Phillip Fulmer's Grandson JP Peace Commits to Tennessee CFB for 2027 Class

The grandson of a Tennessee football legend is joining the Vols.

Class of 2027 linebacker JP Peace, the grandson of former Tennessee head coach and athletic director Phillip Fulmer, committed to the Vols on Monday, per ESPN's Eli Lederman.

Peace, who plays at West High School in Knoxville, is not yet rated by 247Sports Composite. He received an offer from the Vols just over a month ago and quickly became the team's first commit for the class of 2027, choosing Tennessee over Florida State, Kentucky and others.

Peace's father, Robert, played linebacker for the Vols under Fulmer from 2000-03.

"Naturally, Tennessee was the leading school for him," Robert 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."

Fulmer played on Tennessee's offensive line from 1968 to 1971 and became the Vols' head coach in 1992. He led Tennessee to six SEC East titles, back-to-back SEC championships in 1997 and 1998 and a national championship in 1998, the most recent national title for the program.

He returned to Tennessee as the school's athletic director in 2017 before retiring in 2021.

Peace's father notched 164 tackles at Tennessee, including 103 tackles during his senior year in 2003.

"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," Peace told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan. "I'm excited to do that."

Peace will be eligible to sign with the Vols in December 2026.

As it awaits the arrival of the third-generation Vol, Tennessee will look to continue its rise under head coach Josh Heupel. The Vols went 10-3 a season ago and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time, losing to eventual champion Ohio State in the first round.

While it was Tennessee's second 10-win season in the last three years, the team experienced a major roster shake-up this offseason when quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA after an NIL dispute with the Vols.

Quarterback Joey Aguilar, who transferred to UCLA from Appalachian State this offseason, transferred to Tennessee following Iamaleava's arrival in Los Angeles.

After the offseason of changes, the Vols are hoping to once again compete in the CFP in 2025.