On Wednesday Afternoon, Kell Three-Star Class of 2026 Defensive Back Jowell Combay Committed to the Volunteers, Adding His Pledge Five Months Ahead of Schedule During a Ceremony at the School…

On Wednesday Afternoon, Kell Three-Star Class of 2026 Defensive Back Jowell Combay Committed to the Volunteers, Adding His Pledge Five Months Ahead of Schedule During a Ceremony at the School

 

 

The University of Tennessee received an early boost to its 2026 recruiting class on Wednesday afternoon as Jowell Combay, a three-star defensive back out of Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia, announced his commitment to the Volunteers. The announcement came during a ceremony held at the school, with family, teammates, and coaches in attendance.

Combay, a standout in Georgia’s highly competitive high school football scene, had been receiving increasing attention from Power Five programs over the past year. His decision to commit five months ahead of the early signing period gives Tennessee an early cornerstone for its defensive backfield of the future.

“This is home now,” Combay said during his announcement. “Coach Heupel and Coach Banks believed in me from the start. I felt the love on my visit, and I knew this was the right place to grow as a player and a person.”

Ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals, Combay is known for his physicality, football IQ, and ability to play both safety and corner. He tallied four interceptions, 52 tackles, and 10 pass deflections during his junior season, earning All-Region honors and attracting scouts from across the Southeast.

Despite having offers from programs such as South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Louisville, Combay said Tennessee’s consistency throughout the recruiting process made the difference. “They never let up,” he said. “They stayed in contact, showed up to games, called to check in on me, and kept it real the whole time.”

For Tennessee, Combay’s commitment continues a trend of establishing strong recruiting pipelines in the Peach State, long a hotbed of SEC talent. His pledge gives the Volunteers their third commitment from Georgia in the 2026 cycle and helps bolster a secondary that will see significant turnover after the 2025 season.

Tennessee defensive backs coach Willie Martinez, who led Combay’s recruitment, has made it a point to target versatile, high-character athletes in the backfield. Combay fits that mold well, bringing both on-field versatility and off-field leadership qualities.

“He’s a ballplayer in every sense,” Kell head coach Brett Sloan said. “He watches film like a college player already. He’s the first one in the weight room, last one off the field, and a great teammate. Tennessee’s getting a real one.”

Combay plans to graduate early and enroll at Tennessee in January 2026, giving him a head start on learning the system and competing for early playing time. He says he’s excited to begin recruiting other top prospects to join him in Knoxville.

“I’m locked in,” Combay said with a smile. “Now it’s time to build something special.”

As the Volunteers continue to climb under Coach Josh Heupel’s leadership, early additions like Combay signal that Tennessee is serious about contending in the SEC for years to come.