Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt staff received a bit of unfortunate news on Monday as one of the Commodores' top recruiting targets in the 2026 class officially announced his commitment to another school.
4-Star athlete Joel Wyatt from Murfreesboro, Tennessee officially committed to Tennessee, according to Hayes Fawcett of Rivals. He is the Volunteers' 22nd commit, and instantly one of the top players in the class for Josh Heupel and staff.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 ATH Joel Wyatt has Committed to Tennessee, he tells me for @rivals
β Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 28, 2025
The 6β4 190 ATH from Shelbyville, TN chose the Vols over Vanderbilt, Louisville, LSU, & others
Heβs ranked as one of the Top ATHs in the β26 Class https://t.co/BacCfPX3xX pic.twitter.com/igyIvsewSC
Standing at 6-foot-4, 195 lbs., Wyatt is the No. 4 ranked athlete prospect in the nation and the No. 2 ranked player in the state of Tennessee, according to Rivals. He recently announced his decision to transfer from The Webb School to Oakland High School, making the jump in competition from Division II, Class AA to Division I, Class 6A.
As a junior in 2024, Wyatt hauled in an impressive 44 receptions for just under 900 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he is now joining one of the top teams in the entire state for the 2025 season. Oakland has won five of the last seven state titles in Tennessee, and Wyatt is now set to suit up for the Patriots.
With 17 commitments in the 2026 class currently for Lea and the Commodores' staff, Vanderbilt looks to be mostly finished on the recruiting trail for the summer and has shifted focus to the upcoming season. The Commodores open at home on August 30 against Charleston Southern at 6:00 p.m. CT.
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