The transfer portal is officially open. An incredibly important offseason for Josh Heupel and Tennessee football has hit arguably its most important stage. The Vols have no shortage of needs including at major spots.
Here’s four Tennessee football questions related to the transfer portal.
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What’s The Plan At Quarterback?
The biggest question for Tennessee is quarterback. The Vols could role with underclassmen George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon but it appears much more likely that they will pursue a more experienced signal caller.
But who? Tennessee has been linked only broadly to Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby and Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt while other schools have been much more prominently mentioned with the two Big 12 signal callers.
Is Tennessee further along there than people are reporting? Is there another name Heupel likes and is talking to that hasn’t yet leaked? For such an important spot, things have been weirdly quiet there for Tennessee.
Does Tennessee Going For Quantity This Year?
Tennessee football has been really solid in the transfer portal in recent years, hitting on a number of both star players as well as contributors. While the quality has been high, the quantity has been on the lower end.
The Vols added seven transfers last year, nine the year before and eight back in 2023. Is this the year that Tennessee tries to add more players?
Tennessee just has a lot of needs in the portal including depth needs nearly everywhere on defense. Heupel has already mixed some things up this offseason by changing his staff. Could this be the latest change?
Is Tennessee Going To Pursue A Kicker?
Watching Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro bang in three long kicks, including the game-winner, on Thursday night against Georgia and you’re reminded how important a good kicker can be.
Max Gilbert was not that for Tennessee in 2025. His overall numbers, 14-of-19, weren’t terrible. But he missed some extremely important kicks over the course of the season. Tennessee’s losses against Georgia, Oklahoma and Illinois very well could have been wins if not for missed kicks. Gilbert’s missed against Oklahoma and Illinois were both under 40 yards.
Gilbert still has multiple years of eligibility remaining so Tennessee could run it back with him. But that seems like a risk in itself. We’ll see what Heupel thinks about the kicker spot entering 2025.
Does Tennessee Make Any Moves On The Offensive Line?
Even after losing starting left tackle Lance Heard to the transfer portal, Tennessee is pretty set along the offensive line. David Sanders will slide from right to left tackle while Jesse Perry will move back to right tackle where he spent much of the 2025 season.
Tennessee could mix things up on the interior of the offensive line, but Sham Umarov, Sam Pendleton and Wendell Moe played a lot of football for the Vols last season. A move is not necessary.
What feels more pressing is depth at offensive tackle. Bennett Warren is entering the transfer portal leaving the potential backups there uncertain. The Vols seemingly need to add a body, but what quality player can they get with the starters already pretty certain.
