Touted 2026 Safety Craig Tutt talks growing relationship with Tennessee ahead of Junior season

Tennessee offered Oakland High School (Tenn.) standout safety Craig Tutt last November, and the Vols have continued to make the 2026 prospect feel like a priority since. He shares the latest with Volquest.

“I talk to Tennessee a lot,” Tutt said of this. “We have a strong relationship, and it keeps getting better throughout the time I have been recruited by them. They have been hitting me up a lot since June 15th.”

The Vols, along with Alabama, Michigana and several others have made Tutt a priority of late. The common theme he hears from college coaches is just his ability to be a playmaker.

“I feel like being able to just play ball,” Tutt said of his game. “I would say my ability to make a play at any given moment.”

At Tennessee, Tutt’s relationship is continuing to grow with multiple members of the defensive coaching staff.

“I talk to Coach Danny O’Rourke and Coach Banks a lot,” Tutt said of this. “What I like about those two is their ability to keep it real. A lot of college coaches will just tell you what you want to hear to get you to come to their school. Coach Banks and Coach O’Rourke will tell you what you can do to get better, what you can do to improve, and they try to build you as a football player and as a man.”

The in-state prospect has now been to Knoxville twice, including this April and last November. The November visit resulted in an in-person offer from the staff.

“Tennessee is amazing, man,” Tutt said of his overall takeaway of Tennessee after visiting a couple of times. “What I really liked about it was that me and my dad were sitting down eating and Coach Martinez, Coach Banks came to talk to me. Coach Martinez offered me, then Coach Banks came and hollered at me, and me and dad was just amazed. We were sitting there eating, then we had two coaches from Tennessee there talking to us. That was amazing.”

As Tutt gets out on the road this fall, he plans to take in as many game day environments as possible. He will return to Tennessee and also plans to see Michigan and Alabama at some point. He also knows what is important to him during the process.

“What Tennessee is building with me right now, those relationships,” Tutt said of what is important to him. “I have a great relationship with my coach here at Oakland, and there is nothing better. It helps our communication on the field. He holds me at a higher standard, and I really like that. I am really looking for those relationships.”

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