National recruiting analyst says Tennessee Vols commit has a chance 'to be one of the biggest risers' in the nation
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The Tennessee Vols may have found a hidden gem earlier this winter.
In February, the Volunteers landed a commitment from 2027 three-star quarterback Derrick Baker.
Baker, 6-foot-1/226 pounds from Alpharetta, GA, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 43 quarterback in the nation and the No. 86 player in the state of Georgia.
The three-star quarterback participated in the Under Armour Atlanta Camp this past weekend and was labeled as one of the best passers at the event.
“There was a deep group of passers at Under Armour Atlanta and two quarterbacks surged to the top of the group, but we had to give the edge to the stronger arm and that was Derrick Baker,” wrote On3’s Cody Bellaire. “He’s college-ready right now from a physical and athletic perspective. At 6’1, 220-plus pounds, Baker looks the part of a college linebacker than he does a quarterback. But don’t get it twisted, Baker has the arm talent and accuracy to throw it with the best of the best at the quarterback position. He’s also extremely comfortable throwing on the run and is capable of letting off the gas in order to layer the football into tighter windows. If he’s able to carry over his camp performance onto the field on Friday nights, he has a chance to be one of the biggest risers in the country.”
Baker could rapidly climb the recruiting rankings with some strong camp performances.
Other teams will try to flip Derrick Baker from the Volunteers
Baker is locked in with the Vols, but other programs are expected to continue to recruit him in an effort to flip him from Tennessee.
“He’s a thick kid,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price last month 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.”
Baker is expected to visit some other programs this summer — Auburn and Georgia are possibilities — but according to 247Sports’ Tom Loy, Baker will be hard to flip from the Vols.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 16, 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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