Tennessee reels in pledge from premier in-state athlete for 2026 recruiting class
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee landed a major win in the 2026 recruiting class on Monday, picking up a commitment from one of the top in-state players and one of the best prospects in the entire country.
The player is Joel Wyatt, a premier athlete out of Oakland High School in Murfreesboro. After receiving a host of offers, Wyatt eventually committed to Josh Heupel and the Vols over LSU, Vanderbilt and Louisville, among others.
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Wyatt is listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds and has shone on both sides of the ball in high school. He’s likely to slot in as a defensive back or wide receiver at the next level. According to 247 Sports, his primary recruiter was Tennessee OLB coach Levorn Harbin, and his secondary recruiter was WRs coach Kelsey Pope, so his final spot may still be up in the air.
According to the 247 Sports Composite, Wyatt is listed as the No. 5 ATH nationally and the No. 2 player out of the state of Tennessee for the 2026 recruiting class. He’s also the 48th player in the country, regardless of position.
The addition of Wyatt gives Tennessee a pair of top-50 commitments thus far and 3 players ranked as top-100 recruits. The 2026 recruiting class is now up to 22 hard commitments and is ranked 12th nationally per the team composite rankings.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
