Tennessee football began its winter workouts last week as the Vols’ spring semester got under way. But Josh Heupel and his staff weren’t done adding to Tennessee’s roster. The Vols landed three more transfers Sunday to give them 21 commitments in the transfer portal this cycle.
Idaho State receiver Ian Duarte was the first commit Tennessee added over the weekend followed by Miami defensive back Jadais Richard and UT Martin tight end Drake Martinez.
Richard is by far the most notable transfer and has the best chance to make an impact for Tennessee during the 2026 season. The Miami transfer is truly a versatile defensive back who has played cornerback, STAR and safety during his first four collegiate seasons. That fits what the Vols need as they retool their defensive backfield and look for more depth entering the 2026 season.
Richard played 203 snaps his freshman season on West End before playing 187 snaps as a sophomore and 405 snaps as a junior at Miami. Injuries limited him during the 2026 season. Over the course of his four year career, Richard’s totaled 52 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and one pass deflection.
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The Vols other two additions were mostly just depth pieces. Duarte spent three years at Idaho State and caught 46 passes for 521 yards and three touchdowns a season ago. As the starting slot receiver, he played 555 snaps and recorded a PFF grade of 61.7 on the year.
Duarte was also productive as a sophomore in 2024 where he caught 47 passes for 504 yards and three touchdowns. He will compete with Joakim Dodson for backup slot receiver snaps behind Braylon Staley.
Tennessee wrapped up the weekend by landing Martinez from UT Martin. The tight end is a rising junior who totaled 18 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown last season. He totaled 364 snaps and was a solid run blocker. The Vols lost Miles Kitselman to graduation and Jack Van Dorselaer to the transfer portal this offseason and have now added two depth pieces.
Tennessee boasts transfer commitments from 21 total players. The 18 other commits include Kansas State STAR Qua Moss, Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee, Penn State safety Dejuan Lane, versatile Michigan defensive back TJ Metcalf, Michigan corner Tevis Metcalf, Appalachian State safety DJ Burks, Colorado two-way player Isaiah Hardge, Penn State defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, Tulane edge rusher Jordan Norman, Penn State edge rusher Chaz Coleman and Penn State linebacker Amare Campbell on the defensive side of the ball.
The Vols landed a group of offensive players that include LSU offensive tackle Ory Williams, Colorado quarterback Ryan Staub, Tulane running back Javin Gordon, West Virginia offensive lineman Donovan Haslam and South Alabama tight end Trent Thomas. Tennessee added a pair of specialists with Louisville kicker Cooper Ranvier and Eastern Kentucky long snapper Blake Howard.
