Tennessee football signee Joel Wyatt made the most of his few months at Oakland High School.
Wyatt, who transferred from The Webb School – Bell Buckle to Oakland during the summer, was one of the Murfreesboro area’s top football players, helped the Patriots win a second straight TSSAA Class 6A state title and signed with the Vols on Dec. 3.
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He even squeezed in a basketball game for the Patriots.
“It was just a one-time thing, unless there’s a team that I want to really play,” said Wyatt, who scored four points, including a dunk, for Oakland in a Dec. 9 game at Blackman. “The reason why I played that game, matter of fact, is because I knew some people on the Blackman squad. That was pretty fun.”
On Dec. 12 it was all about him and Oakland football teammates Craig Tutt (Ole Miss) and Justis Haggard (Middle Tennessee State), who were all recognized in a signing ceremony at the school’s auditorium. The trio signed with their respective schools on Dec. 3, but postponed their ceremony because of the team’s BlueCross Bowl preparation.
Tennessee football signee Joel Wyatt ready for Knoxville, Vols
Wyatt, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound safety/wide receiver, is ranked by 247Sports Composite as a four-star athlete and the No. 2 player overall in Tennessee in the 2026 class. He will be graduating from Oakland in December and said he would arrive in Knoxville on Jan. 15.
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“It feels really good,” said Wyatt, who was No. 2 on The Tennessean’s Dandy Dozen. “It just feels good that I’ll be a part of something that I know what the future holds, and it’s bright for me. I know the guys got me, and that’s all I need.”
Oakland standout and Tennessee football signee Joel Wyatt is all smiles as he and teammates were honored during a signing ceremony on Dec. 12.
Wyatt committed to Tennessee and Coach Josh Heupel in July and never wavered on the Vols.
“I mean, I heard (rumors of flipping), but I already knew what I had planned on and what I was going to do,” said Wyatt, who was named a co-athlete of the year in Region 3-6A (along with Rockvale standout and former Webb teammate RC Chiha). “I knew when I committed I was going to stay committed. I chose Tennessee because I know I believe in Coach Heupel and what he has planned for the program.”
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WATCH: Get to know Tennessee football commit Joel Wyatt, 4-star ATH from Oakland
During the recruiting process speculation was that Wyatt was being sought as a wide receiver, but he said the plan for the Vols is to play him at safety.
He played that position mainly at Oakland, racking up 61 tackles, a sack, three interceptions (including one in a 62-21 BlueCross Bowl win over Ravenwood) and a fumble recovery while also blocking both a punt and kick on special teams. He had 18 receptions for 337 yards and six TDs on offense.
“I’ll be a defensive athlete, so I’ll be all over the place,” Wyatt said. “But if we need somebody (on offense), I’ll play anywhere.”
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Wyatt has only a handful of days left at Oakland, but he certainly enjoyed his brief stay.
“I just knew God had something planned for me,” Wyatt said. “I didn’t know what it was, but man, 15-0 felt good, and just knowing that I feel I got better over just a season. Now I know I’m ready (for Tennessee).”
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Tennessee football signee Joel Wyatt on joining Vols in January
