Elite 2026 TE Kendre Harrison ‘loves Knoxville’
Reidsville, N.C.– Reidsville High School (N.C.) standout Kendre Harrison is the top athlete in the county for the 2026 class. He is a priority for Tennessee, and he shares the latest on the Vols and more with Volquest.
Harrison is ranked as the top athlete in the On3 rankings and eight-best prospect overall. He now holds over 25 Division 1 offers, but he is just taking each in stride.
“It is a true blessing right now just being in this position I am in in my life,” Harrison said of handling the process.
Harrison saw his game on the field make a substantial jump year over year as his college recruitment started to soar.
“I definitely improved in catching the ball,” Harrison said of his game. “My run after catch. My blocking. Even on the defensive side, I have gotten better with the hustling part and being more physical.”
While he is coveted as a football recruit, basketball programs have also expressed their interest in him. The message from both sides has been clear.
Football side, they tell me how they like my size,” Harrison said of this. “They tell me what they can do with my size. How they like how physical I am. On basktball, they watch me come play basketball and tell me I am one of the best athletes they have seen play basketball.”
While it is early in his process, the elite prospect knows what he is looking for in a school.
“Definitely a school that treats me like home and treats me like family,” Harrison said on this. “Not only on the field, but off the field we have bonding and are close as a team. Somebody that can develop me and help me get to the next level.”
Tennessee is one of the programs that has his early attention, and he has built a strong bond with Alec Abeln to this point in the process.
“My relationship with him is good,” Harrison said of Abeln. “When we do get on the phone, and I do get up to Tennessee, it has been like we talk everyday. The connection is really good between me and when. When I talk to him, he shows me the stats of the tight ends, and what they do, and what I can do.”
Harrison also thinks highly of Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel.
“Coach Heupel, I like what he has done with the program,” Harrison said of this. “He has very good things coming to the program for the next couple of years, and I like what he is doing. He likes my size and wants me to come see Tennessee whenever I can. I love Knoxville. I love the University of Tennessee. I love everything about it.”
The elite talent is a frequent visitor to Knoxville, as he has friends in the area and also plays AAU basketball with a Knoxville-area team. He holds the city in high regard.
“I love how beautiful Knoxville is,” Harrison said. “I have a friend, Cade Murphy, him and his mom show us around, and show us everything about Knoxville. Going from the park to the street signs, they just show us everything. I play with an AAU team out of Knoxville, so it is like I am always there. I know I am going to have fun. I have been to Tennessee so many times, it feels like a second home. Knoxville is a place I already love.”
Harrison was most recently at Tennessee for the Georgia game. He was highly impressed with the atmosphere following Jaylen Wright’s 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game.
“When he scored, as soon as he took off, I heard the crowd get up and it felt like the stadium was fixing to break down,” Harrison recalled of this. “It was a crazy experience.”
The Reidsville prospect plans to return to Tennessee for a spring practice in March.
