Lake Norman quarterback Kaden Craft is headed to Rocky Top.

The four-star junior announced his commitment to the University of Tennessee on Monday, Aug. 17, choosing the Volunteers over Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss and Oregon. Craft made the announcement live on the Rivals YouTube channel, flanked by Wildcats teammates Jonathan Oliphant and Jace Neely, according to the Mooresville Tribune.

"They showed me the most love out of any school," Craft told Rivals' Chad Simmons. "They were always on me, recruiting me as hard as possible. The staff just kept exceeding the bar for me."

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound signal caller is the No. 103 overall prospect in ESPN's SC Next Junior 300 and the No. 3 dual-threat passer in the 2028 recruiting cycle, according to ESPN. The 247Sports Composite ranks him the No. 8 quarterback and No. 4 prospect in North Carolina for the class of 2028. He held 26 scholarship offers.

Craft becomes the first member of Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel's 2028 recruiting class. He told GoVols247 that visiting Knoxville last October for the Vols' game against Arkansas sealed the deal for him and his father, citing the atmosphere, the college-town feel and the program's long-term plan for his development.

The commitment caps a rapid rise for Craft, who made his first varsity start as a freshman in September 2024. In two seasons as a starter, he has scored 47 touchdowns across 23 games. As a sophomore last fall, he completed 126 of 210 passes (60%) for 1,739 yards and 17 touchdowns with four interceptions while adding 387 rushing yards and 13 scores on the ground, leading Lake Norman to an 8-4 record and the third round of the state playoffs.

Craft is also a multi-sport athlete who competes in track and field (11.36 seconds in the 100 meters) and is a three-time AAU Junior Olympics participant.

His pledge adds to a strong recruiting stretch for Lake Norman-area football. Hough defensive end Joshua Dobson committed to South Carolina earlier in August.

Craft cannot sign a National Letter of Intent with Tennessee until December 2027 under NCAA rules, so he will spend two more seasons in a Wildcats uniform. Lake Norman, ranked No. 27 in North Carolina by the Rivals Composite, opens the 2026 season Friday, Aug. 21, at Sun Valley in Monroe. The Wildcats' home opener follows the next week against Mount Tabor.