With Tennessee reportedly in the mix for a few of Jim Knowles’ former defensive players at Penn State, it looks like another one of his former players will soon be looking for a new home. According to a report from Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett on Sunday, Penn State veteran linebacker Amare Campbell is entering the transfer portal after it opened on Friday. He’ll look for a new school with one year of eligibility remaining.
Campbell, a former three-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, spent his first two years playing at North Carolina in 2023 and 2024. He then transferred to Penn State during the spring window in 2025 to play in Jim Knowles’ scheme with the Nittany Lions. He posted a career-high 103 total tackles, three sacks, and one pass deflection. The six-foot linebacker has 9.5 total sacks in his last two seasons, with 6.5 of those coming in his final stint with the Tar Heels.
Campbell also had a scoop and score touchdown for the Nittany Lions during their game against Rutgers last season.
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Since the portal opened on Friday, Tennessee has been linked to a trio of former Penn State defensive players, which isn’t a surprise considering Knowles’ ties to them.
Tennessee is reportedly hosting Penn State defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam this weekend after being named as one of his three finalists in the portal. Defensive line is a position in which Tennessee needs bodies, and Gilliam would fit that role as a solid player. Tennessee has also been named as a “school to watch” for ex-Penn State safety King Mack and former Nittany Lion Chaz Coleman, though the latter could be a tougher battle to win with LSU and Ohio State heavily in the mix.
When Knowles was hired at Tennessee, it certainly seemed likely that the Vols would kick the tires on some of his former players that he knows well. Conversely, those players know his system well, and would make the transition to Rocky Top easier. There’s no guarantee that Tennessee will land any of these Penn State players, and there’s been no indication whether Tennessee will go after Campbell, but it would make sense for the Vols to pursue these transfer prospects.
According to a report from Volquest’s Brent Hubbs on Friday, Tennessee linebackers coach William Inge is set to be retained as part of Jim Knowles’ defensive staff in Knoxville. Inge has served as the Vols’ linebackers coach for the past two seasons and was UT’s interim defensive coordinator for the Music City Bowl last week in the wake of Tim Banks’ firing.
The other big news from Tennessee’s room is that star linebacker Arion Carter is heading to the NFL Draft. He did not play in the Music City Bowl, but was in attendance to support his teammates, as he prepares for the upcoming draft. Tennessee appears set to return rising senior Jeremiah Telander, rising redshirt-sophomore Edwin Spillman, rising sophomore Jadon Perlotte, and rising sophomore Jaedon Harmon. It’s a solid group, but adding another body in the room could be a big win for the Vols’ linebacker room. Tennessee is also bringing in two highly-touted true freshman players through the 2026 signing class with four-star TJ White and four-star Brayden Rouse.
Tennessee was also reportedly set to host North Carolina linebacker Khmori House this weekend or in the near future.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee recruiting and portal coverage.
