Tennessee football landed its first commit out of the transfer portal Sunday afternoon when Kansas State defensive back Qua Moss committed to the Vols following his official visit. Moss brings Tennessee needed experience and versatility in the defensive backfield entering next season.
Moss ranks as a three-star transfer and the No. 294 transfer in the portal according to the 247sports transfer rankings. He also ranks as the No. 27 safety in the portal.
Here’s four things to know about Tennessee football’s first transfer portal commitment.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Safety Target Commits To 2026 SEC Opponent Over Vols
Moss Played Nickel Last Season At Kansas State
Any portal rankings as well as Kansas State’s roster lists Moss as a safety. But Moss player nickel, or STAR in Tennessee’s defense, most of last season for the Wildcats. Moss started two games at strong safety but played the other 10 games at nickel.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound defensive back totaled 41 tackles and two interceptions over the course of the season and earned the third highest PFF grade amongst Kansas State defensive backs.
Moss will likely play STAR for Tennessee. The Vols lose nearly all of their STAR snaps from a season ago with Jalen McMurray out of eligibility and Boo Carter entering the transfer portal.
Who Moss Chose The Vols Over
While Moss is not a super highly rated transfer, he did have other power five interest. Moss was originally scheduled to visit both Kentucky and Florida State following his trip to Tennessee. The Vols did a good job of locking this one up before he could go on those visits.
Moss’ Eligibility Situation Is Uncertain
Moss has already played three seasons of college football but it is currently unclear how many years of eligibility the Georgia native will have.
The defensive back began his college career at Dodge City Community College. NCAA eligibility rules for former junior college athletes is currently up in the air. As the rule currently stands, Moss will have just one year of eligibility remaining.
But a number of former junior college athletes, including Diego Pavia and Joey Aguilar, are apart of a lawsuit challenging the NCAA bylaws. If they win then Moss would have two years remaining to play at Tennessee.
Moss Has Played At Three Schools In Three Years
Moss will play at his fourth school in four years as he’s slowly worked himself up the college football ranks. After his freshman year at Dodge City, Moss transferred back to his home state to play at FCS West Georgia.
Moss’ standout season at West Georgia where he totaled 49 tackles, five sacks, five pass breakups and four total touchdowns earned him a spot at not just the FBS but the power four level. Now Moss heads back east to play at Tennessee.
While playing at four schools in four years is often a bad sign, Moss’ slowly working his way up makes it much more understandable. Going from a zero-star recruit to the SEC in four years is quite the journey.
