'Others will come back in here trying to flip him' – Tennessee will have to battle to hang on to their latest football commit
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The Tennessee Volslanded a commitment from 2027 three-star quarterback Derrick Baker last week.
Baker, 6-foot-2/220 pounds from Alpharetta, GA, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 37 quarterback in the nation and the No. 62 player in the state of Georgia.
The Georgia native is viewed as a player with intriguing upside thanks in part to his SEC-ready frame.
Baker’s commitment came as a mild surprise simply because it didn’t seem like a quarterback commitment was imminent for the Vols.
“I think they knew that they needed to get this done now and not wait,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price of the timing of Baker’s decision. “He really, really likes Tennessee a good amount….Tennessee was pretty adamant about trying to get this one done sooner rather than later, and they were able to do so.”
Other teams are expected to continue to pursue Derrick Baker
Baker is only rated as a three-star recruit, but that’s mostly because he missed nearly all of his junior season with a wrist injury. A strong senior season and a good showing at camps, if he attends, could easily boost the Georgia native to four-star status.
As a result, other programs are expected to try to flip Baker from Tennessee.
“He’s a thick kid,” said Price Tuesday on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “He weighs 225ish. He’s got a strong arm. He’s got to stay healthy and stay on the field, but they loved what they saw from him at camp last summer. That’s when they offered him. That’s when they really started to go harder at him. They were after him all fall — even when he was injured.
“And then (Vols OC) Joey Halzle was down there to see him shortly after he got cleared back to start throwing again. And Tennessee just kind of stayed on that one. And they’ll have to stay on it because he’s going to start playing more as he gets healthier, and I’m sure others will come back in here trying to flip him. So that’s one that Tennessee will have to stay on top of.”
Tennessee was wise to make Baker a priority early, but they’ll have to keep recruiting him as if he’s uncommitted to prevent other programs from flipping the fast-rising quarterback.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Nashville section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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