Tennessee’s recruiting momentum is starting to show up in the places that matter most: on the trail, on campus visits, and with elite prospects paying attention.
The Vols already landed a major win in their 2027 class with David Gabriel-Georges, the five-star running back Tennessee beat out Ole Miss and Ohio State for. That was one of the program’s biggest recruiting victories in the last decade, and now Tennessee is trying to pull off a similar swing with 2029 receiver Maddox Porter.
Porter, who plays his high school football in the Volunteer State, is coming off a freshman season that produced 27 touchdowns. The nation’s second-ranked prospect has drawn interest from schools across the country, and Tennessee is right in the thick of that chase. He recently gave Vols fans a reason to pay attention: he will be in Knoxville for the Alabama game.
That visit matters because Porter did not make it to Knoxville for a game last season. Tennessee, though, has kept building the relationship. Porter told Vols On SI back in March that he “loves coach Pope (receivers coach).”
Porter’s high school teammate, Maximus Curry, is another name Tennessee is pushing hard for in the 2028 class. The four-star receiver told Rivals that Tennessee is neck-and-neck with Alabama for his services.
The Vols are also in the mix for another 2028 target in Toombs County (Georgia) four-star defensive lineman Jamarcus Johnson. Johnson helped Toombs County to a 44-6 win on Friday night and finished the game with a tackle for loss. He told Vols On SI that he plans to visit Knoxville this fall.
Another elite 2028 prospect, five-star receiver Braylon Clark, is also expected in town. Clark told Rivals that he plans to visit Tennessee for the Alabama game this fall.
And Tennessee commit Kenneth Simon sounds fully locked in. He told Vols On SI that he plans to attend every home game this season. A Vols legacy, Simon once appeared to be headed elsewhere after committing to Alabama, but since flipping to Tennessee, he has stayed firmly with the Vols.
In Other News...
Josh Heupels Friday Night Visit Says Plenty About Tennessees Future
Josh Heupel spent a Friday night in Knoxville doing what plenty of college coaches do this time of year, taking in a high school football game and keeping an eye on the next wave of in-state talent. Tennessees coach was on hand for West High School against Maryville High School, a matchup that carried extra local intrigue with a Volunteers commit on the field and a family name that still resonates around the program.
Maryville linebacker J.P. Peace, a 2027 Tennessee commit and the grandson of former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer, made his presence felt by forcing a fumble and recovering it. Heupels son, Jace, is a sophomore quarterback at West, though he did not play in the game, adding another layer to a Friday night that said as much about Tennessees future connections as it did about the result on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Aguilars Jaguars Path Just Got A Lot Tougher
Joey Aguilar had been making a case for himself in Jacksonville this preseason, showing enough promise to keep his name in the mix as the Jaguars sorted out their quarterback picture. For a player trying to turn summer momentum into a roster spot, every move around him matters, and the latest one in Jacksonville changed the math in a hurry.
The Jaguars sent a 2028 day three draft pick to Miami for Quinn Ewers, adding another quarterback to a room that was already shaping up to be crowded. Aguilar could still stick around on the practice squad, and there is always the chance another team takes a look, but the path to the active roster just got much narrower. [Read more 🡒]
Former Vols Get One Last NFL Chance Before Tough Decisions
Saturday brings the final round of NFL preseason games before the 2026 regular season begins, and a familiar cluster of former Tennessee Volunteers is still in the mix as teams make their last evaluations. Josh Dobbs, Jabari Small and Tyre West are expected to get a look for the Detroit Lions, while Hendon Hooker, Morgan Cox, Jalen McMurray and Alontae Taylor are among the ex-Vols slated to suit up for the Tennessee Titans.
For players on the fringe, this is the kind of weekend that can matter more than the box score suggests. A few former Vols are already listed as injured and are unlikely to play, including Cade Mays and Darnell Wright, leaving the spotlight on the rest of the Tennessee alumni trying to turn one more preseason chance into a roster decision before the league shifts into the games that count. [Read more 🡒]