Tennessee football’s highest-rated pledges in each of the next two cycles had bye weeks before their playoff journeys begin.

Five-star running back David Gabriel Georges capped a perfect regular season at Baylor two weeks ago and will return to action with the TSSAA playoffs against CPA. Four-star quarterback commit Kaden Craft did the same, leading Lake Norman to a 10-0 record, and will look for a state title beginning with Richmond Senior on Nov. 13.

Here’s how the rest of the class performed.

Three-star quarterback Derrick Baker (2027)

After a Week 2 loss, Derrick Baker led his Milton Eagles to an eighth straight win to cap the regular season with a 9-1 record. Baker put together one of his most efficient games in a tight 33-26 win over Roswell.

The 6-foot-1, 226-pound dual-threat quarterback went 11-of-12 passing for 190 yards and a touchdown. He rushed another 11 times for 138 yards and three more scores on the ground.

Baker concluded the regular season with 2,134 passing yards on a 66.7% completion rate. He had 28 passing touchdowns and threw five interceptions. The stocky quarterback rushed for another 523 yards and 10 touchdowns, bringing his total to 38 touchdowns accounted for in 10 games.

Three-star safety Jaden Butler (2027)

In the first round of the TSSAA playoffs, Butler was utilized all over the field for Haywood in a 31-6 win over South Gibson.

Butler, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety committed to Tennessee, rushed for 184 yards on 16 carries. He also rushed in for a score as part of a 478-yard rushing night for the Tomcats. Butler added four receptions for 340 yards in the passing game — which were the only four completed passes on the night for Haywood.

Butler has now played in 11 games this season, rushing for 1207 yards and 20 touchdowns on 100 carries. He has 19 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns in the passing game as well. Butler has accounted for 1817 all-purpose yards this season in a role all over the field. No defensive stats are available for the defensive commit, but his versatility makes him an early candidate to be an impact player in special teams early in his career.

Four-star tight end Malik Howard (2027)

One of Tennessee’s top offensive weapons in the class couldn’t pull together a first-round upset in the playoffs.

The four-star tight end went out with an impact. In the second quarter, Howard reeled in a 30-yard touchdown reception to take a two-score lead on the road. The Wildcats eventually drew ahead 20-0 with help from Howard, but they couldn’t finish the job.

Oak Ridge allowed 21 unanswered points to lose 21-20 and end Howard’s senior season.

TOUCHDOWN Oak Ridge. @Malik_Howard81 gets free for a 30yd TD pass from @brody7sparks.
Oak Ridge 13, Dobyns-Bennett 0
10:33 2Q pic.twitter.com/sXdre5b0ps

— JD Vaughn (@JDVaughn91) November 7, 2026

Three-star defensive back Dylan Haley (2027)

Tennessee’s class took a hit on Tuesday when three-star defensive back Dylan Haley decommitted. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound athlete from Flowery Branch, Georgia, had been committed to the Vols since June.

Trust the lord with all your heart🙏 pic.twitter.com/yB8yilk957

— Dylan Haley (@DylancHaley) November 10, 2026

Haley originally committed to Tennessee over offers from Ole Miss, Auburn and Florida, among others. He’s played in nine games for Cherokee Bluff High School, where he recorded a team-best 679 receiving yards on 37 receptions and scored 10 touchdowns. No defensive stats were listed on MaxPreps.

Now, Haley has reopened his recruitment late in the 2027 cycle.