'I think Tennessee's got a very realistic shot' - Vols insider likes UT's chances in battle for coveted 4-star recruit

The Tennessee Vols didn't become a serious threat to land 2026 four-star offensive lineman JB Shabazz until the North Carolina native's official visit to Knoxville last month. 

Thanks in large part to that visit, the Vols are now a realistic threat to land the coveted four-star recruit. 

VolQuest's Matt Ray joined 104.5 The Zone's Ramon and Will on Tuesday and he suggested that Tennessee has a "very realistic shot" to land a commitment from Shabazz later this week (Shabazz is set to announce his commitment on July 11). 

"JB Shabazz has not taken a lot of visits," said Ray. "He's not been a very vocal guy in his recruitment. But I think Tennessee really put their best foot forward in June during his official visit. I think they had already shown him a lot. I think he connected pretty well with (Vols offensive line coach) Glen Elarbee -- as Tennessee offered and he got to know [Elarbee] a little bit. And I think Tennessee's got a very realistic shot of landing JB Shabazz later this week.

"It's a recruitment that South Carolina is not going to go away in, and Ohio State is definitely a factor. But I think Tennessee has picked up some momentum here of late as there's been some really good conversation. I think the Vols are a very realistic option for JB Shabazz, and I don't know that I would have said that as much leading into June. I think there was always some hope that they could get him here and make the most of that visit. I think he was intrigued by Tennessee leading into that visit, but I think now Tennessee is very much a realistic contender to win out later this week for him."