The transfer portal officially closed for Tennessee football on Saturday night as the Vols ended up losing 15 different players to the transfer portal.
However, only one of those players started for Tennessee in 2024 with two projected to start in 2025. While only a couple were projected starters, a number of the transfers would have played meaningful snaps for the Vols next season.
Ranking the importance of every player that Tennessee lost in the transfer portal during the winter portal period.
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15. Receiver Nate Spillman
Spillman played eight snaps and didn’t catch a single pass in his two seasons in Knoxville. The Nashville native was not poised to make an impact in Knoxville.
14. Running Back Khalifa Keith
Keith had a larger role than Spillman, rushing for 121 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries during his two years in Knoxville. The physical running back was fifth on Tennessee’s depth chart last season. Losing Keith hurts for depth but it’s not a major blow.
Keith committed to Appalachian State on Saturday.
13. Receiver Nathan Leacock
Leacock was another Tennessee receiver that never saw much playing time in Knoxville. He totaled just 45 snaps win two years while catching one pass for 13 yards. Leacock did not figure to factor in Tennessee’s offense entering 2025.
12. Center Vysen Lang
Lang spent two seasons at Tennessee where he totaled 44 snaps. He was behind William Satterwhite in the pecking order to replace Cooper Mays but he would have provided depth.
11. Quarterback Gaston Moore
Moore was Tennessee’s backup quarterback in 2024 but would have competed with Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre to retain that job in 2025. Instead, Moore will look to start at a smaller school.
10. Receiver Kaleb Webb
Webb played meaningful snaps in his three seasons at Tennessee, particularly in 2023 when Bru McCoy suffered his season-ending injury. However, Webb never had a ton of success with his opportunities and finished his Tennessee career with 22 catches for 214 yards and a touchdown.
Webb landed at Maryland.
9. Cornerback Jordan Matthews
I remain high on Matthews potential but he’s the same class as both Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson. That made his path to earning playing time very small next season.
Matthews landed at Vanderbilt.
8. Running Back Cam Seldon
Seldon entered the 2024 season as Dylan Sampson’s backup but ended up behind both DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis on the depth chart. He ended his sophomore season with 23 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. Seldon would have been a nice depth piece for Tennessee’s running back room entering 2025.
7. Receiver Chas Nimrod
Nimrod was Tennessee’s backup slot receiver in 2024 and had a decent sized role each of the last two years. He finished his Tennessee career with 29 catches for 315 yards and two touchdowns. With Tennessee losing so many receivers in the portal, keeping Nimrod would have been a plus, but he hasn’t shown to be a high level SEC receiver by any means.
6. Defensive End Jayson Jenkins
Jenkins was Tennessee’s third strongside defensive end but was effective when on the field. He totaled nine tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and recorded a safety during the 2024 season. Tennessee has the depth to be fine without Jenkins but he’s a good player who has been sought after since entering the portal.
5. Tight end Holden Staes
Staes was Tennessee’s second tight end last season and played a lot of snaps due to the amount of 12 personnel the Vols ran. He finished his lone season in Knoxville with 15 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. But with Miles Kitselman and Ethan Davis both set to return for 2025, losing Staes is not a massive loss.
4. STAR Christian Harrison
Harrison split time at the STAR spot with Boo Carter in 2024 with Carter passing him as the starter by the end of the season. But with Carter likely playing offense as well in 2025, losing Harrison is a notable loss for the depth in the Vols’ secondary.
3. Linebacker Jalen Smith
Smith was a rotational linebacker for Tennessee in 2025 where he earned SEC All-Freshman honors as a redshirt freshman. He finished the season with 34 tackles. Tennessee has a solid number of capable linebackers back so the loss isn’t debilitating but is a bit disappointing.
Smith landed at Mississippi State.
2. Receiver Squirrel White
The last two are by far Tennessee’s biggest losses in the portal. White as a two-year starter in the slot. He had a strong 2023 season, totaling 803 yards and two touchdowns. But White had a disappointing 2024 season catching just 34 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns while battling injuries.
While White wasn’t a super high level SEC receiver, he was at least a proven solid option.
1. Receiver Mike Matthews
After a limited role last season, Matthews was poised to be one of Tennessee’s top receivers entering his second college season. The Vols are looking to bring Matthews back but if he does go elsewhere than it would be a tough blow to a receiver room running out of bodies.
