Tennessee Football Gets Good News on No. 1 Ranked Star Recruit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dave Holcomb | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 8:12 PM ET

The Tennessee Volunteers have arguably sat at the top of the list for one of the best offensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting class. As his time to make a decision inches closer, that hasn't changed.

Five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray visited the Volunteers over last weekend. While speaking to 247Sports' Patrick Brown, Gray shared how much he enjoyed the visit.

“They did a great job,” Gray told Brown on Sunday. “I think Tennessee is definitely going to be a school that we’re going to consider when it’s decision time.

"Tennessee has always been at the top of the list for me for however long I’ve been knowing them, and they’ve never changed since – and that’s another big thing. You go down a few times, you can kind of start to see people switch up a little bit.

"They’re the same people as I met them the very first time, so that’s big.”

In addition to Tennessee, Gray has seen the Clemson Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies on an official visit. The top-rated prospect is also still planning trips to the Ohio State Buckeyes, LSU Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks.

But when talking about Tennessee, Gray added there's nothing he doesn't like.

“I enjoyed everything,” Gray told Brown. “Just being around the players was kind of the biggest thing. That was the next step in this recruitment process, and everybody was great.”

Tennessee is “at the top” of 5-star IOL Darius Gray’s list, he tells @SWiltfong_

Intel: https://t.co/PorO0Luw3X pic.twitter.com/LKlR2c5CcG
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 9, 2025

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, 247Sports and Rivals, Gray is the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class.

Based on the 247Sports composite rankings, he is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman and second-rated Virginia prospect for 2026. Gray is also the No. 28 overall recruit in the class.

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

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