Tennessee Dealt Unfortunate College Football Recruiting News
The Tennessee Volunteers have done well at recruiting the top in-state football prospects in the 2026 class. Three of the top-10 Tennessee high schools recruits are already committed to the Vols.
Tennessee has yet to land a fourth in-state prospect for 2026. On3.com’s Chad Simmons reported on Monday that a Volunteers four-star target has decided to leave the state to continue his football career.
That prospect, defensive back Justin Hopkins, has committed to the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
“Every time I talked to another school, it just couldn’t compare to how I felt when I talked with the Minnesota coaches,” Hopkins told On3. “Coach [Nick] Monroe came down twice, coach [P.J.] Fleck came down once, and there was no comparison for me.”
Hopkins, who attends Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn., chose Minnesota over the USC Trojans, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and several other schools, including Tennessee.
According to the 247 Sports composite rankings, Hopkins is the No. 9 rated 2026 recruit in Tennessee. He is the third top-10 recruit in the state to commit to a school outside of Tennessee.
Cornerback Chaston Smith and athlete Shaver Young Jr. are committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Clemson Tigers, respectively.
Hopkins said he enjoyed visiting Knoxville and the Volunteers but repeatedly suggested it did not compare to Minnesota.
“Tennessee and Vanderbilt are places I have been to a lot,” added Hopkins. “I had a great time at USC too, but the feeling about Minnesota was different. I felt strong about them, and it is the place for me.”
While the Volunteers missed on Hopkins, they have landed four-star Tennessee prospects Tyreek King, Carson Sneed and Gabriel Osenda. 247 Sports ranks all three players as top-10 prospects in Tennessee for the 2026 recruiting class.
