Tennessee Vols make top schools for elite 2026 5-star recruit

The Tennessee Vols are one of five programs still in the mix for a 2026 five-star recruit from Virginia.

2026 five-star running back Savion Hiter included Tennessee among his final five schools on Thursday, along with Michigan, Georgia, Penn State, and Ohio State.

Hiter, 5-foot-11/205 lbs from Woodberry Forest, VA, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 running back in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia. He's also rated as the No. 29 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.

This is shaping up to be another huge recruiting battle for the Vols. Hiter is an extremely coveted player and Tennessee will have to beat out some of the top programs in the nation to land a commitment from the five-star recruit.

The good news for the Vols, though, is that Hiter sounds like he's high on Tennessee.

“I have a great bond with the coaches [at Tennessee],” said Hiter to On3's Chad Simmons last month. “Coach De’Rail Sims came in and he built a great bond with me.”

There's still a long way to go in this recruiting battle. And the 2024 season will go a long way in determining how this battle looks next spring/summer.

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