2025/26 Transfer Portal Thread

#5,026
#5,026
TechnoVol said:
Here's what Grok says about our portal activity and needs.


As of January 4, 2026, the Tennessee Volunteers are highly active in the transfer portal following an 8-5 season in 2025. Key departures (including starting LT Lance Heard, multiple defensive backs like Rickey Gibson III, safeties, EDGE rushers like Caleb Herring, and RBs like Peyton Lewis) plus eligibility expirations and NFL decisions have created clear roster holes under head coach Josh Heupel and new DC Jim Knowles.

Priority Position Needs from the Portal​

Here's a breakdown of the most pressing needs, based on recent analyses from sources like Knox News, Rocky Top Insider, 247Sports, and On3:

PriorityPositionWhy It's a NeedPotential Targets/Notes
1Quarterback (QB)Starting QB Joey Aguilar is out of eligibility (lawsuit pending for extra year). Only inexperienced freshmen George MacIntyre and five-star Faizon Brandon on roster. Vols need a veteran bridge/competitor.Linked to Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati), Anthony Colandrea (Virginia), Sam Leavitt (ASU), Josh Hoover (TCU). High-priority for immediate starting experience.
2Defensive Line (DL/DT/EDGE)Losses in trenches (e.g., departures at EDGE/LEO like Caleb Herring, eligibility ends for others). Defense regressed in 2025; new DC Knowles needs playmakers up front.Top targets include Chaz Coleman (EDGE, high-rated), Mateen Ibirogba (Wake Forest DL), Xavier Gilliam (Penn State). Multiple additions likely needed.
3Secondary (Safety & Cornerback)Graduations (e.g., Andre Turrentine), NFL departures (Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood), and portal exits (e.g., Rickey Gibson III) leave starting spots open. Depth was an issue last year.Safeties like King Mack (Penn State, Knowles connection), Qua Moss (Kansas State). CB depth opposite Ty Redmond is thin.
4Running Back (RB)Need at least 4 scholarship RBs; didn't sign any in 2026 class. Recent exits (e.g., Peyton Lewis) thin the room behind DeSean Bishop.Visiting prospects like Cam Cook (Jacksonville State). Veteran body for depth/rotation.
5Offensive Line (OL)Starting LT Lance Heard to portal; other exits (Bennett Warren, Max Anderson). Depth/tackle issues exposed late in 2025.Depth pieces, possibly interior (guard) or tackle competition. Four starters return, but additions for competition.
LowerLinebacker (LB) / Kicker (K)Possible depth at LB; kicker Max Gilbert struggled and may be replaced.Some mentions of LB interest (e.g., Keaton Thomas from Baylor); veteran K as fallback.

Tennessee has a strong 2026 high school class (No. 7 nationally, headlined by Faizon Brandon), but the portal is crucial for 2026 contention — especially with revenue sharing/NIL allowing big spends on veterans. No commitments yet as of early January, but visits are underway (e.g., safeties, RBs, DL). The window closes Jan. 16, so expect rapid movement.

Want updates on specific targets, a player, or how this impacts Vols' playoff hopes? Let me know! 🟠
Click to expand...
Who is Grok?
 
#5,027
#5,027
Just adding a couple of filters here from a conversation this morning:

Heupel (like Barnes) almost always insists on an in person conversation to understand alignment and fit before making an offer.

Knowles has full authority to offer players he knows prior to a visit. Many of these PSU/OSU players who are coming into the portal either have an offer from Knowles or don’t. That info is not getting to our beat reporters.

As I mentioned earlier, players will enter the portal with a perception of their value (right or wrong) informed by analytics. Deals will close quickly for the very top players who get offers above their perceived value.

I’d bet against us closing in many situations where dollars are the sole deciding factor. LSU and others are throwing absurd numbers. Arkansas overpaid by double on two players already. Our defensive staff is making the credible case that they are going to increase draft value dramatically and have the record to prove it. Right now we trail in NIL with Williams and probably won’t close that gap. If he comes, it’s on the development case and his relationship with Knowles.

Our early conversations with defensive players is going very well.

If early OL conversations prove to yield fruit, we could have a great class.

We’ve been letting some top players go at skill positions to avoid bidding wars, opting for better values after the first flurry.

There are approaching 5k players in the portal and many are not getting attention.

We have not pushed in any chips on a QB. Supposedly there is some behind the scenes discussion with Simpson. That’s riding on how finished his draft stock is. That’s speculative and very early, but certain boosters believe it’s real.
 
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#5,032
#5,032
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Just adding a couple of filters here from a conversation this morning:

Heupel (like Barnes) almost always insists on an in person conversation to understand alignment and fit before making an offer.

Knowles has full authority to offer players he knows prior to a visit. Many of these PSU/OSU players who are coming into the portal either have an offer from Knowles or don’t. That info is not getting to our beat reporters.

As I mentioned earlier, players will enter the portal with a perception of their value (right or wrong) informed by analytics. Deals will close quickly for the very top players who get offers above their perceived value.

I’d bet against us closing in many situations where dollars are the sole deciding factor. LSU and others are throwing absurd numbers. Arkansas overpaid by double on two players already. Our defensive staff is making the credible case that they are going to increase draft value dramatically and have the record to prove it. Right now we trail in NIL with Williams and probably won’t close that gap. If he comes, it’s on the development case and his relationship with Knowles.

Our early conversations with defensive players is going very well.

If early OL conversations prove to yield fruit, we could have a great class.

We’ve been letting some top players go at skill positions to avoid bidding wars, opting for better values after the first flurry.

There are approaching 5k players in the portal and many are not getting attention.

We have not pushed in any chips on a QB. Supposedly there is some behind the scenes discussion with Simpson. That’s riding on how finished his draft stock is. That’s speculative and very early, but certain boosters believe it’s real.
Click to expand...
So we’re being cheap like always.
 
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#5,039
#5,039
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Just adding a couple of filters here from a conversation this morning:

Heupel (like Barnes) almost always insists on an in person conversation to understand alignment and fit before making an offer.

Knowles has full authority to offer players he knows prior to a visit. Many of these PSU/OSU players who are coming into the portal either have an offer from Knowles or don’t. That info is not getting to our beat reporters.

As I mentioned earlier, players will enter the portal with a perception of their value (right or wrong) informed by analytics. Deals will close quickly for the very top players who get offers above their perceived value.

I’d bet against us closing in many situations where dollars are the sole deciding factor. LSU and others are throwing absurd numbers. Arkansas overpaid by double on two players already. Our defensive staff is making the credible case that they are going to increase draft value dramatically and have the record to prove it. Right now we trail in NIL with Williams and probably won’t close that gap. If he comes, it’s on the development case and his relationship with Knowles.

Our early conversations with defensive players is going very well.

If early OL conversations prove to yield fruit, we could have a great class.

We’ve been letting some top players go at skill positions to avoid bidding wars, opting for better values after the first flurry.

There are approaching 5k players in the portal and many are not getting attention.

We have not pushed in any chips on a QB. Supposedly there is some behind the scenes discussion with Simpson. That’s riding on how finished his draft stock is. That’s speculative and very early, but certain boosters believe it’s real.
Click to expand...

Good thing portal players don’t hit the portal for money then amirite
 
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#5,040
#5,040
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Just adding a couple of filters here from a conversation this morning:

Heupel (like Barnes) almost always insists on an in person conversation to understand alignment and fit before making an offer.

Knowles has full authority to offer players he knows prior to a visit. Many of these PSU/OSU players who are coming into the portal either have an offer from Knowles or don’t. That info is not getting to our beat reporters.

As I mentioned earlier, players will enter the portal with a perception of their value (right or wrong) informed by analytics. Deals will close quickly for the very top players who get offers above their perceived value.

I’d bet against us closing in many situations where dollars are the sole deciding factor. LSU and others are throwing absurd numbers. Arkansas overpaid by double on two players already. Our defensive staff is making the credible case that they are going to increase draft value dramatically and have the record to prove it. Right now we trail in NIL with Williams and probably won’t close that gap. If he comes, it’s on the development case and his relationship with Knowles.

Our early conversations with defensive players is going very well.

If early OL conversations prove to yield fruit, we could have a great class.

We’ve been letting some top players go at skill positions to avoid bidding wars, opting for better values after the first flurry.

There are approaching 5k players in the portal and many are not getting attention.

We have not pushed in any chips on a QB. Supposedly there is some behind the scenes discussion with Simpson. That’s riding on how finished his draft stock is. That’s speculative and very early, but certain boosters believe it’s real.
Click to expand...
All of that makes a ton of sense and the info is appreciated. It seems clear a couple of programs are very desperate.
 
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#5,049
#5,049
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Just adding a couple of filters here from a conversation this morning:

Heupel (like Barnes) almost always insists on an in person conversation to understand alignment and fit before making an offer.

Knowles has full authority to offer players he knows prior to a visit. Many of these PSU/OSU players who are coming into the portal either have an offer from Knowles or don’t. That info is not getting to our beat reporters.

As I mentioned earlier, players will enter the portal with a perception of their value (right or wrong) informed by analytics. Deals will close quickly for the very top players who get offers above their perceived value.

I’d bet against us closing in many situations where dollars are the sole deciding factor. LSU and others are throwing absurd numbers. Arkansas overpaid by double on two players already. Our defensive staff is making the credible case that they are going to increase draft value dramatically and have the record to prove it. Right now we trail in NIL with Williams and probably won’t close that gap. If he comes, it’s on the development case and his relationship with Knowles.

Our early conversations with defensive players is going very well.

If early OL conversations prove to yield fruit, we could have a great class.

We’ve been letting some top players go at skill positions to avoid bidding wars, opting for better values after the first flurry.

There are approaching 5k players in the portal and many are not getting attention.

We have not pushed in any chips on a QB. Supposedly there is some behind the scenes discussion with Simpson. That’s riding on how finished his draft stock is. That’s speculative and very early, but certain boosters believe it’s real.
Click to expand...
Who is Williams? The OL from LSU?

so we aren’t going spend a bunch of money like was being reported for weeks? I just don’t understand why we are afraid to overpay for a player we want.
 
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#5,050
#5,050
Enki_Amenra said:
I agree with this. Telander would look a lot different if someone taught him how to take proper angles and put him in a scheme that doesn't need him to be Usain Bolt Jr to cover the field.
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He should be attacking the LOS at the snap or dropping back a few yards in zone defense. Watch how Indiana lbs play. They aren’t running ragged all over the field
Not in man on an rb or turning and running to a spot 15 yards deep to guard grass.
 
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