Vol Hoops Battling Purdue For Elite Four-Star
Image: Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
Vol basketball is a contender for one of the premier scorers in the 2026 cycle.
One of the top shooters in the 2026 class, Jacob Webber, has scheduled visits to Purdue from Aug. 28-30 and Tennessee from Sept. 11-14, per Rivals’ Joe Tipton.
Webber, a 6-foot-6 wing originally hailing from Kearney, Nebraska, will be playing his senior campaign at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, seeking to face more challenging competition and further his development ahead of his collegiate career.
Emerging as one of the most lethal perimeter threats in the country, Webber shot 42% from deep over the past two years at Kearney, including averaging 21.7 points a game, evidence of his elite shotmaking and scoring that project effectively to the next level.
Purdue extended an offer on July 14 and will host Webber during its football home opener weekend against Ball State, while UT followed with an offer a week later on July 21 and plans to roll out the red carpet when the Vols welcome Georgia to Neyland Stadium on Sept. 13.
With no commitments yet in Tennessee’s 2026 class, Webber, ranked No. 36 nationally by Rivals, stands as a top priority for Rick Barnes and his staff.
As fall visits approach, this recruitment is shaping up to be a highly contested battle between the Vols and Boilermakers.
