Tennessee football has added another commitment through the transfer portal, with this addition having the ability to impact both sides of the ball. After spending three seasons at Colorado, two-way athlete Isaiah Hardge has committed to the Vols, according to VolQuest.
Hardge will have two years of eligibility remaining after rounding out his redshirt-sophomore season with the Buffs in 2025. He played both wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffs this past year.
As a receiver in the slot, Hardge played a total of 68 snaps and recorded five receptions for 37 yards. He also recorded one rush attempt. At cornerback, he played 97 snaps, mostly against Arizona State and Kansas State. He posted 14 tackles on the year.
Hardge also has the ability to be a returner, which is an opening on the Vols’ roster, as well. He took one punt return for 17 yards and a kick return for 43 in 2024 as a redshirt-freshman. However, he did not return kicks in 2025.
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During the 2024 season, Hardge played in 11 games, including the final 10 of the year. He was one of three players on Colorado to play on both offense and defense, of course, joining Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter in that group.
He played in just three games as a true freshman in 2023, giving him a redshirt. As a high school recruit, he was a consensus three-star prospect, who was considered a wide receiver.
It’ll now be interesting to see how Josh Heupel plans to use Hardge. On offense, he’d be behind Braylon Staley on the depth chart, who just finished a breakout campaign that earned him SEC Freshman of the Year. Staley has signed a new deal to return to Knoxville.
On defense, if he stuck with cornerback, he’d likely be behind returning starter Ty Redmond and incoming Auburn transfer Kayin Lee. He could factor in as a rotational player behind the pair, though, under Jim Knowles in his first season as UT’s defensive coordinator.
Tennessee will also be looking for a new return man. Hardge has the ability to make people miss in space, making him a great option in that role. That’s where Gavin Freeman was projected to make his biggest impact for the Vols out of Oklahoma State, but he ended up signing with Baylor instead.
