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4-star Texas WR commit Chris Stewart talks interest in Vols, relationship with Kelsey Pope

4A3DA472-0F39-4C89-9987-5851509375C0by:Matt Ray•05/07/25•

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Chris Stewart
Chris Stewart. (Justin Wells/Inside Texas)

Tennessee has continued to recruit a number of prospects committed elsewhere over the past few months, and 2026 Texas wide receiver commitment Chris Stewart is one of those recruits. The four-star pass-catcher will visit Knoxville officially next month, and he shares with Volquest what has caught his attention about Tennessee.

“What has caught my attention about Tennessee is the fan base, how Tennessee is always recruiting me hard, and the relationship I have built with Coach Pope,” Stewart said of why Tennessee has his attention. “It is just great. They call me and check on me every week, and they show me that they have an interest in me, and I have interest in them as well, so I am going to take a visit up there this summer and see what we talk about from there.”

Stewart has hit it off with Tennessee’s wide receiver Coach Kelsey Pope during his recruitment.

“The way I have connected with him has been great,” the four-star said of Pope. “We will talk about film. He will watch my film and let me know what I am doing right or wrong, and I like that about him. He stays on my tail even though I am not with him. He just lets me know what I need to be doing, and he keeps it real with me. That is the type of coach that I want to be around.”

Stewart has also enjoyed getting to know Josh Heupel during the recruiting process.

“I get to talk with him too,” Stewart said of this. “He checks up on me, and I check up on him. Same thing with him and Coach Pope. His personality is great, and you can tell he knows how to coach. He knows who his dogs are on the team, and he is going to spread the ball out and let you make plays.”

Stewart is a dynamic pass-catcher at the high school level, and the message from Tennessee has been that he can have an impact in multiple ways.

“They have told me I can fit into their offense in multiple ways,” Stewart said of this. “I could play inside at slot, outside or even on special teams.”

Stewart likes what he has seen from Tennessee’s offense as well.

“I can see that they pass the ball a lot,” Stewart said of this. “They are a spread offense that moves the ball all around and they are looking for holes in the defense, and I really like that. That is something I can fit into.”

He is set to visit Knoxville during the weekend of June 13th, and he knows what will be important for him during the stop.

“What I am going to look at the most is culture and what is going on around there 24/7,” the standout receiver said. “Wherever I go to college, that is where I am going to be spending the most time at. I need to see what is going on there, and I want my parents to have a chance to get to know the coaches more as well.”

Stewart will also visit Miami, Arizona State, and Texas during the month of official visits. He wants to see how those trips play out before making a final decision on his recruitment.

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