Tennessee could be eyeing in on an offensive lineman from the transfer portal.
On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos logged an expert prediction for Tennessee to land offensive lineman Josh Thompson out of the transfer portal on Tuesday morning.
“After making stops at Auburn, Ohio State and Tennessee, the Volunteers have the edge and I’ve logged a pick for Northwestern offensive tackle Josh Thompson to land in Knoxville,” Nakos wrote for On3.
On3’s @PeteNakos_ has logged an expert prediction for Tennessee to land Northwestern transfer OT Josh Thompson🍊
Thompson is the No. 3 OT in the portal.
Intel: https://t.co/wWsZHO54Lo pic.twitter.com/sJ6obV2vpG
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 24, 2024
More from RTI: Tennessee Receiver Dont’e Thornton Officially Declares For NFL Draft
The prediction for the highly sought-after lineman comes with a 60% rating on the confidence meter.
On3’s tweet about Thompson and Tennessee lists the former Northwestern player as the No. 3 offensive tackle in the portal while the On3 website has him listed as the No. 4 interior offensive lineman in the portal.
Ultimately, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard from Fenton, Mich., has played right tackle, right guard, and left guard during his time with the Wildcats. Thompson appeared in 31 games with 21 starts in three seasons with Northwestern.
Thompson was a three-star prospect out of Fenton High School and took a redshirt during his first year with the program in 2021. During his redshirt freshman season in 2022, Thompson appeared in eight games. Thompson took strides during his redshirt sophomore season in 2023 as he played in all 13 games with 11 straight starts at the Wildcats’ right tackle position.
Thompson finished his redshirt junior campaign in 2024 as the No. 2 offensive lineman in the Big Ten according to Pro Football Focus.
Now, the four-star transfer portal prospect is looking for a new home. Thompson could make sense on the right side of the Vols’ offensive line, depending on how the staff wants to use him – if he chooses Tennessee, that is.
Perhaps Tennessee could be getting a Christmas present in the form of a 6-foot-5 veteran offensive lineman. We’ll just have to see what Thompson announces later on, but Nakos’ report indicates that Tennessee appears to be in a good position.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football coverage.
