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Where Lady Vols basketball targets sit in updated class of 2026 rankings

Where Lady Vols basketball targets sit in updated class of 2026 rankings Tennessee basketball coach Kim Caldwell gives out instructions during practice for the NCAA college basketball tournament on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Birmingham, AL. (Photo by Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) As the off-season marches on, On3 has […]

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Where Lady Vols basketball targets sit in updated class of 2026 rankings

As the off-season marches on, On3 has updated its rankings of women’s basketball recruits in the 2026 class.

While the Lady Vols are yet to land their first commitment in the class, they are intertwined with some of the best recruits in the cycle.

Here’s a look at where Tennessee targets sit in the updated rankings.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

*This is not an exhaustive list of Lady Vols targets, but a quick look at some players they have been tied to to this point.

No. 2 – Kate Harping

Rankings: No. 2 NATL | No. 1 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: PG

Rating: 99 | 5-star

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

School: Marist School

Notes: Kim Caldwell offered on July 18, 2024, NIL deal with adidas

No. 5 – Oliviyah Edwards

Rankings: No. 5 NATL | No. 2 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: PF

Rating: 99 | 5-star

Hometown: Tacoma, Washington

School: Elite Sports Academy

Notes: Took a visit to Tennessee in January of 2025, can dunk with ease, NIL deal with adidas

No. 8 – Brihanna Crittendon

Rankings: No. 8 NATL | No. 3 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: SG

Rating: 98 | 5-star

Hometown: Thornton, Colorado

School: Riverdale Ridge

Notes: Took an unofficial visit to Tennessee in August of 2024, UT offered on May 5, 2024

No. 11 – Addison Bjorn

Rankings: No. 11 NATL | No. 5 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: SG

Rating: 97 | 4-star

Hometown: Riverside, Missouri

School: Park Hill

Notes: Tennessee was in ‘Final 15’ released in January

No. 12 – Jacy Abii

Rankings: No. 12 NATL | No. 6 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: SG

Rating: 97 | 4-star

Hometown: Frisco, Texas

School: Liberty

Notes: Tennessee in ‘Top 10’ released this June, was offered on May 16, 2024

No. 13 – Trinity Jones

Rankings: No. 13 NATL | No. 7 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: SG

Rating: 97 | 4-star

Hometown: Bolingbrook, Illinois

School: Bolingbrook

Notes: Visited Tennessee in October of 2024

No. 14 – Bella Flemmings

Rankings: No. 14 NATL | No. 3 POS | No. 2 ST

Position: CG

Rating: 97 | 4-star

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

School: William J. Brennan

Notes: Brother plays for Houston men’s basketball

No. 41 – Leelee Bell

Rankings: No. 41 NATL | No. 11 POS | No. 1 ST

Position: PF

Rating: 94 | 4-star

Hometown: Minot, North Dakota

School: Minot

Notes: Was offered on May 23, 2025

No. 49 – Natalya Hodge

Rankings: No. 49 NATL | No. 6 POS | No. 2 ST

Position: PG

Rating: 94 | 4-star

Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee

School: Bearden

Notes: From Knoxville, visited in October of 2024



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Paul Finebaum warns Ohio State football coach Ryan Day of ending up back on hot seat this season

Paul Finebaum doesn’t expect the honeymoon period in Columbus to last long. The SEC Network host made a bol prediction that Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day could struggle this season to return another high-priced roster back to the College Football Playoff. Finebaum also spoke about losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 […]

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Paul Finebaum doesn’t expect the honeymoon period in Columbus to last long.

The SEC Network host made a bol prediction that Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day could struggle this season to return another high-priced roster back to the College Football Playoff. Finebaum also spoke about losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 because of Arch Manning as a formality.

“I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be to a young, great college quarterback, but I like everything about him, and I think you said something,” Finebaum said on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“The Manning name matters, but it isn’t going to matter on that field in a couple of weeks at Ohio State. The experience of being an understudy to Ewers and understanding Sark’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably — well, not probably — definitely beat Ohio State in the opener.

“I don’t like Ohio State. I think Ohio State is going to lose in the opener against Texas, and they are going to struggle to make the playoffs, let alone win it all.”

New NIL rules could change the game slightly for OSU. In August, the new house settlement will go into effect, and it’s unclear if the juggernauts of the country like Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Georgia are playing by the rules — the other headline juggernaut, Michigan, has been confirmed not to play by the rules.

Were the numbers these schools threw around lies? Some recruits may get clarity on that popular college football conspiracy in a few weeks and hit the portal before the season starts, just ahead of the summer transfer window closing on August 5.

If Ohio State is one of those schools, Finebaum has a point. And if Jim Knowles was the glue that made everything fit in leading that legendary defense last year, then he really has a point.

Otherwise, Finebaum may have to adjust with the times and realize Day has something that could be sustainable beyond what the talking head is implying could’ve been a flash-in-the-pan year in 2024.



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John Calipari calls for college basketball to have summer exhibition games

Summertime has long been thought of as a long, grueling period in the college basketball offseason. Arkansas head coach John Calipari has a proposal to spice it up a little. Calipari has always been one to adapt to change in the college space. He believes a bit of extra competition, and maybe a bit of […]

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Summertime has long been thought of as a long, grueling period in the college basketball offseason. Arkansas head coach John Calipari has a proposal to spice it up a little.

Calipari has always been one to adapt to change in the college space. He believes a bit of extra competition, and maybe a bit of travel could go a long way in preparing his Razorbacks for the long season ahead.

“I think that college basketball has got to compete in the July area. There’s got to be games even the first weeks of August, there has got to be exhibition games in the summer,” Calipari told reporters. “We’re getting swallowed by everything else, and it can’t just be the tournament. In the summer, in July, it’s a space where we could take over. Right now, you have the NBA Summer League. Why don’t we have something?”

In January, the NCAA took a step forward in loosening its preseason exhibition restrictions. The Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee voted to allow teams to play up to two exhibition games during their preseason against any four-year school.

That includes Division I teams. Previously, teams had to be approved through a waiver process. The proceeds from the games would have to be donated to a charity.

Arkansas played in two such preseason charity games before the 2025-25 season, infamously hosting and then beating Kansas, the preseason No. 1 team, before dropping the other to TCU on the road. It’s clear that Calipari is interested

“I’ve been saying that for a number of years. I also said there shouldn’t be a one every four years go on a foreign trip. If you want to go every year, go and then let those games be televised,” Calipari proposed. “If you don’t want to go, don’t go. Everybody should have 10 practice days in the summer, as though you’re making a foreign trip.

“And if you don’t want to, play some games against people you want to play against. They can be scrimmages or they can be open, but why wouldn’t we do that? Do you think our kids just like to do (practices in the summer), or would they like to play against somebody?”

With changes seemingly coming to the college athletics landscape on an annual basis, perhaps Calipari’s plea may finally be heard. Fans can get to see a preview of what their teams can do with the stakes as low as possible. January’s lightened restrictions on preseason exhibitions could be the first step in making this a reality.



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Jake Retzlaff's Next Stop? Big 12 School in the Mix

Jake Retzlaff’s next stop isn’t official yet, but the interest is already pouring in. After withdrawing from BYU earlier this week, the veteran quarterback is being looked at by several high-profile programs, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Tulane, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, Stanford, and UNLV. Retzlaff made headlines by skipping the NCAA transfer portal […]

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Jake Retzlaff's Next Stop? Big 12 School in the Mix

Jake Retzlaff’s next stop isn’t official yet, but the interest is already pouring in.

After withdrawing from BYU earlier this week, the veteran quarterback is being looked at by several high-profile programs, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Tulane, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, Stanford, and UNLV.

Retzlaff made headlines by skipping the NCAA transfer portal and instead opting to walk on at a new school. That workaround is connected to a seven-game suspension tied to BYU’s honor code, which Retzlaff broke in an incident on campus. It’s a calculated move that keeps him eligible for the 2025 season and opens up his transfer process without formal restrictions.

The former JUCO standout started games for BYU in both 2023 and 2024, and although his numbers were pretty modest, his 2024 campaign did draw interest from suitors, though. With nearly 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, Retzlaff helped guide his team to an 11-2 finish and re-established himself as a viable Power Four quarterback.

Now, schools across the country are weighing whether to bring him in as a veteran presence with starting potential. Some are dealing with depth issues, others are simply looking for insurance. And with fall camp approaching fast, Retzlaff’s situation could move quickly.

Oklahoma State is one of the more intriguing fits here, given their Big 12 ties and need for quarterback competition heading into August. But the list is vast, and the clock is ticking.

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Legal warning issued to NCAA, power conferences amid NIL standoff

Another cog in the Name, Image and Likeness wheel, college football programs are facing significant difficulties with the NIL approval process, and House attorneys have answered by threatening legal action The $2.8 billion settlement by the NCAA ushered in a new era, in part, for third-party NIL deals. Those agreements now must be vetted by […]

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Another cog in the Name, Image and Likeness wheel, college football programs are facing significant difficulties with the NIL approval process, and House attorneys have answered by threatening legal action

The $2.8 billion settlement by the NCAA ushered in a new era, in part, for third-party NIL deals. Those agreements now must be vetted by the NIL Go clearinghouse – established by the College Sports Commission and run by Deloitte.

Unfortunately for athletes and programs alike, the new process is facing significant backlash, as deals are being denied for failing to meet the “valid business purpose” criteria.

Despite these pending deals including deliverables like public appearances, the College Sports Commission doesn’t view that as enough to meet the new standards. And in conjunction with the NCAA and power conferences, doubled-down on their reasoning on Thursday.

House attorneys issued a notable response on Friday to the NCAA and power conferences, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.

“Jeffrey Kessler, a co-lead House plaintiff attorney along with Steve Berman, requested that the NCAA and conferences ‘retract’ a statement of guidance released Thursday from the College Sports Commission and, presumably, reinstate name, image and likeness deals that the CSC has denied — many of them from booster-backed NIL collectives,” Dellenger wrote.

Dellenger previously reported that out of over 1,200 NIL deals submitted after July 1, 80 of them have been denied with even more currently stuck in limbo.

There appears to be a sticking point between the House attorneys, programs and the NCAA/College Sports Commission on what constitutes a valid business purpose within NIL deals.

“There is nothing in the Settlement Agreement to permit (NCAA and conference) or the CSC, acting on their behalf, to decide that it would not be a valid business purpose for a school’s collective to engage in for-profit promotions of goods or services using paid-for student-athlete NIL,” the letter reads via Yahoo Sports. “To the extent the NIL payment is for the promotion of a valid business purpose, it is irrelevant whether that payment comes from a NIL collective or any other third party.”

House council plans to bring the issue before Judge Nathanael Cousins, the appointed magistrate in the settlement, if no action is taken by the College Sports Commission, according to the report.



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Paul Finebaum casts doubt on Gunner Stockton’s ability to carry Georgia

Based on the standards in Athens, Georgia had a down year in 2024. Paul Finebaum now thinks the Bulldogs could have a hard time correcting that in 2025 with Gunner Stockton being the Bulldogs’ QB1. Finebaum, in an appearance on Friday morning on ‘First Take,’ named how Georgia and Alabama each follow up last season […]

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Based on the standards in Athens, Georgia had a down year in 2024. Paul Finebaum now thinks the Bulldogs could have a hard time correcting that in 2025 with Gunner Stockton being the Bulldogs’ QB1.

Finebaum, in an appearance on Friday morning on ‘First Take,’ named how Georgia and Alabama each follow up last season in this upcoming season as one of his top storylines going into kickoff this fall. However, that came with his doubts about the ‘Dawgs with Stockton set to be their starting quarterback.

“It was a disappointing year and, as I say that, I’m like checking myself. Georgia won the SEC Championship but it still fell flat because they looked so bad against Notre Dame, completely blowing up in the final seconds of the first half and the opening stanza of the second half,” Finebaum said. “Kirby Smart needs to bounce back but I’m not sure it’s going to be easy because Gunner Stockton is not an elite quarterback. He’s serviceable and that is about it.”

Stockton, having made seven appearances in his collegiate career to that point, was forced into action due to the elbow injury to Carson Beck in the biggest games of the season in the second half against Texas in the SEC Championship and versus Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl as their quarterfinal in the College Football Playoff. In that game and a half, Stockton was 32-48 (66.7%) for 305 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while showing some mobility as well.

Considering all things about the spot he found himself in, that’s fine play from Stockton, especially leading an offense that struggled throughout last season at times, regardless of who was taking snaps at quarterback. Still, taking the place of your injured starter as the backup isn’t the same as being the full-time starting quarterback.

That said, even if no one else is confident in what Stockton can do, Georgia at least seems to be. The Bulldogs eventually didn’t add anyone from the transfer portal this offseason to compete with him, while all indications are that Stockton will be the starter over the other two options on the roster in Ryan Puglisi or Ryan Montgomery. They’ll need that belief in him now if they’re going to make up for — despite winning the conference and being the second overall seed in the playoff — what was technically their worst season in six years.

Stockton is as big of a question mark at quarterback as Georgia has had in its tenure under Smart. It’s now on him to have the answers, starting next week at SEC Media Days and come kickoff to the season in seven weeks’ time on August 30th.



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Baker discusses NIL in new revenue sharing world

The House Settlement is set to change a lot of things in the world of college athletics. With that will come the rise of revenue sharing allowing college programs to distribute money to student athletes, but the world of NIL isn’t necessarily going away either. But with the settlement will come some guardrails and will […]

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The House Settlement is set to change a lot of things in the world of college athletics.

With that will come the rise of revenue sharing allowing college programs to distribute money to student athletes, but the world of NIL isn’t necessarily going away either.

But with the settlement will come some guardrails and will allow for a certain amount of matchmaking for those real NIL opportunities.

“You know, the old system of donors just throwing money into one big collective bundle, thus the name collectives. And then making up some reason to pay for play is very much the target of the settlement implementation. They want to eliminate that,” Athletic Director Wren Baker told 3 Guys Before the Game.

But would be permitted are any kind of forward-facing business that has goods and services for sale that want to do deals with student-athletes according to Baker.

Those deals have to pass the Deloitte Clearinghouse if they’re greater than $600 according to Baker.

“You just put the deal in and it’ll kick you out a range of compensation,” Baker said. “So you have really three options. If you kick in a deal and the range of compensation is $100,000 and you had signed this deal for $200,000 you can either go back and make the deal $100,000. You could change the amount of activity that you were going to do for the $100,000 potentially to make more value creation there. Or you could shift some of that deal.”



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