The transfer portal officially opened for college football on Monday afternoon with players across the country flooding into the portal and looking for a new home.
That’s been the case for Tennessee as well with five Volunteer players announcing their intentions to enter the portal and find new homes. While Tennessee’s top focus will be on its upcoming College Football Playoff matchup against Ohio State, the Vols will also be looking at the portal themselves as they try to bolster their roster for the 2025 season.
Where does Tennessee need to look for help to bolster its roster for next season? Ranking the five biggest areas of need here.
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5. Offensive Tackle
There’s a real divide in these rankings between four and three. Tennessee is not in desperate need of an offensive tackle but they do lose John Campbell Jr. and Dayne Davis who have split snaps at right tackle this season while Davis has been a swing offensive lineman throughout Heupel’s tenure.
But Tennessee returns starting left tackle Lance Heard and brings in five-star freshman David Sanders. Relying on a freshman to start at offensive tackle is a bit risky but Sanders is that elite of a prospect. The Vols also have former blue-chip recruit Bennett Warren to compete with him for that spot.
So there’s no major need at offensive tackle but the Vols could use another body for depth and competition.
4. Cornerback
Tennessee is returning two of the bets underclassmen corners in the SEC next season as Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson Jr. enter their junior seasons.
But Tennessee loses backups Jalen McMurray to graduation and Jordan Matthews to the transfer portal leaving only redshirting freshmen Kaleb Beasley and Marcus Goree Jr behind them on the depth chart.
The Vols consistently rotated three players at corner this season and could use another body to be in the rotation and add depth next season.
3. Defensive Tackle
Here’s where the divide is. Tennessee needs to add bodies at defensive tackle. The Vols lose Omari Thomas, Omarr Norman-Lott and Elijah Simmons. Senior Bryson Eason could also be gone too but he does have one more year of eligibility.
The good news for Tennessee is that its defensive line strength is in numbers. Tennessee will have Jaxson Moi and Daevin Hobbs back in addition to possibly having Eason back. But the bad news is that Tennessee’s strength is in numbers. That means that the Vols need to add more bodies at defensive tackle.
Tennessee should add at least one body at defensive tackle if not two.
2. Interior Offensive Line
All three of Tennessee’s interior offensive lineman are seniors. Andrej Karic didn’t go through senior day festivities so maybe he’s going to apply for an extra year of eligibility. But as things currently sit, Karic is gone as is Cooper Mays and Javontez Spraggins.
Both Mays and Spraggins have been stalwarts of Tennessee’s offensive line and have started nearly every game of the Josh Heupel era.
Tennessee has young players behind them that could start including William Satterwhite at center. Sham Umarov is another option to start at guard. But the Vols likely need at least one starting interior offensive lineman in the portal and could use other players to add depth and compete for playing time.
1. Receiver
No spot will be more interesting this offseason than receiver. Tennessee can return everyone in its receiver room besides Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton. But after another disappointing season of receiver play, Josh Heupel and his staff could look to rock the boat this offseason.
But even if there’s not a major shakeup at receiver, which there very well might not be, Tennessee needs to add at least one proven and elite receiver.
The Vols have lacked difference makers at receiver the last two seasons. It’s not an easy task but Tennessee needs to find one in the transfer portal.
