The grandson of national champion head coach and former Tennessee Volunteers athletic director Phillip Fulmer is the Vols’ first commitment in the Class of 2027.
Linebacker J.P. Peace, a rising high school junior, announced his commitment to Tennessee via social media on Monday.
Peace’s grandfather won six SEC East titles and the 1998 national championship with the Vols, compiling a 152-52 record over 17 seasons. Fulmer was also the school’s athletic director from 2017-21.
Peace’s father, Robert Peace, is also connected to Tennessee football, having played linebacker for the Volunteers from 2000-03.
“Naturally, Tennessee was the leading school for him,” Robert Peace told ESPN. “We encouraged him to visit other places and he did that. But Tennessee was the place for him and not just because of the family legacy here.”
J.P. Peace, who is not currently ranked by ESPN or 247Sports, is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker at Knoxville West High School, located less than three miles from the university.
“I mean, it’s really going to be, like, an unreal experience knowing that I’m following in my dad’s footsteps a little bit in that way,” J.P. Peace told GoVols247. “I’m excited to do that.”
He reportedly held offers from Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.
“He’s very high on (inside linebackers) coach William Inge,” the elder Peace said. “He’s done a great job recruiting JP, and we believe he’s not only going to make him a better player, but a better person for after football. So that had a big impact on this decision to do this this early.”
–Field Level Media
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