Tennessee has stepped into the race for Ohio State five-star edge rusher DJ Jacobs, and this is not the kind of noise Buckeyes fans can shrug off.
Jacobs, the top player in the 2027 class, committed to Ohio State last December on live television after choosing the Buckeyes over Miami, Texas A&M, Georgia and a long list of other programs. For months after that, Miami was viewed as the main team with a real shot to pry him loose. That changed this week, when Tennessee emerged as a serious challenger.
The push was first reported on Tuesday, and Jacobs’ father, David Jacobs, didn’t exactly pour cold water on it.
"I have a good relationship with Coach (Rodney) Garner," the elder Jacobs said. "He's like a dad to me but that's all that's really going on with that."
Asked whether his son is still on track to sign with Ohio State in December, he gave the kind of answer that keeps the door cracked open. "As of today, yes, but you know how this stuff goes," he said.
National recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong said the Tennessee buzz is very real.
"I certainly don't think those rumors are coming out of thin air," Wiltfong said. "I think that Tennessee is a program that has entered the mix for David 'DJ' Jacobs going into his senior year and look like the biggest threat to Ohio State. The family is saying most of the right things about the Buckeyes; the one thing that they're not saying is that this recruitment is shut down."
The Vols have a built-in connection through Garner, Tennessee’s defensive line coach, who coached David Jacobs at Georgia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That’s not a manufactured relationship. It’s a real one, and it matters.
There’s also the Adidas angle. Jacobs, who is 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, signed with Adidas earlier this year. Tennessee switched from Nike to Adidas in July, and that same overlap was part of the Vols’ successful push for five-star running back David Gabriel Georges last week.
Then there’s the coordinator factor, which may be the most uncomfortable part of this for Ohio State. Tennessee hired Jim Knowles in December on a three-year deal that averages $2.2 million per year. Knowles built the defense that helped Ohio State win the national title in the 2024 season, and now he’s in Knoxville helping Tennessee sell Jacobs on the Buckeyes’ own blueprint.
Miami remains a major player in the broader flip market. Mario Cristobal has already pulled cornerback Donte Wright from Georgia, edge rusher Jaiden Bryant from LSU, cornerback Ai'King Hall from Oregon and receiver Eli Woodard from USC. The Hurricanes are third nationally and are operating at the top of the market, with quarterback Darian Mensah valued at $6.5 million, the highest figure in college sports.
Still, Miami already signed a five-star edge rusher in Bryant. Tennessee does not have that at the position, and that gap matters. Need is a currency too, and right now the Vols have plenty of it.
Ohio State is still fighting to hold onto Jacobs, and the money attached to the Buckeyes’ pitch is significant. Pete Nakos reported that "Sources have told On3 that Jacobs is set to sign a multi-year deal with Ohio State paying north of $1 million annually,".
That wasn’t enough to keep Tennessee from getting involved once already this cycle. Gabriel Georges chose the Vols over Ohio State on a deal worth roughly $2 million over three years, plus family travel.
Jacobs is expected to make multiple game day visits to Ohio State this fall. His younger brother Dawson, a four-star defensive lineman in the 2028 class, will also be taking visits, and Wiltfong expects the family to be inside Neyland Stadium at some point this season.
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