One of Tennessee's pieces of its impressive 2025 class, Jayden Lofitn, has torn his ACL and will be forced to miss his senior season of high school.
Out of Somerville, New Jersey, Loftin is a four-star edge rusher. He is ranked as the No. 6 player in the state and No. 16 weak-side defensive end in the country.
Loftin will now take the year to recover from his injury in an attempt to be ready for camp once he arrives in Knoxville.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Sommerville is yet to begin his senior season with Sommerville's year starting on August 29. In 2023, the team went 5-5 (2-2 in conference) while getting knocked out of the NJSIAA Tournament in the quarterfinals.
Now, Loftin will turn to his college career. He projects as a LEO but could play on either side as an edge rusher.
In a previous interview with VolReport, Loftin spoke on what he likes about his position in the Vols' defense.
"Their edge rushers are a very important part of their defense," Loftin said. "They use them in every way possible, and I can see that when watching players like James Pearce."
He also explained what the Vols staff liked about him throughout his recruitment.
"The coaching staff said that they liked my versatility and my quick twitch," Loftin said. "They like the way I play and my high motor."
With Loftin in the boat, Tennessee's class ranks No. 6 in the country. The Vols have 26 commits with Loftin being one of 12 four-stars. There are also two five-stars and 10 three-stars committed.
Loftin is the fourth-highest ranked defensive commit in the class behind Mariyon Dye, Onis Konanbanny and Ethan Utley.
–––––
– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.
– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.
– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.
–––––