Vol Hoops Set To Host Top-Five Prospect For October Official Visit
Image: Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
Tennessee basketball is a contender for a premier prospect in the 2026 cycle.
One of the most highly-rated recruits in the 2026 class, Christian Collins, has scheduled an official visit to Knoxville the weekend of Oct. 25, per 247Sports’ Dushawn London.
Collins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound power forward originally from Playa Del Rey, California, transferred to national powerhouse St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California ahead of his junior campaign to face more elite competition and further his development before college.
Rated as the No. 1 power forward and No. 4 overall prospect in the 2026 class, Collins received an offer from Tennessee on July 24 and quickly locked in an official visit to Rocky Top– his final stop before making a decision.
This visit will mark Collins’ first trip to Knoxville. The athletic big man is fresh off an official visit to USC, heads to Eugene this weekend for Oregon football’s tilt with Oklahoma State, and will see Kentucky the first weekend in October.
Collins won’t be the only five-star on campus that weekend. Deron Rippey Jr., the No. 1 point guard in the nation and No. 12 overall prospect, will also be in Knoxville for an official visit.
With no commitments yet in Tennessee’s 2026 cycle, Collins would match freshman forward Nate Ament as the highest-ranked recruit to pledge to the Volunteers.
The Volunteers will open the season with a sold-out exhibition against Duke at Food City Center on Oct. 26, followed by the official season opener on Nov. 3 when the Vols host Mercer.
