Mississippi has continued to turn into a priority state on recruiting trail for Vols

No.15 Tennessee heads into the Magnolia State on Saturday to take on undefeated Mississippi State at 4:15 pm ET. The Vols are back at Mississippi State for the first time since 2012, and back in the state of Mississippi since 2014, when they last played Ole Miss in Oxford.

While Tennessee has not been on the field in Mississippi in over a decade, the recruiting trail is a different story for Josh Heupel’s staff. As the state has continued to turn into more of a recruiting hotbed, the Vols have started to find success in the area.

Tennessee has turned the state into a priority in the 2026 cycle, and they have landed three of their top targets from the state in the cycle.

One of the headliners of the class is five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys. Tennessee missed out on Keys’ initial commitment as he chose LSU in the spring, but they continued to pursue him in the same fashion they had since last fall, and their consistency paid off. The No.1 WR in the Rivals Industry Ratings flipped to Tennessee ahead of the season and is now one of the most vocal peer recruiters in the class.

Additionally, the Vols surged over the spring and summer for a pair of Jackson Academy teammates in TJ White and Dereon Albert. The four-star duo anchors a stout defense at the prep level, and they both chose to join Tennessee’s class over the summer. They chose the Vols over Mississippi State and others in their decision.

White, a quiet prospect, doesn’t always receive the attention he should in the 2026 class as a top-75 overall prospect.

“He is a long, explosive athlete,” Jackson Academy Head Coach and former Kent State defensive coordinator David Duggan told Volquest. “He can really run. His track time a year ago was 11-flat. He plays like that on the football field. He has a great motor. He works really hard in practice, and it carries over to the game field. He has a lot of upside.”

Tennessee’s already started to pay close attention to a number of recruits in the Magnolia State in the 2027 cycle.

The Vols’ one of a number of schools involved with top-100 EDGE Derwin Fields of Brookhaven High School.

Madaylan ‘Day Day’ McKenzie is an underrated prospect from the state of Mississippi whose stock could rise in a hurry this fall. Tennessee was an early offer, and the Vols have done a nice job of recruiting him early on. The expectation is he will likely grow in to a strong side defense end with high upside.

Tennessee is also doing an excellent job of recruiting four-star, top-45 defender Ben’Jarvius Shumaker. The standout defensive lineman was recently in Knoxville for the Georgia game.

Additionally, the Vols are also one of a number of programs involved with elite offensive tackle Caden Moss. The big-time recruit is also a teammate of White and Albert at Jackson Academy.

2027 four-star running back Tyson Robinson is a name we have discussed plenty over the past several months, as he has visited Tennessee on numerous occasions. He will return to Knoxville for the Oklahoma game.

The state will also have plenty of talent in 2028, and Tennessee has already started evaluating and offering prospects from the Magnolia State in the class, including four-star running back Acely Brown, top-300 offensive lineman PJ Evans, and top-50 cornerback Braylen Bedford.