Knoxville native and versatile lineman Trevor Duncan has announced he is leaving the University of Tennessee and will enter the transfer portal. This comes after he previously said he was going to medically retire from football in April of 2025.
Duncan was a part of Tennessee’s 2023 signing class as a consensus three-star defensive lineman. After limited time as a defensive lineman during the 2023 season, he flipped to become an offensive lineman ahead of the 2024 season.
Then, after going through spring practice before the recent 2025 campaign, he made the decision to medically retire. Now, it appears he’s looking to get back into football, just not at UT.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the University of Tennessee’s football program and thankful for the coaches, teammates, and staff who supported my development on and off the field,” Duncan wrote on a post on his X account. “After much thought, I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal. I am now open to exploring new opportunities and excited to find the best fit moving forward.”
Thank you, Vol Nation pic.twitter.com/Dk1lfEIesw
— Trevor Duncan (@Trevorduncan40) December 23, 2025
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“It’s huge for us,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said on signing day about Duncan. “He has length, explosive power, he’s another guy that’s a football player. He’s extremely tough. He’s about the right things. I love the intangibles that he’s going to bring into the building. I can’t wait to get him here.
“It’s important that we recruit this state at a really high level. I mentioned that in my press conference on the first day that I got here. Take the right players that fit who we are and what we’re about, but also have the ability to play at a high level. I like what our staff has done here inside the state in this recruiting class as we continue to build it. Trevor is a huge part of that, has a great future ahead of him.”
So far, Tennessee has lost seven players to the transfer portal from last year’s roster. The biggest three names are defensive back Boo Carter, who departed during the season, second-string quarterback Jake Merklinger and, most recently, contributing running back Peyton Lewis.
Other departures include linebacker Brenden Anes, defensive back Marcus Goree Jr., edge rusher Kellen Lindstrom and defensive tackle Jamal Wallace. The portal will officially open on Jan. 2, 2026.
