After beginning his college career with Tennessee football, edge rusher and special teams contributor Emmanuel Okoye entered the transfer portal. After receiving interest from programs such as Northwestern, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Auburn, Syracuse and Western Kentucky, he took an official visit to Cal and pulled the trigger on a commitment to the Golden Bears.
Okoye played for the NFL Academy in Loughborough, United Kingdom, during the fall of 2022, though he is initially from Nigeria. He got to campus as a tight end, but made the switch to an edge rusher ahead of the 2024 season. A knee injury derailed it, though, forcing him to go into 2025 without a snap played.
However, he became a special teams contributor this past year and joined the LEO room. In eight games, he produced one tackle. He played 15 defensive snaps across three games.
Jeremiah 16:21. Go Bears!!🐻@CalFootball pic.twitter.com/cuzskF860d
— Emmanuel Okoye (@_skywalker10) January 17, 2026
More From RTI: Penn State Transfer, Tennessee Football Linebacker Commit Arrives in Knoxville
Okoye is one of a list of LEOs to enter the transfer portal this cycle out of Tennessee. With Joshua Josephs off to the NFL and out of eligibility, Jordan Ross and Caleb Herring were considered options to fill his starting role. However, Ross transferred to LSU, and Herring picked South Carolina out of the portal.
Reserve LEO Kellen Lindstrom also entered the portal and has received some Power Four interest, but has yet to commit to a new program.
In response to the LEO room being gutted ahead of Andrew Jackson’s first year coaching it under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Tennessee has picked up a pair of transfers. Chaz Coleman from Penn State and Jordan Norman from Tulane are both joining the team in the hopes of making an immediate impact.
