Tennessee Volunteers recruiting: 4-star WR Tyreek King commits to Josh Huepel's 2026 class 

By Aman Sharma

Modified Nov 01, 2024 11:07 GMT

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Knoxville Catholic standout wide receiver Tyreek King, a four-star recruit, announced his commitment to Josh Huepel's Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. King chose the Vols over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Michigan and other prestigious programs.

King, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound athlete, is ranked 120th nationally in the 2026 recruiting class and is the No. 3 prospect in Tennessee, according to 247Sports.

Earlier this week, King informed Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope about his decision.

"I kind of let (wide receivers) Coach (Cody) Pope know (at) the beginning of this week," King told GoVols247. "On Monday, I was like, 'Coach, you know me.' I was like, 'I'm coming. Great news coming soon. Me and my parents, we sat down and we talked about it and made a decision today.'"

The Knoxville native felt an undeniable connection with Tennessee throughout his recruiting process. Since receiving an offer in March 2023, he has visited the campus over 10 times.

“No other place I visited felt like Tennessee,” King told On3. “Since the 8th grade, I thought about getting an offer from Tennessee, and in March of 2023, I got it and there was no feeling like it. Since I got the offer, I have visited Tennessee over 10 times and it felt like home. It was a different feeling from everywhere else.”

Tyreek King also expressed confidence in Tennessee’s coaching staff, emphasizing his trust in their development program.

“The coaches are a big reason I committed to Tennessee. It is a great staff that I trust. Coach (Kelsey) Pope develops receivers and coach (Josh) Heupel cares about his players. The coaches will develop me and get me on the field early."

Tyreek King becomes Tennessee’s fifth commitment in the 2026 cycle, bolstering Coach Heupel’s vision for the future.

Tennessee lands top talent for 2026: Faizon Brandon, Tyreek King, and more add to strong recruiting class

Tennessee’s 2026 recruiting class launched with a huge commitment from five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, who pledged to the Vols in early August. Wide receiver Tyreek King shares Brandon’s excitement. King envisions a “natty (national championship) on the way.”

“There is a natty (national championship) on the way,” King said. “Coach Heupel is a dominant coach that will do anything to win. He cares his players, players want to play for him and we have top recruits coming in. Coach Pope and the other coaches will make the players better and we are going to win a lot of games in the craziest atmosphere in college football.”

Tennessee’s recent win over Alabama on Oct. 19 also attracted major talent: four-star offensive lineman Brandon Anderson and three-star defensive lineman Tyson Bacon. Both committed after the game.

Anderson, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound prospect from Kennesaw, Georgia, chose Tennessee over Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M, marking a major win for UT’s offensive line.

Meanwhile, Bacon, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound lineman from Hoover, Alabama, selected Tennessee after fielding offers from Florida, Washington, Wisconsin and several other programs.