Recruiting analyst leans toward Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss beating out Josh Heupel and the Vols for 4-star recruit from Tennessee

The Tennessee Vols are in the mix for 2026 four-star safety Craig Tutt -- the No. 6 overall player in the state of Tennessee -- but this is a recruiting battle that appears to be trending away from UT. 

Tutt, 5-foot-11/180 lbs from Murfreesboro, TN, is rated as the No. 22 safety in the nation. He's considering Tennessee and Ole Miss. 

According to On3's Chad Simmons, it's Lane Kiffin and the Rebels that appear to have the upper-hand in this recruiting battle. 

"The Vols made a push, but we still lean toward the SEC program in Oxford," wrote Simmons this week of Tutt's recruitment. 

VolQuest's Matt Ray echoed those sentiments on Tuesday during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone's Ramon and Will. 

"I think Tennessee's still got some ground to make up with Craig Tutt," said Ray. "I think [during his] official visit, they continued to show him some of the things that he wanted answered. But I think Ole Miss has continued to do a really nice job there. [He will commit] a little bit later in the month, so there's some time (for Tennessee) to continue to work there. But I think Tennessee has some ground to make up with Craig Tutt."