Tennessee lands 2027 cornerback Preston Glasco after late push over Alabama, Georgia

Tennessee made a late push for Preston Glasco and it paid off, as the 2027 cornerback from Loganville, Georgia, and Grayson High School committed to Josh Heupel and the Volunteers over Alabama and Georgia. Glasco, a former UConn commit, had become one of the most closely watched defensive backs in the Southeast this fall, and for a time he was leaning toward Alabama before Tennessee offered and got him to Knoxville for a visit that shifted the momentum.

Alabama offered in September and quickly built momentum, while Georgia remained a serious contender throughout and stayed in consistent contact. Glasco visited both programs multiple times this fall and had been evaluating them for months. Tennessee entered the race last and had ground to make up, but the Vols got the final visit when Glasco traveled to Knoxville for the Alabama game, an experience he said let him feel how the defense feeds off the fans and the energy in the stadium.

Glasco described the decision as extremely tough and said it went down to the wire through a series of calls and conversations with the staff. He pointed to the chance to make a bigger impact earlier at Tennessee as a factor, along with the visit itself. The 6-foot-2 defender said he is eager to return to Neyland Stadium as a Tennessee player, noting its size and reputation for noise, and he plans to be there in January.

The coaching staff also drove Tennessee's late surge. Glasco praised Heupel as down-to-earth and said he has been everything he could ask for from a head coach since the offer. He said he talks to Coach Jones almost every day and values his faith and focus on developing players off the field, and he praised defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for his wisdom and his background, including winning a national title at Ohio State. In the end, Tennessee offered a combination Alabama and Georgia could not match: early opportunity, a defensive staff he trusts, and an atmosphere he wants to play in.