Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin are going head to head for one of the top football recruits in the state of Tennessee

Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols are going head-to-head with Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels for one of the top football recruits in the Volunteer State.

2026 four-star safety Craig Tutt told Rivals.com that Tennessee and Ole Miss are the two schools that are "on top" in his recruitment. 

"It's a tough decision," said Tutt to Rivals.com this past week. "It's not a two-day thing, it's a lifetime decision. I love everything about both of these schools. Going into official visits, I'm gonna see what else I can find deeper down."

Tutt, 6-foot/180 lbs from Murfreesboro, TN, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 22 safety in the nation and the No. 5 player in the state of Tennessee. 

On3's Steve Wiltfong said last week that he thinks Tennessee will win the battle for Tutt when it's "all said and done". 

It's clear from Tutt's recent comments, however, that the talented four-star safety hasn't made up his mind just yet on where he'll commit. 

Tutt's upcoming official visits will play a huge role in determining who wins this battle. 

The good news for the Vols is that Tennessee is set to receive Tutt's final official visit (Tutt will take his official visit to Tennessee on June, his official visit to Ole Miss is set for June 6). The team that gets the final official visit usually has a slight advantage. 

Tutt is expected to make his final decision sometime this summer, though no official commitment date has been set.