Tennessee Football Transfer Portal Tracker

By: Dallas Bowlin

Senior Staff Writer/Host/Editor

All Vol Call In Show

Photo | MSN

’Tis the season — and I’m not talking about Christmas this time. It’s transfer portal season in college football. Tennessee is expected to be one of the biggest buyers in this cycle, as the Vols look to fill some very obvious holes on the roster.

Quarterback — Josh Heupel and the Volunteers will clearly be in the market for a quarterback this cycle. With George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon already in the room — and assuming Jake Merklinger enters the portal — Tennessee still needs an insurance policy at the position. Whether that quarterback ultimately competes for the starting job or simply provides experienced depth is of little consequence. Heupel and his staff need security at the most important position on the field.

Defensive tackle — Tennessee struggled at times in the trenches this season, and the Vols are set to lose a massive chunk of their interior production. Team sack leader Dominic Bailey is gone, along with Tyre West, Joshua Josephs, and Jaxson Moi, all to graduation. With Rodney Garner projected to return, replenishing the defensive front isn’t just important — it’s essential.

Linebacker — With Jim Knowles coming in as Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator, the linebacker position takes on added importance. Knowles’ defense lives and dies with linebacker play, and Arion Carter’s departure for the NFL Draft leaves the Vols thin on proven experience. Replenishing that room will be a priority this offseason.

Safety — This one’s pretty simple. Safety recruiting at Tennessee has been nearly nonexistent lately, and the Vols are desperate for immediate help on the back end. At this point, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve got any eligibility left.

With that being said, the transfer portal isn’t officially open yet, so Tennessee can’t formally offer anyone just yet. However, players are already announcing their intentions to enter the portal — and this will be your go-to hub for tracking everyone Tennessee is reportedly interested in.

Running Back - With Peyton Lewis entering the transfer portal, Tennessee instantly needs another weapon in the backfield.

Last updated: January 2nd, 4:16PM EST

QUARTERBACKS:

Sam Leavitt (Kentucky trending as of Jan. 2nd) — On3 reported in November 2025 that Arizona State sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt’s return to the program in 2026 was “doubtful,” signaling a likely entry into the transfer portal. Since then, Oregon, LSU, Miami, and Indiana have all shown interest, with ASU beat reporter Anthony Totri also reporting that Tennessee is in the mix for the star signal-caller.

Brendan Sorsby (Trending to LSU/TTU as of Jan. 2nd) – Junior QB Brendan Sorsby announced on December 15th that he intends to enter the transfer portal. Many schools are expected to be interested in the Hoosier-turned-Bearcat, with the Volunteers and Texas Tech Red Raiders expected to be at the front of the line. 

Josh Hoover (Trending Indiana as of Jan. 2nd) - ESPN's Pete Thamel tweeted on December 18th that Josh Hoover intends to enter the transfer portal. On3's Pete Nakos followed up by mentioning that while Indiana is a potential school to watch, Missouri and Tennessee also have been mentioned as contenders by sources.

SAFETY:

Lyric Rawls - Rawls announced he would enter the transfer portal on December 12th, on the 22nd, a Florida On3 mod reported that Florida, Tennessee, Penn State, Ole Miss, and Clemson are the top schools for the Kansas transfer.

Qua Moss (Visiting Tennessee) — Austin Price of VolQuest noted that Moss is a name to keep an eye on for Tennessee in the transfer portal. The Vols are in dire need of help at safety, and Moss could help fill that need.

Tawfiq Byard (Visiting Tennessee) — VolQuest noted in its latest War Room update that it “looks like there may be mutual interest” between Tennessee and Byard, the younger brother of former Tennessee Titan Kevin Byard. The Vols are no strangers to bringing in defensive players from Colorado.

DEFENSIVE LINE:

Chaz Coleman (Visiting, down to LSU and Tennessee per Steve Wiltfong)— VolQuest mentioned Coleman as someone Tennessee will definitely be interested in. He has been linked to Ohio State due to his Ohio roots, but the Vols should be a factor after hiring former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Mateen Ibirogba (Visiting Tennessee)- Volquest has confirmed that Ibirogba will be visiting Tennessee.

Xavier Gilliam (Visiting Tennessee)- VolQuest has confirmed that Gilliam will be visiting Tennessee.

RUNNING BACK:

Hollywood Smothers (Visiting Tennessee)- Volquest mentioned Smothers as a name they heard Tennessee will announce its intention to pursue in the transfer portal.

Cam Edwards- Edwards was the second of three running backs that Volquest mentioned Tennessee will be announcing their intentions to pursue.

Cam Cook (Visiting Tennessee)- The third of the running back trio that the Vols will look to recruit in the transfer portal.

LINEBACKER:

Keaton Thomas (Visiting Tennessee)- VolQuest has confirmed that Thomas will be visiting Tennessee.

Khmori House (Visiting Tennessee)- Matt Zenitz reports that House will be visiting Tennessee as well as Arkansas.