Commitment Tracker: Key Seniors Make Decisions

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">We are smack dab in the middle of official visit season, which means commitments are starting to take place. Here we breakdown some of the latest decisions made inside the Volunteer State and how they may fit with their respective college teams. </h2>     <a href="https://prepredzone.com/tennessee/rankings/2027-watch-list/" id="https://prepredzone.com/tennessee/rankings/2027-watch-list/">Tennessee Top 300</a>   (QB) [player_tooltip player_id='1286233' first='L.J.' last='Funk'] - Pearl Cohn    * Committed to Toledo *   - One of the top quarterbacks from the Mid-Tennessee region and our senior class took his name off the recruiting trail last week by pledging to Toledo and playing his college ball in the Mid-American Conference. Funk eventually chose the Rockets over offers from the likes of Arkansas St., Charlotte, East Carolina, Liberty, Memphis, Southern Miss and several others. Throughout the entire process, this Nashville area signal caller obtained a lot of interest and offers but ended up choosing Toledo based on his comfort level with the Rockets coaching staff and their vision for him inside their offense. I feel that Funk will remain solid with commitment to Toledo but don't be surprised if bigger programs take interest, especially if the Firebirds quarterback puts forth a monster senior season.    Talent Acquisition: The Rockets could be getting their future starting quarterback here with Funk and someone with a big arm that can potentially make all the college throws. This guy is a gunslinger with quick arm action that can get the ball to his target in a hurry. Funk shows the ability to push the ball down field or make the intermediate throws in a timely fashion. He is also a good athlete that does a lot of damage outside the pocket. If he needs to tuck it and run, he will but Funk will look to throw it first. The Firebirds signal caller can get himself into trouble at times by throwing into windows but I'm ok with that as you need to find those windows on the college stage and sometimes it doesn't go your way. All the tools are there for Funk to become the eventual starter at Toledo with added weight and further development as I see a bright future for this Mid-Tennessee product.    - - - - -    (QB) [player_tooltip player_id='1723184' first='Will' last='Jones'] - Maryville    * Committed to Jacksonville St. *   - Currently ranked as a top ten quarterback by Prep Redzone Tennessee, Jones is considered one of the better East Tennessee signal callers coming out of the TN2027 class that decided to shut down his recruitment by choosing Jacksonville State. The Rebels senior passer ended up going with the Gamecocks over offers from Eastern Ky, Georgia St., Murray St., ETSU and others. I do see several scenarios where Jones continues to add offers as we get into the 2026 season due to his upside on the next level. This is a talented quarterback that is still coming into his own, still forming his body but brings a strong skill set to the backfield that translates well to the college game and especially to the Jacksonville State offensive scheme and system.    Talent Acquisition: This is a sneaky good pickup by Jacksonville St. as I can see Jones developing into their starting quarterback somewhere down the road. What the Gamecocks are getting with this East Tennessee product is a pass first, dual threat guy that showed throughout his junior year accuracy and the ability to put the ball on time. Jones throws one of the prettiest deep balls in this class with good arm strength that certainly has room to get stronger. The Rebels signal caller shows flashes of being able to make passes outside the pocket and on the move. He doesn't run often but when he does, Jones displays good speed with a second gear that shows up in open space. There is still a lot of room for growth with Jones but I like the makeup with this guy and his upside to gain that starting job at quarterback for the Gamecocks.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/user-uploads/wjones-1.jpg?w=350" alt="" class="wp-image-2092506" style="width:221px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    (TE) [player_tooltip player_id='1577078' first='Parker' last='Newman'] - Sevier Co.    * Committed to Duke *   - The Blue Devils might have gotten themselves a steal, a long term starter at tight end with this East Tennessee prospect. Newman is a superb talent that is still forming his body and coming into his own but the raw abilities and talent are there to potentially become an All-ACC guy somewhere down the road. The Smoky Bears pass catcher ultimately chose the Blue Devils over other strong offers from Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio St., Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and many others. Newman proved to be a heavily recruited guy in this process due to his upside on the next level and potentially beyond the college game. More time is needed in the weight room adding to his body while continued field work must be done but Newman is a legit prospect that could find himself on the field early during his Duke football career.    Talent Acquisition: What the Blue Devils are getting with the talented offensive prospect is someone with size, length, a wide radius and the ability to catch the ball from a variety of positions. Newman is a flex tight end right that can stretch the seams or outside the hashes but he does have upside in the blocking department as well. The Smoky Bears senior is more of a finesse guy right now more so than a physical presence but that can change down the road with additional size and weight. Newman does have the ability to become a game changer over time due to his athleticism, strong hands and ability to separate from defenders. This East Tennessee product is such a talented young man that Newman could develop at edge linebacker if somebody wanted him there. It will be fun to watch how Newman performs this coming season and what he has done to push his game to new heights because I see a ton of potential with this future Atlantic Coast Conference tight end.    - - - - -    (TE) [player_tooltip player_id='1952678' first='Teddy' last='Graff'] - Ensworth   * Committed to Tulane *   - Our senior tight end class may be the deepest ever but Graff is one guy that has positioned himself nicely inside the “Top Ten” as someone with strong next level upside and that's how Tulane views him as well. This Nashville area offensive talent recently committed to play his college ball with Tulane and he ultimately chose the Green Wave over offers from Eastern Ky, ETSU, Illinois St., Lindenwood, Samford and Southern Illinois. The Green Wave got in early with this guy, meaning I think more D1, potential Power Four schools will get involved before Graff signs in December due to the long term upside this Tigers tight end possesses. Graff has the athletic profile and size to eventually turn into a college starter down the road and I believe the Tulane coaching staff saw this and had to bring him into the fold. While I believe Graff is solid with his Green Wave commitment, I would keep track of this guy in the Fall to see if any others decide to pursue.    Talent Acquisition: Graff didn't jump onto the recruiting scene until right before his junior season and since then, the Tigers tight end has steadily seen his stock rise as he is currently ranked as the tenth best tight end prospect in the state with the ability to move up during our next update. What Tulane is getting with this 6'5 220 plus pass catcher is someone with college size that is still growing into his body along with athleticism that can be used in the intermediate routes or sometime down the road, stretching the field. Graff runs well for his size while showing explosive flashes that should be flushed out during his time in college. He is also a physical, willing blocker that has spent a good bit of time at Ensworth working on the end of the line. Time will be needed before Graff becomes a full time performer at Tulane but the raw abilities are in place for this “top ten” ranked tight end to one day start for the Green Wave.     <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/tgraff.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2224162" style="width:283px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    (OT) [player_tooltip player_id='1531280' first='Rance' last='Brown'] - Brentwood Academy   * Committed to Auburn *   - Brown has transferred up to Tennessee from Alabama to play his senior year of high school football but will be headed back home for college with his recent commitment to Auburn. This 6 '6 offensive tackle prospect has the overall look and blocking upside to remain at tackle with the Tigers and potentially become a multi-year starter and maybe an All-Conference performer. Brown chose Auburn over a bevy of strong offers from the likes of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and several others. Ranked as our 3rd best O-line prospect from the TN2027 class, Brown was a big pickup for the Tigers as someone that shows potential to develop into a multi-year starter with All-Conference upside. I fully expect the Eagles big man to remain firm with his Auburn commitment and sign with the Tigers come December.    Talent Acquisition: This O-line addition could prove to be one of the bigger pickups for Auburn down the road as Brown has the potential to play the blindside or at worst, slide over to right tackle or inside at guard. I see an athletic blocker here that moves his feet well while having the power and strength to hold up well at the point of attack. Brown has the athletic makeup and profile to potentially handle the blindside at Auburn but I definitely think he could develop into a dominating right tackle that holds up well in pass protection but also moves the pile with his run blocking. This Mid-Tennessee prospect has the physical size already to compete “Day One” in college and possibly earn his way on the two deep but of course more work is needed, especially with his technique while increasing his lower half agility. I like the upside a ton with Brown and think Auburn landed a steal and future multi-year starting offensive lineman.    - - - - -    (OG) [player_tooltip player_id='705894' first='Kaden' last='Buchanan'] - Friendship Christian   * Committed to Virginia Tech *   - Ranked as the top offensive guard prospect from our TN2027 class, Buchanan is taking his college route through Blacksburg as he recently committed to Virginia Tech over Kentucky and N.C. State. This Mid-Tennessee big man was quiet throughout his recruiting process but he had the status to be that way because Buchanan is legit with a potential bright future in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hokies put an “importance” tag on Buchanan during the recruiting process and had to fight hard to land him but they did and potentially got themselves a multi-year starter with All-Conference potential and maybe a future beyond the college game. I personally think the Commanders big man was undervalued on the recruiting trail as other big time programs should have got involved but Virginia Tech saw the upside and I believe got themselves a major steal.    Talent Acquisition: There are several reasons why Buchanan is considered the top offensive guard prospect from our senior O-line class and why he was greatly pursued by Virginia Tech and other Power Four programs. The first one is his size. The Commanders big man looks the part with a wide base frame, broad shoulders and girth that eats up a lot of space. Buchanan is a physical mauler that holds up well at the point of attack along with the power to drive his man off the ball. He is also technique sound and a good athlete too that does show upside with his pass blocking. I believe that Buchanan is one of the cleanest prospects we have from the TN2027 class that could be good enough to get onto the two deep as a freshman at Virginia Tech and eventually play his way into a starting role early in his career.    - - - - -    (OT/G) Li'[player_tooltip player_id='1654041' first='Marcus' last='Jones'] - Brentwood Academy   * Committed to Colorado *    - New to Brentwood Academy and the state of Tennessee for the 2026 season, Jones wanted to get his college recruitment done before the start of the Fall football year and he did by pledging his services to Colorado. This 6'6 bookend tackle chose the Buffaloes over Mississippi St. and Purdue along with many other strong offers. Jones ultimately went with Colorado due to the relationship built with the Buffaloes coaching staff and his comfort being in Boulder. The Eagles big man also built several good relationships with other Colorado commits, so knowing that, I would expect Jones to remain solid with the Buffaloes until signing day but I do think others will continue to pursue. This was a solid pickup by Colorado with a guy that could potentially develop into a multi-year starter down the road.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/lijones2.jpg?w=201" alt="" class="wp-image-2224163" /></figure>   Talent Acquisition: Standing 6'6 300 pounds, Jones looks the part and has the size needed to contend on the Power Four level but what position will this Mississippi native land at? Opportunity is there for Jones to handle the left side but ultimately, I think this guy fits best at right tackle with even some upside to possibly move inside to guard. Jones is a wide radius, athletic blocker that moves his feet while holding up well with his power at the point of attack. Once he gets hands locked on while squaring up with his opponent, Jones tends to win his reps. Talent is there for Jones to form into a quality tackle that could play his way into All-Conference contention but a lot of work must be done for him to gain that status. The development with this “Top 45” Prep Redzone Tennessee prospect is worth it as Jones sports the physical size and athletic profile desired on the Power Four stage.    - - - - -    (Edge) [player_tooltip player_id='1580777' first='Kelsey' last='Rose Jr.'] - Jackson Christian   * Committed to Minnesota *   - The Golden Gophers came down to the Volunteer State to haul in this West Tennessee edge rusher and Rose Jr. may end up proving to be a steal that provides multiple years of starting production. The Eagles defensive prospect committed to Minnesota over other offers from MTSU, Missouri St., South Florida and Western Kentucky. Rose Jr. ultimately went with the Big Ten program based around the coaching staff's vision for him inside their defense and the development they can provide to form him into a pass rushing specialist. I personally think the Golden Gophers got themselves a steal, a long term big payoff prospect here with someone that is still coming into his own with his best football days ahead of him. I would not be surprised to see other big time programs get involved before he signs in December as I believe Rose Jr. should put forth his best high school season yet for his senior year.    Talent Acquisition: Some of the best long term edge rushing upside from our TN2027 class resides right here with this West Tennessee product. Standing 6 '4 240 pounds, Rose Jr. has the physical look and overall size desired for the next level and he is still forming into his body, so he could be even bigger once he spends time inside the Minnesota weight room. The Eagles senior edge rusher displays a solid release in his rush along with closing speed and physicality. He is also a good athlete that can drop into space and play in pass coverage as well. Rose Jr. is a versatile prospect that can play standing up or if needed, you can work him with his hand in the dirt setting the edge. This is a talented ball player that I feel has his best football days ahead as Rose Jr. is still forming into what he will be in college while learning the game. It may take a little time but eventually, Rose Jr. should develop into a multi-year productive starter at Minnesota.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/krose.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-2224159" style="width:258px;height:auto" /></figure>