Add outgoing Tennessee football transfer Caleb Herring to the growing list of Vol transfers headed not just elsewhere in the SEC, but to a UT 2026 opponent. The edge rusher committed to South Carolina on Thursday night, according to a report from On3.
Tennessee will play at South Carolina on Oct. 24, 2026. This is the week after the always emotional game against Alabama. The kickoff time and TV designations will be revealed at a later date. It will be the first trip back to Columbia for the Vols since the nightmare upset loss in 2022 that saw Hendon Hooker tear his ACL.
Other players from Tennessee’s 2025 team that are going to appear on the Vols’ 2026 schedule include Lance Heard and Max Anderson to Kentucky, Rickey Gibson to Texas A&M, Max Gilbert to Arkansas and Jordan Ross and William Satterwhite to LSU.
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Herring was the second-string LEO this past season behind Joshua Josephs. He recorded 14 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks this season, while playing in all 13 games. This is at the LEO position that has already produced NFL talent in Byron Young and James Pearce Jr., with Josephs considered a potential first-round pick this year.
Herring played in 12 games during the 2024 season, as well, posting eight tackles and a tackle for loss. As a freshman in 2023, he played in 11 games and had one tackle for loss, one sack and forced one fumble.
He is the younger brother of former Vols linebacker Elijah Herring, who transferred to Memphis, then Florida State, to round out his career.
With Caleb Herring and Ross both transferring out and Josephs off to the NFL, Tennessee needed to reload at the LEO position under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. In response, he’s picked up commitments from Penn State’s Chaz Coleman and Tulane’s Jordan Norman through the portal so far.
