2026 defensive lineman Tyson Bacon Reacts To Tennessee Vols $190m Offer

2026 defensive lineman Tyson Bacon (Hoover, Ala.) has earned an offer from the Tennessee Volunteers and broke down a recent visit with Volunteer Country.

The Tennessee Volunteers are among many college teams getting a jumpstart on the 2026 recruiting class. One of the more recent names on the Tennessee offer list is Hoover High School defensive lineman Tyson Bacon, who has visited Tennessee multiple times.

Bacon caught up with Volunteer Country to recap his offer. “It meant a lot,” Bacon stated to Volunteer Country. “It showed me what hard work gets you in life. From the visit this past Saturday, it was deeper than helmets and shoulder pads. Hugs and smiles made it feel familiar, and it was a great experience overall.”

He talked to all of the coaches at Tennessee on the defensive side of the ball. “I talked to the whole defense staff and the head coach, and it went great! We talked about a lot besides football. Mainly about life and its aspects. We talked about just life in general and different hobbies, and activities we like to do.”

He said many players stood out to him while he was evaluating during spring practice. “The defensive lineman [Emmanuel] Okoye, because football is fairly new to him, he’s definitely going to be a highly anticipated guy. Also, [Elijah Simmons] is on the defensive line; for him to be as violent and fluent as he is at that size is crazy to me.”

Tennessee has been keeping a healthy dose of athletes visiting, and that will only shoot up as the Tennessee Volunteers are just days away from their annual spring Orange & White competition. The game will be highlighted for many reasons, including the spotlight on redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava. Many recruits are expected to be in attendance.