National recruiting analyst makes encouraging summer prediction for the Tennessee Vols

Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman made an encouraging prediction this week for the Tennessee Vols. 

Spiegelman predicted that Tennessee will be the team that wins the recruiting battle for 2026 four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse. 

"Rouse returned to Knoxville for 865 Live and will be back on Rocky Top June 20 for his final official visit before a summer commitment," wrote Spiegelman. "Texas has closed the gap significantly this spring, but we love where Tennessee is positioned with the top-100 linebacker. My FutureCast is locked in on the Vols."

Rouse, 6-foot-3/210 lbs from Marietta, Ga., is rated by 247Sports as the No. 4 linebacker in the nation and the No. 8 player in the state of Georgia. He's also rated as the No. 68 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class. 

The four-star linebacker has official visits scheduled to Alabama, Michigan, and Texas before taking his official visit to Tennessee on June 20. 

Rouse told 247Sports that his recent unofficial visit to Tennessee was "different from any other visit" that he's been on. 

Official visits will likely determine the winner of this recruiting battle, but it certainly sounds like the Volunteers are the team to beat for the Georgia native.