2025/26 Transfer Portal Thread

[LittleVol]

Not according to this article:

How DeSean Bishop bet on himself from Tennessee football walk-on to scholarship

DeSean Bishop got a Tennessee scholarship two years after joining the Vols as a walk-on running back and under-recruited Knoxville high school star.

knoxnews.com

Bishop was committed to Coastal Carolina for his entire 2022 senior season. He hoped for a scholarship offer from a Power Four conference school that never came.... Two weeks before signing day, he decommitted from Coastal Carolina and ultimately announced he’d enroll at Tennessee as a preferred walk-on.


Also, his lack of top end speed has been pointed out plenty of times. Like every single game.

Bishop had 120 yards 2 TDs and a long TD run against Alabama.

If a guy can run away from Alabamas defense then doesnt that mean he has the mythological “SEC Speed”?

What are you talking about??

He had a long TD run against Vanderbilt as well.

 

[Go Fight Win]

farooq was very good for us this year. he was constantly having to makeup for poor play around him

think he's loads better next year

 

[NighthawkVol]

Bey is basically gone. You need 4-6 backs imo. I'd be surprised if we don't get a Portal guy.

We had 5 RBs on the roster in 2024, but one of them was Khalifa Keith, who was never going to play a meaningful snap in the SEC and another was Cam Seldon, who was injured all year. I think you're fine with 4, as long as they're 4 who can play in the SEC. And maybe the staff decides these 4 are not.

 

[Jackcrevol]

247 reported today that his family made him sign here and he's likely to ask for a release when he turns 18 in a few weeks. And we're probably going to give it to him if he asks.

That's basically verbatim what KNS Sharticle said last night. Not reporting on anything just speculating.

We should get some clarity today from more reputable folks.

 

[ndubvols]

Agreed, I think farooq will be really good next year.

 

[ndubvols]

Ideally you get 3 secondary players, including at least a starting caliber safety and star. Would also like 2 starting caliber DT’s. Preferably guys with more than 1 year left to play, which has generally been what we target in the portal.

There’s a couple other positions where I could see us taking a guy if the right fit like SDE. Outside of that it’s wait and see what happens with guys on the current roster. Does Merk, Lewis, Beasley, etc. leave?

The staff has been a pretty good judge of young talent on the roster. Think if we see them stay put in the portal at RB and some of these other positions with young talent, then you feel pretty good about their belief in what we have similar to WR last year and CB 2 years ago.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Ideally you get 3 secondary players, including at least a starting caliber safety and star. Would also like 2 starting caliber DT’s. Preferably guys with more than 1 year left to play, which has generally been what we target in the portal.

There’s a couple other positions where I could see us taking a guy if the right fit like SDE. Outside of that it’s wait and see what happens with guys on the current roster. Does Merk, Lewis, Beasley, etc. leave?

The staff has been a pretty good judge of young talent on the roster. Think if we see them stay put in the portal at RB and some of these other positions with young talent, then you feel pretty good about their belief in what we have similar to WR last year and CB 2 years ago.

Yep. When they've stood pat at a position that fans thought they should attack in the portal, they've pretty much been right in betting on the current roster at that particular position. The one exception is Safety last year. They'll attack Safety this year.

 

[EastTNVol423]

He had 3 P4 offers from VA Tech (ACC), Michigan State (Big 10), & Purdue (Big 10).

No clue what your definition of SEC speed is and until he does pro day it's not clear what he's running now. Junior year of HS at TN for their camp he ran 4.55, but hand timed and over 3 years ago...

SEC speed is not getting run down EVERY SINGLE TIME you break into the open field. He is a great 1b but we need a homerun hitter. This was our worst rushing offense under Heup......need that guy that can break the big one.

 

[GVol1966]

SEC speed is not getting run down EVERY SINGLE TIME you break into the open field. He is a great 1b but we need a homerun hitter. This was our worst rushing offense under Heup......need that guy that can break the big one.

Yeah, most great SEC backs take it into the end zone on most of those big runs.

He’s got everything else a great back has except breakaway speed.

 

[Orangeburst]

pretty brutal domestic violence history. 3+years abuse

He Shivers because he is cold.

 

[Carp]

We had 5 RBs on the roster in 2024, but one of them was Khalifa Keith, who was never going to play a meaningful snap in the SEC and another was Cam Seldon, who was injured all year. I think you're fine with 4, as long as they're 4 who can play in the SEC. And maybe the staff decides these 4 are not.

Sampson was the only reason our offense was effective all year in 2024. If he got hurt, we were toast.

And as much as I like Bishop, he is no Dylan Sampson. He's closer to Jabari Small, who was very solid, but not really a lead back. We need a stable of quality RBs. Right now, we have 1 and lots of question marks.