Tennessee football has been hard after an offensive lineman, and the effort has paid off.

On Friday, the Vols landed the commitment of Edward Baker, a three-star offensive tackle out of Baltimore, Maryland, at St. Frances.

He picked UT over Ole Miss, NC State, Virginia and Arkansas.

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Baker spoke with Rivals recruiting analyst Ryan O'Bleness to break down his finalists, including the Vols.

"They're one of my dream schools," Baker said. "I went to the game against Alabama and it was amazing — great atmosphere. great fans, felt like home the whole time. It's definitely somewhere I can see myself playing. I have great relationships with the whole offensive staff and a little on the defense. It's only gonna get better from here. Recently, I went on an OV up there two weeks ago and it was amazing. (Offensive line) Coach (Glen) Elarbee knows how to develop linemen, and he also knows how to recruit and find guys no matter what their rank is — if you can ball, he finds you. But other than that, the energy around the program is real. Playing in the SEC with top facilities just adds to the opportunity."

Baker took an official visit to Knoxville earlier this month. Afterward, he gave his thoughts with VolReport.

Clearly, the visit left a lasting impression that helped cement a decision that Tennessee was already steadily pushing for.

"Tennessee is one of the top programs in the college football world, so with having them interested in me, it's amazing," Baker said. "It boosts them up. They were already at the top, but it boosts them up even more."

The Vols currently hold just 11 commitments in the 2026 class. This is good for the No. 35 group in the country to this point.

The group is headlined by five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon who is the top signal caller in the cycle and No. 2 overall player.

Tyreek King is knocking on the door of five-star status, but currently sits as a highly-ranked four-star.

Other four-stars committed to this point are tight end Carson Sneed, offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda, edge rusher Zach Groves and linebacker Kedric Golston II.

Three-stars in the boat are edge rusher CJ Edwards, linebacker Braylon Outlaw, safety KJ McClain and now Baker. Unranked athlete Luke Thompson joined, as well.

In 2027, Tennessee just landed the commitment of three-star local linebacker JP Peace.

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