Tennessee football tight end Jack Van Dorselaer has committed to his new school out of the transfer portal, and it’s an ironic choice. Van Dorselaer, entering his second collegiate season, has committed to Oklahoma, according to On3. Not only is his position group now coached by Jason Witten with the Sooners, but it’s the team he dropped a critical pass against in Neyland Stadium this past season.
Van Dorselaer played in 12 games for Tennessee during his freshman season, catching five passes for 23 yards and one touchdown. His lone touchdown came in Tennessee’s lopsided win over ETSU at Neyland Stadium.
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound tight end started the year as Tennessee’s third-string tight end but spent a chunk of the year as backup Ethan Davis battled an injury. Most of Van Dorselaer’s role was as a blocking tight end in 12 personnel.
Over the course of the season, Van Dorselaer played 180 snaps, earning a 48.1 PFF grade. He played a season-high 35 snaps against UAB before playing 31 snaps two weeks later against Arkansas.
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A Texas native, Van Dorselaer was a standout at Dallas-area Southlake Carroll. He ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 374 player in the country according tot he 247sports composite rankings. Van Dorselaer was one of Tennessee’s first commits in the 2025 recruiting cycle, pledging to the Vols on Jan. 7, 2024.
Now, he joins a position group led by Tennessee legend, Witten. He was hired by the Oklahoma program last week after leading Liberty Christian High School in Texas.
“I love football and I love teaching the game, and Oklahoma is as prestigious a college football program as there is in the country,” Witten said after being hired. “So I’m thankful to Coach Venables for the opportunity to work together. It’s been clear to me from the outset that he’s one of the best leaders of men in football. And he has the pieces in place to compete for championships, so I’m excited to work under him and Coach (Ben) Arbuckle and with the rest of the staff. It’s a tremendous opportunity and I’m proud to be a Sooner.
“I know what the expectations and standards of Oklahoma Football are and I’m excited to lean into and embrace those. But along the way, it’s also a great privilege to positively impact young men – to help them become the best players they can be and the best men they can be. That’s one of the things I respect the most about Coach Venables – that those things aren’t mutually exclusive. You can take on the responsibility to lead men but also be highly competitive in your craft. I try to uphold those standards on and off the field.”
Tennessee will not play Oklahoma this upcoming season, but the Sooners are on the 2027 schedule.
