Tennessee beats Florida, LSU for 4-star QB in Class of 2028
Published:
Tennessee took a huge step toward solidifying its future quarterback situation, all while it tries to find its starting QB for the 2026 season.
That’s a situation for this season. For the 2028 season, Tennessee now has 4-star signal-caller Kaden Craft on board, with the Mooresville, N.C., product committing to play for the Volunteers on Monday afternoon. Craft told On3’s Hayes Fawcett of his commitment to the program in Knoxville, which lured the 6-foot-5, 215-pound prize out of the clutches of some bitter SEC rivals.
The likes of Florida and LSU were after Craft’s services, as was Ole Miss, so this was a huge recruiting win for Josh Heupel‘s program that is trying to build itself back to championship relevancy within the conference.
Craft, who announced his decision on Monday afternoon in a ceremony at his high school that was streamed nationally, was also considering Big Ten powerhouses Oregon and Michigan.
As a sophomore last season, Craft powered Lake Norman to an 8-4 mark and a spot in the 2nd round of North Carolina’s 7A playoffs. Craft threw for 1,739 yards and 17 touchdowns, and he showed his dual-threat ability while rushing for 387 yards and 13 TDs. He’s already piled up 2,910 yards passing and 30 touchdowns in a high school career that still has 2 more seasons left in it.
Craft is the 107th-rated player nationally in the Class of 2028, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Those composite rankings also have Craft as the 8th-ranked quarterback and the 4th-ranked player from the state of North Carolina in the Class of 2028.
While Craft can’t help Tennessee until the 2028 season, this year’s Volunteers will be trying to become relevant in the SEC title discussion. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about Tennessee’s chances to outlast its fellow conference heavyweights and be the last team standing in the SEC in 2026:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
