At the time of this publication, 247Sports lists Tennessee with 25 outgoing transfer players since the portal opened in early January. Many of those players have already found their new destination, while a few are still evaluating the options and are on the hunt.
One of the more interesting storylines is the handful of Tennessee’s former players from the 2025 roster who will show up on the Vols’ 2026 schedule. With plenty of time for the number to continue growing as the portal keeps unfolding, there are currently six players who will be on the opposite sideline of Tennessee this fall.
Here’s a look at which of Tennessee’s committed outgoing players land on the Vols’ upcoming schedule, which players don’t, and which are still looking for their future program:
Former Vols on the UT 2026 Schedule
K Max Gilbert – Arkansas
After spending the last two seasons as Tennessee’s starting place kicker, Memphis native Max Gilbert decided to land with the Arkansas Razorbacks after entering the transfer portal. Gilbert wound up committing to Ryan Silverfield’s debut roster in Fayetteville just two days after the portal opened. He finished his Tennessee career with a 75.6 FG% and a perfect 118-of-118 on extra points.
Arkansas will host Tennessee on Oct. 10 in D.W.R. Razorback Stadium next fall.
CB Rickey Gibson III – Texas A&M
Gibson spent three seasons in Knoxville before departing the program through the transfer portal this month. The Alabama native had a breakout sophomore season alongside Jermod McCoy in 2024, helping lead Tennessee to their first-ever College Football Playoffs appearance. Misfortune struck early in 2025 with an injury against Syracuse in the season-opener, which derailed his season and kept him sidelined for the entire year. Gibson finished his Tennessee career with 42 total tackles, four pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
Texas A&M will host Tennessee on Nov. 14 at Kyle Field in College Station, TX, next season.
OT Lance Heard, IOL Max Anderson – Kentucky
Will Stein grabbed two former Tennessee offensive linemen through the transfer portal for his first season in Lexington, but Heard is obviously the bigger story here. Heard was a two-season starter for the Vols after transferring from LSU, and saw pretty noticeable improvement during the 2025 season. He was ranked as the No. 25 overall player in the portal according to 247, and will give Kentucky a veteran piece to anchor its offensive line next season.
Anderson, meanwhile, was a reserve lineman for the Vols for the past two seasons, earning a redshirt during his first year in 2024. The 6-foot-5 interior offensive lineman was a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, but never had a significant role for Tennessee. He played in 47 offensive snaps as a true freshman and 76 snaps as a redshirt-freshman.
Tennessee will host Kentucky on Nov. 7 in Neyland Stadium next fall.
EDGE Jordan Ross, IOL William Satterwhite – LSU
New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has swiped a pair of former Tennessee players in the transfer portal, with EDGE rusher Jordan Ross and center William Satterwhite. Ross, a former five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, was a big win for the Tigers. Ross is coming off a sophomore season where he totaled 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. The Birmingham native played 249 snaps in 11 games during the 2025 season, earning a 78.2 PFF grade.
Satterwhite spent two seasons with the Vols and was entrenched in the center battle with transfer Sam Pendleton before the 2025 season. He lost out on that starting job, but still saw 137 snaps over the span of eight games this past year. He’ll have three seasons of eligibility remaining after redshirting his first season in Knoxville.
Tennessee will host LSU in the penultimate game of the regular season on Nov. 21 in Neyland Stadium.
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Former Vols Not On UT’s 2026 Schedule
S Boo Carter – Colorado
DL Jamal Wallace – Utah
RB Peyton Lewis – Virginia
LB Brenden Anes – Western Michigan
OT Bennett Warren – Minnesota
EDGE Jayden Loftin – Wisconsin
DL Josh Schnell – Central Florida
Uncommitted Former Vols
QB Jake Merklinger
IOL Brian Grant
EDGE Emmanuel Okoye
EDGE Caleb Herring
WR Amari Jefferson
WR Braylon Harmon
CB Colin Brazzell
WR Tommy Winton III
DL Herb Gray
OT Trevor Duncan
CB Marcus Goree Jr.
EDGE Kellen Lindstrom
