With the conclusion of Tennessee football’s regular season on Saturday, the first Vols player of the offseason has entered the transfer portal. Defensive lineman Jamal Wallace plans to enter once it opens, according to a report from Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz.
While Wallace is the first to announce his intention to transfer this offseason, he’s the second Tennessee player of the 2025 season to leave. He’ll join defensive back Boo Carter in the portal, who had a messy divorce with the program with three games left on the schedule.
Wallace played in six games this season. In this time, he produced four tackles. His first year in Knoxville, 2024, he played in three games and recorded three tackles.
Tennessee defensive lineman Jamal Wallace is entering the transfer portal, his agency @APSportsAgency tells me and @chris_hummer.
Played in six games this season. pic.twitter.com/AirQgCUWk9
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 1, 2025
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Wallace joined Tennessee in the summer of 2024 as a junior college transfer. He began his career at Sierra College before making his way to the FBS level.
His transition to Tennessee also meant transitioning to defensive lineman, a position he wasn’t experienced in.
“Jamal is a talented big man. He just didn’t have any sweat equity as a d-lineman,” defensive line coach Rodney Garner said before the 2025 season. “And then just getting hurt and not being able to put the work in to work on the nuances of being a defensive lineman and not just being a defensive lineman, being an interior defensive line. You’re taking a kid that was a safety, outside backer, dropping. When he got here, he didn’t even know how to get into a three-point stance.
“So you know, he needs every single day of work that he can get because he is big, he is explosive, he can run, he is twitchy. He has the traits of a d-lineman, an SEC d-lineman. But now, just putting together the mechanical, technical things that he needs to do to take that game. But you know, I’m excited. He’s been able to be out there so far and stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing, be able to stay healthy, put in that work and continue to grow.”
One Response
no sweat equity is difficult to overcome evidently…..