Tennessee Pushing to Land Coveted Star Over Texas, Alabama and Michigan

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dave Holcomb | Last updated May 28, 2025 11:55 PM ET

As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Or in some cases with college football recruiting, the best prospects.

According to On3's Chad Simmons, an early jumpstart on recruiting four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse could make all the difference for the Tennessee Volunteers.

"Tennessee got on Brayden Rouse early and that may pay off in the end," Simmons wrote on Tuesday. "He likes Alabama, Michigan and Texas, but none have the connection with Rouse the way the staff in Knoxville does.

"He likes the people, he sees a path to the field and Josh Heupel’s program continues to set the pace."

On3's Steve Wiltfong reported Sunday that Rouse had "another good" visit with the Volunteers over the weekend. That has kept Tennessee among the leaders for the linebacker.

“The environment was great,” Rouse told Wiltfong. “It was a different feel because there wasn’t much football talk but it was different from most visits I’ve been on.”

Rouse will be back in Knoxville for an official visit during the weekend of June 20.

Morning Work ‼️ pic.twitter.com/DL2bhNEEWp
— Brayden Rouse ✰ (@BraydenRouse8) May 28, 2025

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Rouse is the No. 5 linebacker prospect in the 2026 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. The linebacker is the No. 9 Georgia recruit and No. 87 overall prospect as well.

Tennessee has received eight verbal commitments in the 2026 class. One of those verbals came from three-star linebacker Braylon Outlaw.

The Volunteers have also gotten commitments from two edge rushers in 2026. The other six verbals have come from offensive prospects.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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