Josh Heupel secures major recruiting win by landing commitment of elite four-star recruit to the class of 2026

Coach Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers are trying to improve on their 2024 season. The Volunteers played well, qualifying for the college football playoff. However, they lost in the first round to the eventual national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

While there is nothing wrong with losing to the future champions, the nature of their loss was disappointing. The Volunteers were blown out, losing 42-17 after giving up 21 points in the first quarter.

To succeed in the coming seasons, Josh Heupel and his squad will need to do a good job of recruiting. On Saturday, the team got good news as four-star athlete Legend Bey committed to Tennessee. Bey is a member of the 2026 recruiting class. It was reported by On3:

"Breaking 4-star ATH Legend Bey has committed to Tennessee."

Josh Heupel has done a good job of recruiting in recent years. His most recent class, in 2025, is the No. 11-ranked class, according to 247Sports. The 2025 class includes one five-star recruit and 16 four-star recruits.

However, the Volunteers have been off to a slower start with their 2026 class. They only have the No. 22-ranked class thus far. However, they have earned some of the most important commitments in the nation. Most notably, they have received a commitment from the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country, QB Faizon Brandon. Brandon will likely compete for the starting role as a true freshman.

Legend Bey speaks about why he chose to commit to Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers

As a four-star recruit, Legend Bey had offers from many top schools. However, he announced his commitment to the Volunteers and coach Josh Heupel over other offers. In a conversation with On3, he spoke about the atmosphere and his relationship with coach Kelsey Pope.

"The atmosphere is ridiculous," Bey told On3. "The fans are amazing and I have a great relationship with Coach Pope."

Bey had his official visit with the Volunteers on the weekend of June 13. After his visit, he spoke with VolQuest's Matt Ray about his experience.

"The culture and I love the guys and the players," Bey said. "Coach Pope and Coach Heup, those are my guys. They are real honest, so I would definitely say this is a place that I would want to be at. My expectations were high, but they were met, for sure. I liked how we got to go on top of the stadium. That was crazy to me."

Bey will not join the team until the spring of 2026.

Edited by Alexander O'Reilly