Tennessee will have one of its top quarterback pledges on campus this weekend when Kaden Craft makes the trip to Neyland Stadium for the Vols’ matchup with No. 1 Texas on Saturday afternoon, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons.
That makes Craft part of a major recruiting weekend for Tennessee, and the timing gives the Vols a chance to put their best foot forward in front of a fast-rising 2028 prospect. Craft is expected to be around other highly rated 2028 recruits as well, giving him a chance to spend time with potential future teammates before and during the game.
Rivals’ latest 2028 rankings showed just how much momentum Craft has built. He climbed nearly 100 spots, moving from No. 132 in the class to No. 34 overall. He’s also ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the cycle and the No. 4 player from North Carolina.
The 6-foot-4 quarterback has backed up that rise with a sharp jump in production at Lake Norman. As a freshman in 2024, Craft threw for 1,171 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His sophomore season showed major growth across the board, as he passed for 1,739 yards, 17 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
He’s kept that progress rolling this season, too. Lake Norman is 5-0, and Craft has thrown for 977 yards with 19.5 yards per attempt, nine passing touchdowns and no interceptions, while also adding 199 rushing yards on 41 carries. That production has helped show just how much he has cleaned up the turnover issues from a year ago.
Craft also helped Lake Norman earn another win Friday, when the Wildcats beat Reagan on the road. Langston Wertz Jr. noted that Craft “made two absolutely perfect throws” in the game and said it “officially signals the Wildcats’ entry into the 7A state championship race.”
Tennessee’s push for Craft started early. Shortly after his commitment last month, Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong said Craft was Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle’s top quarterback target in the class. The Vols made it clear he was a priority from the start.
“Started with the head coach,” Craft said about why he picked the Vols. “Every time I go up there, I have a great feeling.
It feels like home every time I’m there. The head coach playing quarterback and always being in the quarterback room meant a lot to me, just from a quarterback development standpoint.
Coach Halzle, everyone on the staff were great, made it feel like home. That’s really what it came down to.”
Wiltfong also described Craft’s relationship with Heupel and Halzle as “second to none.”
Saturday gives Tennessee a chance to showcase its atmosphere, its setting and its pitch to a key commit in front of a loaded recruiting crowd. And if the Vols can beat Texas, that only strengthens the backdrop for a big weekend on Rocky Top.
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For Volunteers fans, Spurriers opinion adds another layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of intrigue. He has spent plenty of time on the other side of this rivalry landscape, winning often against Tennessee during his Florida years, and he also has a personal connection to the state. So when Spurrier talks up the Vols in a game like this, it is not just idle chatter - it is the kind of comment that gets attention well beyond Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]