Antijuan Wilkes Jr. trims list to top 12, Tennessee lands spot with elite 2028 Detroit tackle

Tennessee made the top 12 for Antijuan Wilkes Jr., a 2028 offensive tackle from Detroit’s Cass Technical. The five-star lineman released his updated list of schools this week, putting the Vols in the mix alongside multiple SEC and Big Ten powers as he continues to shape a recruitment that stretches out for another two seasons.

Wilkes, who is listed at around 6-foot-5 and roughly the low-to-mid 250s depending on the outlet, is also known for athletic versatility, and recruiting coverage has noted he plays basketball in addition to football. His position and size matter in this cycle, because elite tackle prospects tend to become roster cornerstones even before they reach college.

The SEC has a strong footprint on Wilkes’ top 12, with Tennessee joined by Georgia, Missouri, Texas A&M, Florida, LSU and Alabama. None of those programs are portrayed as a clear favorite at this early stage, which is typical in a wide-open top-12 announcement where the next steps are mostly unofficial visits, ongoing recruiting communication, and in-person evaluations.

Big Ten programs also show up heavily. Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and Michigan State are included, giving Wilkes a group of schools that run high-visibility recruiting processes for front-line prospects, and that emphasize pass protection development from tackle position groups.

One detail that stands out in the structure of the list: Miami is positioned as the lone member of the top 12 that is not in the two most dominant power-conference groupings highlighted by recruiting analysts in the coverage. For Tennessee, that means the Vols are not competing only with one region or one style of program. They are competing with brands that all pitch different paths to early playing time and technical refinement.

For Tennessee, the immediate value is recruiting bandwidth and relationship building with a prospect from Michigan who could fit a long-term need at offensive tackle. The Vols are led by head coach Josh Heupel, and recruiting in a high-upside tackle profile is one of the clearer ways to stabilize the offensive line picture through the middle of the decade.

What to watch next is how Tennessee responds to the top-12 reveal with a deliberate push as schools continue to evaluate Wilkes during camps, satellite events and unofficial visits. In a class as far out as 2028, a list like this is not a commitment, but it does tighten the field enough that follow-up attention, recruiting trips and measured access to staff can begin separating the contenders. If Wilkes keeps Tennessee positioned among the last names he publicly mentions, the Volunteers’ 2028 tackle plan becomes harder for other programs to ignore.