Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols are set to host the most important recruiting weekend of the 2025 cycle. Several four and five star recruits are going to be heading to Rocky Top with real potential to join the Vols here soon. Some have committed, but are likely flip candidates. Others haven’t committed anywhere just yet, but are nearing their decision. The entire month of June is always important for Vols recruiting, but this weekend features nearly double-digit Top 150 recruits. Let’s dive into a few of the top flip and commit candidates coming in this weekend.
Top Tennessee Flip Candidates
Isaiah Gibson, 5 Star Edge Defender
Although Gibson has been committed to USC for quite some time, it’s been highly speculated that he would eventually flip schools. Most believe the likely spot for Gibson is Georgia, but he’s been making the rounds, visiting several top blue blood college football programs. Georgia, South Carolina, Auburn, now Tennessee, and then Ohio State and Oklahoma within the next week. It’s clear Gibson is looking elsewhere.
Josh Heupel already just had Isaiah Gibson in for an unofficial visit near the end of April. It’s incredibly promising that he’s already back for more. Gibson racked up nearly 20 sacks and 60 pressures just last fall alone and would immediately earn significant snaps off the edge for the Vols if he flips.
Jadon Perlotte, 4 Star Linebacker
The buzz around the recruiting community is that Jadon Perlotte is actually going to flip to Florida State, but Tennessee is firmly in this race too. They’re the last school Perlotte is visiting before his final official to Georgia next weekend (where he’s currently committed). Tennessee could use a difference making linebacker like Perlotte, a top 150 overall recruit who plays for one of the best high school programs in the state of Georgia.
Potential Tennessee Commits Soon
David Sanders, 5 Star Offensive Tackle
There’s no more highly coveted offensive lineman in the nation than David Sanders. He’s the consensus number two overall player in the 2025 class according to On3 Sports and is the centerpiece to the stacked recruiting visit for the Vols this weekend. Sanders is the perfect specimen at 6’6″, 280 pounds already and can easily add weight to his athletic frame. Right now he’s favored by many recruiting analysts to choose Tennessee, which would completely change their 2025 recruiting class outlook.
Loaded official visit weekend on Rocky Topš More from @SWiltfong_ : https://t.co/4lHinTMQL4 pic.twitter.com/RJC4gMlJ4v
ā On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 14, 2024
Caleb Cunningham, 5 Star Wide Receiver
This one will be tough to win given that Caleb Cunningham has been looking at just about every single SEC program quite seriously. He’s from Mississippi and has taken almost 20 combined visits to Ole Miss and Mississippi State. He just visited Auburn and Florida, and is set to see Alabama next week. However, if Heupel is going to go all in on any wide receiver Cunningham might be worth it. Prototypical “X” WR size with great speed and YAC ability.
Jaime Ffrench, 5 Star Wide Receiver
Ffrench has been a riser in recent months as he not only dominated on the high school field last fall, but also continues to own the best competition in the country on the flag football and recruiting circuits. He was just rated as a Top 5 overall player at the OT7 Flag Football Championships a week ago. He’s made it clear that he’s down to Tennessee, Ohio State, Miami, LSU, and Texas and will be committing soon.
Jared Smith, 4 Star Edge Defender
The Vols were incredible early on their offer and interest with Jared Smith two years ago, which is good. But all of his latest interest has been with Georgia, South Carolina, and a little bit of Auburn sprinkled in there. He’s an incredible traits-play at the edge position with pro-ready size and length. It’s likely that he’s simply visiting Tennessee as a courtesy given their very early interest in him more so than to consider the Vols as a real candidate, but this is the one shot to change that.
Zion Grady, 4 Star Edge Defender
Zion Grady decommitted from Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement in January and has since visited with the Vols in April already. However, he’s also taking more than a half dozen official visits, with some ancillary programs still in the mix as well. While Tennessee may rank among his final top four or five, it may be tough to seal the deal with a prospect who has been quite seriously considering 10 programs this spring. He’s very similar in build to James Pearce Jr. already and would be a great scheme fit, but his recruiting battle is fierce.
Damien Shanklin, 4 Star Edge Defender
Shanklin has been considered a near lock to go to LSU for multiple weeks now, but he’s had a good visit with Ohio State this month, and now visits the Vols and Crimson Tide in back to back weeks. Shanklin likely has the Vols as one of the final hats on the table, but something would likely have to happen this weekend for Shanklin to move off of his LSU lean. He’s one of four elite edge defenders visiting this weekend, so it’s clear where the Vols are focusing their efforts during this 2025 recruiting cycle.
Da’Saahn Brame, 4 Star Tight End
Brame just shared that Tennessee is one of his top three programs earlier this week. Oklahoma and Oregon are right there in the mix too, but Da’Saahn Brame would bring a size-speed mismatch that the Vols don’t currently have on the roster. Oklahoma just reportedly made a lot of progress in winning him last weekend. Now it’s time for Josh Heupel to close the deal for Tennessee…