By Mark Pszonak
In recruiting, if you aren’t looking forward, you are quickly falling behind. Tennessee accomplished this over the weekend by offering a top in-state defensive lineman from the Class of 2028.
After a great conversation with @coachg76 , I am blessed to receive a D1 Offer from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. @VolsCoachHeupel @bobbybentley @CoachQ14D @CoachWuellner @SWiltfong_ @CSmithScout @BuckFitz @jaxon_rose8 @BallHawkU @JackPittman5 pic.twitter.com/5MlOFwNyd4
— Ayden Woodruff (@AydenWoodruff77) June 1, 2025
Having just finished his freshman season at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, Ayden Woodruff picked up his first offer from Missouri in January and has since seen Kentucky, SMU, Vanderbilt, Liberty, Appalachian State, UNLV, Miami-Ohio and now the Vols join the early chase.
Woodruff, 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, is coached at Battle Ground Academy by Bobby Bentley, who has had a long and interesting career. After playing quarterback at Presbyterian in the late 1980’s, he was a high school coach in South Carolina before becoming a head coach at his alma mater and then an assistant at Auburn, South Carolina, USF and UCF.
While he is only a freshman, having a head coach with this kind of experience will only help Woodruff in the long run. Expect the offers to continue to roll in during the summer, but with the Vols being involved this early, it is safe to assume that they will be a major player throughout.
