There might have been some extra traffic on Interstate-75 South headed to Tallahassee on Sunday as three former Vols committed to Florida State out of the transfer portal.
Defensive end Jayson Jenkins started the tidal wave on Sunday morning committing to the the Seminoles over interest from North Carolina, NC State and Texas Tech. The strongside defensive end spent three years in Knoxville and totaled nine tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble during his redshirt sophomore season.
Jenkins was Tennessee’s third string defensive end behind Dominic Bailey and Tyre West. He was a part of the rotation all season and made one of the big plays in the 2024 season, making a tackle for loss and a safety in Tennessee’s win at Oklahoma.
Former Tennessee linebacker Elijah Herring was the next to make the move, committing to the Seminoles early Sunday afternoon. Herring is a year removed from his Tennessee tenure. He entered the portal after spring practice before landing at Memphis for the 2024 season.
The first commit of Josh Heupel’s tenure, Herring had a strong season at Memphis where he recorded 60 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. In a pair of seasons at Tennessee, Herring totaled 90 tackles and three sacks.
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The rising senior linebacker is the older brother of Tennessee edge rusher Caleb Herring who will see a larger role in 2024.
Lastly, former Tennessee slot receiver Squirrel White committed to the Seminoles coming off his visit to Florida State. White was a two years starter in Knoxville and had a disappointing 2024 season while battling injuries after a strong 2023 campaign.
White caught just 34 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns during his junior campaign after catching 67 passes for 803 yards and two touchdowns in his sophomore season.
Tennessee is still searching for ways to round out its receiver rotation after losing five different receivers to the transfer portal earlier this offseason.
After posting a 13-1 record in 2023, Florida State was one of the worst power four teams in the country last season and posted just a 2-10 (1-7 ACC) record. Mike Norvell is looking to get things back on track for the Seminoles in the the 2025 season and is banking on receiving strong production from the trio of former Vols.
