitted shortly after Brent Pry was let go as head coach.
Even before Pry’s departure, though, Tennessee had already begun making inroads. Rogers took a visit to Knoxville for the Vols’ marquee matchup against Georgia, and that trip clearly left an impression. The Vols have been a consistent presence in his recruitment ever since.
As it stands, Tennessee already has four commitments in the 2027 class, a group headlined by in-state offensive lineman Princeton Uwaifo. Uwaifo checks in as the No. 110 player nationally and holds a four-star rating.
He’s joined by three-star prospects Kadin Fife (DL), Kamauri Whitfield (CB), and JP Peace (LB). Together, the early group ranks as the No. 13 class in the country, per 247Sports.
Adding a player like Rogers would be a major boost for Tennessee’s 2027 haul - not just because of his talent off the edge, but because of what it would signal. The Vols are not only locking down top-tier quarterbacks like Brandon, they’re also creating a recruiting environment that appeals to elite defenders. That kind of balance is how you build a contender.
The Vols are clearly trending in the right direction - and if Rogers joins the fold, the hype he talked about might just turn into something real.