Tennessee football and Josh Heupel are tasked with completely rebuilding the defensive side of the ball. After firing Tim Banks and letting go of position coaches Willie Martinez and Levorn ‘Chop’ Harbin, Heupel has made the necessary adjustments to his coaching staff.
Now, he will have to find the personnel to complement new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. One of those steps is bolstering a defensive line that is losing a bit to graduation and the portal. One of the names that the Vols are going after couldn’t be any bigger.
Tennessee is set to host Mateen Ibirogba from Wake Forest on a visit, according to a report from Matt Zenitz. He will also take a look at Texas Tech and Notre Dame.
Coveted Wake Forest defensive line transfer Mateen Ibirogba has lined up several visits including Texas Tech, Notre Dame and Tennessee, his agent Jon Perzley of @SPORTSTARSNYC tells @CBSSports.
He ranks as the second-best defensive player in the transfer portal. pic.twitter.com/0CJH5O2TVe
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 3, 2026
More From RTI: Which Tennessee Football Players Are In The Transfer Portal One Day In
Ibirogba is considered the No. 1 defensive lineman in the transfer portal to this point. 247 ranks him as the No. 6 overall player in the portal, as well.
After beginning his career at Georgetown, Ibirogba transferred up a level to Wake Forest. He earned a redshirt in his first year with the Demon Deacons, but was a breakout star in 2025 as a redshirt junior. Now, he’ll have one year of eligibility remaining.
This past season, Ibirogba totalled 21 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. He registered 395 snaps on the year, mostly as a defensive tackle, and earned a PFF grade of 77.3 overall.
After Tennessee got decimated at defensive tackle following the 2024 season due to eligibility and draft declarations, the unit was much thinner in 2025. Now, the group is losing even more talent, such as Bryson Eason and Jaxson Moi, due to eligibility. Bolstering the group is going to be a priority this portal period, and landing Ibirogba would be huge.
