Tennessee is in the thick of another major recruiting battle, this time for one of the best safety prospects in the 2027 class.
Four-star defensive back Ta’Shawn Poole has narrowed his list to three schools, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons: Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State. Poole didn’t hide how tight this race is when asked about the finalists.
“All three schools have a lot that I like,” Poole said. “I have had each high on my list for a long time. It’s not an easy decision.”
Poole’s profile matches the kind of prospect that draws a national chase. Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN all slot him as a consensus four-star, and each service places him inside its Top 100 overall recruits and among the Top 5 safeties in the class. Rivals’ Industry Rankings have him at No. 75 nationally, No. 5 among safeties and No. 6 in Georgia.
The Howard High School standout in Macon is listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. 247Sports analyst Hudson Standish described him this month as a versatile defensive back with the kind of frame and athletic traits coaches covet.
“Rangy safety with ideal size hovering around 6-foot-1.5, 190 pounds with a +6 wingspan and ideal combine testing metrics,” Standish wrote. “Offers plenty of alignment flexibility, as he can feasibly line up over the slot, in the box, or as a split-safety.”
Poole’s recruitment has already included a full tour of his finalists. Rivals reported that he took official visits to Tennessee on June 5, Florida State on June 12 and Georgia on June 23.
He also visited Clemson officially on May 29, but the Tigers did not crack his top three. Tennessee had already gotten him on campus once before, too, when he made an unofficial visit last October.
For Tennessee, Anthony Poindexter is the key name here. The new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach is listed as Poole’s primary recruiter, and he arrived in Knoxville this offseason with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles as part of the staff overhaul on that side of the ball. Poindexter has already been tied to early wins in the 2027 cycle, with Tennessee landing four-star safety Marcus Jones, three-star safety Jaden Butler and three-star cornerback Slim Leavell.
Simmons did not tip his hand on which school may be out front, but he did note that “a decision is coming soon.”
Tennessee currently has 16 committed players, and its 2027 class sits 33rd nationally on Rivals.
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