Josh Heupel just scored big on the trail, lifting Tennessee into the SEC’s Top 5 and leaving Florida in the rearview. Tennessee Vols, now sitting behind only Georgia, are doing what elite programs must in July: stacking blue-chip talent and building out a top-tier depth chart. Tennessee now boasts 19 total commits — headlined by a five-star QB and a pipeline of nine four-stars — giving Heupel the kind of recruiting momentum that turns heads across the SEC. So, how big is their Leapfrog?
Tuesday evening brought more firepower for them. Tennessee landed Marietta (Ga.) Kell four-star LB Brayden Rouse in a win over Texas. Rouse, the No. 7 LB in the 2026 cycle, had been a major SEC target, and his decision felt like a statement from Rocky Top’s defensive coaching staff. His pledge gives Tennessee a devastating linebacker duo alongside fellow top-100 commit TJ White. The Vols didn’t just land a physical athlete; they secured a program fit. “They made me and my family feel very comfortable,” Rouse told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Every time we were there, it felt like one big family.”
That “family” feel is clearly becoming a signature of Tennessee’s recruiting brand — and it’s resonating across state lines. Rouse’s commitment not only strengthens a key defensive position but helps balance out a class that had already secured its centerpiece nearly a year ago in Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley QB Faizon Brandon, the No. 3 signal caller in the class and the only five-star QB committed to the Vols. Josh Heupel might run a high-octane scheme, but it’s the long-term continuity that keeps top-tier talent believing in the plan.
Tennessee jumps Penn State and Florida in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings after landing 4-star LB Brayden Rouse
Read: https://t.co/04oYUBnm92 pic.twitter.com/h42927Qec5
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 8, 2025
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew it was Tennessee,” Brandon told Simmons. “The feeling for them was different, and it never changed. My relationships with coaches on both sides of the ball and the support system make it feel like home at Tennessee.” That level of conviction from a QB prospect is rare in this cycle, especially one still navigating aggressive pushes from other bluebloods.
Perfect timing, too, when UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar is expected to open 2025 as QB1, having 5-star Brandon sitting behind him is like owning a Lamborghini and still commuting in your Honda Civic. The luxury of options is something most programs can only dream of. It’s even more impressive considering the Nico Iamaleava era ended abruptly. Now? The QB room might be Heupel’s strongest asset again. But as the talent rolls in, there’s still one head-scratching subplot lingering: Why is Heupel even adjacent to “hot seat” conversations? After a class like this, and consistent top-half SEC finishes.
Heupel’s got it locked down
Let’s just clear the air now — Josh Heupel isn’t even sniffing the hot seat. Not even close. This is the same head coach who’s delivered wins over Bama and Gators, who brought Tennessee its first-ever CFP appearance, and who’s got the Vols recruiting surging.
So why is Josh Heupel’s name even being mentioned in connection with the “hot seat”? The speculation is puzzling. According to CBS Sports’ annual hot seat rankings, Heupel holds a rating of 1.11—well within the “safe and secure” category. In fact, only two SEC head coaches are considered more secure: Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Texas’s Steve Sarkisian. That places Heupel in elite company.
This is the most stable Tennessee football has felt since Phillip Fulmer was patrolling the Neyland sidelines in the early 2000s. Recruits are rolling in, the quarterback room is stacked, and the trajectory is sky-high. So no, Heupel isn’t under pressure — unless we’re talking about pressure on opposing defenses.
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