Fulmer's grandson commits to Vols' class of '27

Tennessee's archetypal committedness successful the people of 2027 arrived connected Monday with a celebrated household necktie erstwhile linebacker imaginable JP Peace, grandson of nationalist champion caput manager and erstwhile Vols diversion manager Phillip Fulmer, announced his committedness to the program.

Peace, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound defender from Knoxville (Tennessee) West High School, is the archetypal subordinate of manager Josh Heupel's 2027 class. Not presently ranked by ESPN, Peace earned a assistance connection from Tennessee connected May 12 and held offers from Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt anterior to his commitment, which Peace announced connected societal media.

"Naturally, Tennessee was the starring schoolhouse for him," his begetter Robert, who played linebacker nether Fulmer from 2000-03, told ESPN. "We encouraged him to sojourn different places and helium did that. But Tennessee was the spot for him and not conscionable due to the fact that of the household bequest here."

A rising precocious schoolhouse junior, Peace volition get successful 2027 with a heavy shot lineage, highlighted by the gramps who played connected Tennessee's violative enactment from 1968-71, past roseate to legendary presumption arsenic the program's caput manager from 1992-2008.

Fulmer guided the Vols to back-to-back SEC titles successful 1997 and 1998 earlier starring Tennessee to the 1998 nationalist title. All told, Fulmer won six SEC East titles with the Vols and compiled a grounds of 152-52 implicit 17 seasons. He aboriginal served arsenic the school's diversion manager from 2017-21.

Peace's father, the lad of erstwhile Louisiana Tech manager Joe Raymond Peace, recorded 164 tackles crossed 3 seasons nether Fulmer with the Vols, headlined by a 103-tackle play during his elder twelvemonth successful 2003. He aboriginal joined Fulmer's oldest girl Courtney successful 2008.

Soon to beryllium a third-generation Vol, the younger Peace grew up successful and astir Tennessee football; "He's evidently spent a batch much clip astir the programme than astir kids have," his begetter said.

But the archetypal sanction successful the programme 2027 people has spent astir of his puerility playing a athletics different than football. Peace was a standout shot subordinate earlier helium joined the shot programme astatine Knoxville West during his freshman play successful 2023. Power 4 offers began rolling successful for Peace pursuing his sophomore run past fall, and Peace visited Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina and SMU, among others, earlier closing his recruitment.

His begetter noted that Peace's Tennessee pledge was tied arsenic overmuch to household transportation arsenic his narration with the Vols' wrong linebackers manager William Inge and the remainder of Heupel's coaching staff.

"He's precise precocious connected manager William Inge," the elder Peace said. "He's done a large occupation recruiting JP and we judge he's not lone going to marque him a amended subordinate but a amended idiosyncratic for aft football. So that had a large interaction connected this determination to bash this this early."

Peace cannot motion with Tennessee until December 2026.