Vols Go Back-To-Back With Another Elite Defender
Image: Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
The Vols are making themselves at home deep in the Magnolia State.
Moments after securing d-lineman Dereon Albert on Tuesday, Tennessee doubled down with the commitment of elite four-star linebacker TJ White, the high school teammate of Albert.
White, a 6-foot-1.5, 230-pound tackle-for-loss machine out of Jackson Academy in Mississippi, chose the Volunteers over Auburn, Mississippi State, and North Carolina. His commitment gives linebackers coach William Inge his first true linebacker in the 2026 cycle–and it’s a big one.
Ranked as the No. 83 overall prospect and the No. 5 overall linebacker nationally, White brings top-end sideline-to-sideline speed at the linebacker position to Knoxville.
White stuffed the stat sheet his junior season, racking up 102 tackles, 21.5 TFLs, and 11 sacks in just 13 games at Jackson Academy.
With White and Albert both committed, the Vols have landed two of Mississippi’s top defenders in the matter of minutes.
