Why Tennessee football made sense for East Robertson's Zach Groves

CROSS PLAINS — Zach Groves couldn't help but to continuously reference his two brothers.

Elijah and Isaiah's incessant needling of their youngest brother, as children, often left Zach in tears.

"Today, I'm grinning and they're smiling with me," Zach Groves said after signing with Tennessee football on Dec. 3 at East Robertson High School.

Zach Groves completes the trifecta. He's the third Groves in his immediate family to sign a Division I scholarship to play college football during the December signing period. Elijah is at NC State while Isaiah finished his freshman season at Austin Peay last month.

"They're the older brothers, but Zach is the 'big' brother," Shadrika Groves said. "And he's always been bigger than them. But to have three sons playing college football, that's a blessing and I can't take sole credit for that. It takes a village."

Zach Groves is a four-star edge rusher, ranked No. 10 in the state for the 2026 class and No. 27 nationally at his position, according to 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder is also a part of a family legacy that includes cousins Carlus Groves, who played basketball at Tennessee in the early 1990s and Taylor Groves, who played football for a season at Ole Miss.

"There's a lot of athletes in my family," said Groves who led East Robertson to a 12-1 record and a Class 2A state quarterfinal appearance. I'm just glad I can represent them. It's my time."

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Groves acknowledged almost all of Cross Plains are UT fans. He's had the same dream since he was in middle school. It becomes a reality when Groves steps on the field at Neyland Stadium in 2026.

So this wasn't about money. It was about his heart.

"I mean of course, I'm a four-star," Groves said about discussing his NIL deal with Tennessee. "But that wasn't the main reason. The main reason was the people. I didn't choose them for money because if I wanted to I could have went to USC or Ole Miss. Tennessee was the fit."

Groves said Vols coaches haven't defined what his role will be, but he's motivated to make sure he stands out when he arrives as an early enrollee at the start of the new year.

"When one person strives for greatness, other people will follow you," he said. "So if you're not striving for greatness, then I'm going to stay out of your way. At the end of the day, I'm going to give it the best I got."

Reach The Tennessean's high school sports editor, George Robinson, at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Zach Groves will bring more Cross Plains fans for Tennessee