Elite uncommitted defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell locks in announcement date

Durham (NC) Southern On300 defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell is ready for final decision on where he’ll attend college.

The nation’s No. 4 defensive lineman and No. 37 prospect in the 2025 class will decide between North Carolina and Tennessee this week with his family, according to On3’s Chad Simmons. After that, he’ll publicly announce where he’s going and sign with that program on December 4, the first day of the Early Signing Period.

A longtime Clemson commit, Campbell decommitted from the Tigers this fall and reopened his recruitment. The Vols and in-state Tar Heels immediately jumped to the top of the list.

He took official visits to both programs, and returned back to Knoxville for their win over UTEP last weekend.

The Vols are trending as the favorites right now to land, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). A big part of that is the team’s success along the defensive line this year.

“Obviously they’ve been having really good defensive line play,” Campbell’s father, Chris, told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. “We know Coach (Rodney) Garner has been a staple in the defensive line collegiate space and definitely built a name and developed a lot of players. Also Tennessee is a very competitive program and they’re playing at a really high level and defensively they’ve done a great job as well. All of those factors are coming into play.”

North Carolina remains in the picture despite this season’s struggles

The Tar Heels, despite firing head coach Mack Brown earlier this week, are still battling to keep him home. They made a big impression on his visit to Chapel Hill as well.

“It was great visit at UNC,” Campbell’s father told Wiltfong. ““Furthermore, there’s been a big improvement in defensive line play. Right now they’re one of the top five programs in the country in sacks. Academically, it is a great school and Isaiah was impressed.”

The Vols hold the nation’s No. 9 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and are looking for him to be one of their final big pieces. UNC, meanwhile, is working hard to hold onto the 10 pledges in their group and add him as a centerpiece for the next coaching staff.