Tennessee continued play in the Division II on Wednesday, landing a commitment from Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee. The 25-game starter for the Tigers will now assume another starting role, this time in Knoxville. Lee will fill one of two outside spots, with the Volunteers replacing Ricky Gibson, Jermaud McCoy, Colton Hood and Jalen McMurray.
Lee is a member of Auburn’s 2023 class, which also includes Colton Hood. He took over as Auburn’s starter in late 2023 and never looked back. He started 10 games in 2024 and 11 more games in 2025. In two full-time seasons, Lee finished with 63 tackles, three interceptions and 11 interceptions.
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Tennessee beat Ohio State to land that commitment this afternoon. The Buckeyes, then led by Jim Knowles on defense, recruited Lee out of high school. His two full seasons of SEC experience bring tremendous value to Tennessee’s much-needed secondary.
As things stand, Lee will start at cornerback along with Ty Redmond. Raymond has experienced a baptism of fire this season, and was forced to play early after injuries piled up. That could finally pay off in 2026 as Knowles retools the secondary with the help of Anthony Poindexter and Michael Hunter Jr.
Tennessee is still looking for secondary help as well as help on the defensive front. After the unexpected exit of Jordan Rose, the defensive front, especially EDGE’s, becomes a priority moving forward. More action is expected in the coming days.