Alabama defensive line duo Qua Russaw and James Smith committed to Ohio State on Monday night. The Vols hosted the duo on a visit over the weekend but the Crimson Tide transfers chose the Buckeyes over Tennessee, Notre Dame and Missouri.
Smith was a five-star player in the 2023 recruiting class. As a transfer portal prospect, he’s listed as a four-star lineman in 247Sports’ portal rankings, coming in as the No. 7 overall player in the portal and the top-ranked defensive lineman.
The Montgomery native totaled 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season as a junior for Alabama. His best game came against Auburn when he totaled five tackles and one sack.
Russaw played in all 13 of the Crimson Tide’s games as a redshirt freshman in 2024, racking up 36 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. He played in nine games during the Tide’s 2025 season, but was sidelined for a large chunk of action in the middle of the season with a broken foot.
Ultimately, Russaw finished the year with 14 tackles and one sack. He was injured for the Tide’s win over Tennessee in Tuscaloosa in October.
More From RTI: Tulane Transfer Edge Rusher Commits To Tennessee Football Over SEC Foes
Tennessee is in need of adding edge rushers to its roster through the transfer portal this offseason. The Vols lost Josh Josephs to the NFL Draft as well as backups Caleb Herring and Jordan Ross to the transfer portal. Ross committed to LSU on Friday after spending just a few days in the transfer portal.
Landing two edge rushers is a strong step in the right direction but Tennessee still needs to add at least one more transfer outside linebacker ahead of the 2026 season.
The Vols have landed 11 players in the transfer portal to date. That group includes Coleman, Norman, Penn State inside linebacker Amare Campbell, Penn State safety Dejuan Lane, Penn State defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, Kansas State nickelback Qua Moss, LSU offensive tackle Ory Williams, Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee, Oklahoma State receiver Gavin Freeman, Louisville kicker Cooper Ranvier and Eastern Kentucky linebacker/long snapper Blake Howard.
