The No. 2-ranked overall prospect from the Class of 2026, Oliviyah Edwards, just committed to Tennessee, choosing Kim Caldwell and the Volunteers over more well-established programs like Kim Mulkey’s LSU and Dawn Staley’s South Carolina. She is coming into Tennessee with a ton of hype; it has many alumni excited, including NFL legend Peyton Manning.
As Tennessee hosted Georgia, Edwards was there and was even wearing some Vols colors proudly. There, she crossed paths with Manning, with the five-star forward saying that the NFL legend was excited that she chose the Lady Vols.
Definitely a cool experience when Peyton Manning is excited you committed. #GoVols pic.twitter.com/KrL78rWgLP
— Oliviyah “Big Oh” Edwards (@EdwardsOliviyah) September 15, 2025
Manning and Edwards were photographed having a conversation ahead of the Georgia vs. Tennessee game. However, he was not the only Tennessee legend that Edwards had the chance to hang out with, as Tennessee WBB legend Candace Parker was also there as the “College GameDay” guest picker.
Parker, a WNBA legend, is currently in the class in May. Parker is the president of Adidas women’s basketball, and it was under her leadership that Oliviyah Edwards signed an NIL deal with Adidas. Her decision to choose Tennessee is also not surprising, as Tennessee will be switching from Nike to Adidas this year, and she is an Adidas athlete.
She announced her commitment to Tennessee during her official visit to the school, which so happened to fall on the Georgia vs. Tennessee game. The Vols lost in a heartbreaker to the Bulldogs, but this did little to slow down the excitement for Edwards and the Lady Vols.
Oliviyah Edwards Has Many Connections to Tennessee Prior to Commitment
Aside from WNBA great and Adidas President Candace Parker, Oliviyah Edwards has been connected to the Tennessee Volunteers in more ways than one. She used to play at Overtime Select, and her coach there was former Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw, who is still the school’s all-time leading scorer.
In addition, she was also teammates with three Tennessee freshmen at Overtime Select, and they are the Paulso Twins, Mia and Mya, as well as Deniya Prawl.
Edwards has impressed many with her dunking ability, including Candace Parker. The Adidas president had once said, “I personally see big Tennessee orange in her future,” and her prediction actually came true with Edwards’ commitment to the Lady Vols.
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