Tennessee’s matchup with Alabama on Saturday isn’t just another chapter in the rivalry. It also comes with recruiting stakes, and cornerback target Preston Glasco is right in the middle of it.
Glasco, a three-star prospect from Loganville, Georgia, narrowed his list to Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia earlier this week and set his commitment date for October 28. That makes this weekend a significant one for the Vols, especially with Knoxville set to host him for the first time.
According to a report from Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Tennessee will get Glasco on campus for a visit during the same weekend the Vols and Tide meet on the field. Simmons noted that Tennessee has surged into the race and that Glasco will be making his first trip to Knoxville.
Glasco’s profile shows why plenty of major programs are still involved. The 247 Composite lists him as the No. 882 player in the nation, the No. 88 cornerback and the No. 104 player from Georgia. He plays at Grayson High School in Loganville.
Even with Tennessee in the mix, Alabama appears to be the team to beat. Dawgs247 writer Benjamin Wolk entered a crystal ball prediction for Glasco to land with the Tide on September 29, not long after Glasco visited Tuscaloosa.
At Tennessee, Glasco’s primary recruiter is Derek Jones, who was brought in this offseason as the Vols’ cornerbacks coach under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Jones has already helped assemble a strong cornerback room, led by Ty Redmond and Kayin Lee, both of whom are on the field for nearly every snap.
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Tennessee Defense Could Catch A Huge Break Against Alabama
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If Delgatty cannot go, backup center Mal Waldrep is the next man up, and that would be a spot Tennessee will be watching closely. The Volunteers have gotten strong play from Xavier Gilliam this season, and any disruption in Alabamas interior protection could give Tennessees defense a chance to press an advantage in a game where every small edge matters. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Could Catch A Huge Break Against Alabama In Neyland
Alabamas offense may be walking into Neyland Stadium a little thinner than expected. Ryan Coleman-Williams, one of the Crimson Tides most important receiving threats, was hurt in the loss to Georgia and is likely to be sidelined for the upcoming matchup with Tennessee, a development that would matter for a passing game that has leaned on him heavily this season.
Coleman-Williams has given Alabama a dependable target and a big-play option, with 415 receiving yards and four touchdowns already on the year. If he is indeed unavailable, it could force the Tide to reshuffle how they attack Tennessee, and that kind of late-week adjustment is the sort of break the Volunteers would happily take in a rivalry game this size. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama-Tennessee Could Shift The SEC Picture LSU Still Has To Chase
Saturdays Alabama-Tennessee matchup carries the kind of weight that reaches well beyond the rivalry itself. Both teams enter at 5-1, and ESPN analyst Bill Connellys SP+ model sees a tight one, projecting Alabama by a 30-26 margin, which at least hints that Tennessee could hang around long enough to make the number interesting. For the Vols, it is the sort of game that can sharpen a College Football Playoff case in a hurry, while the Crimson Tide are trying to steady themselves before the season starts asking harder questions.
For Tennessee, the payoff is simple enough: a win would reshape how the committee conversation sounds around the program and add real authority to its resume. Alabama, meanwhile, is trying to avoid the kind of second straight loss that can change the mood of a season in a single afternoon, especially in a rivalry game where every snap seems to carry extra consequence. Even for LSU, watching from a distance, the outcome matters because the SEC hierarchy is still moving and this one could shift the chase in a direction everyone else has to notice. [Read more 🡒]