Football Season Begins for Pair of Tennessee Football Commits

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Shayne Pickering | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 10:25 AM ET

FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK!

The four-day Dave Hunter and Corky Kell Classic begins tonight to kick off high school football in the state of Georgia and Tennessee football commits Brayden Rouse and Jowell Combay will help lead Kell High School as they play host to South Paulding at 8 p.m. eastern.

The four-star linebacker Rouse and versatile safety Jowell Combay were both longstanding priorities for Josh Heupel and his coach staff at Tennessee and those recruiting efforts paid off with the Vols landing both to begin the month of July.

From current Kell (Ga.) teammates to future Tennessee football teammates.

Solid pick-up by @Coach_Nez_.

Jowell Combay X Brayden Rouse pic.twitter.com/u9TxdnQFid
— Dale Dowden (@Dale_Dowden) July 9, 2025

This offseason, Combay transferred in to Kell High School and join forces with Rouse on a formidable defense, so tonight will be the commits' first regular season game as teammates.

Rouse has told Vols on SI that this recruiting class for Tennessee is full of players that are hungry for a championship at the collegiate level, but first these two commits will begin their push for GHSA state championship in their final year of high school football.

Four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse instantly elevated the 2026 class for Tennessee

The relationships built with the #Vols withstand a late push from Texas

“They have a great group of players that have their head on straight and are hungry for a championship."

: @Dale_Dowden pic.twitter.com/8sOMPdk7Ty
— Shayne Pickering (@shaynep_media) July 8, 2025