Tennessee finished 2025 with an 8-5 record after a heartbreaking loss to Illinois on a game-winning field goal. The focus shifts to the offseason, where Josh Heupel and his staff will certainly be evaluating Transfer Portal talent to address several needs across the roster. Tennessee has a long way to go before making the College Football Playoffs in 2026, but it is no doubt doable.
Tennessee has already seen several players make their plans official by entering the transfer portal, but the biggest question remains at quarterback. Will Josh Heupel turn to the portal and bring in a veteran, or will he let George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon battle it out in an open competition this fall? This offseason will be a significant one in Knoxville.
Below is an up-to-date tracker on Tennessee’s portal entries, commitments, and positions of need with all known targets listed.
Tennessee players in the Transfer Portal
- CB Rickey Gibson III
- WR Amari Jefferson
- WR Braylon Harmon
- OT Lance Heard
- OT Bennett Warren
- CB Colin Brazzell
- WR Tommy Winston III
- IOL Max Anderson
- DL Herb Gray
- OT Trevor Duncan
- RB Peyton Lewis
- QB Jake Merklinger
- CB Marcus Goree Jr.
- LB Brenden Anes
- EDGE Kellen Lindstrom
- DL Jamal Wallace
- S Boo Carter
Analysis: Tennessee has suffered a few key losses, but for the most part, many of the entries have been depth pieces. Losing Boo Carter hurt at the time, but there’s a lot to unpack there. He is a very talented player, but the missing team activities consistently are inexcusable. Lance is a very gifted offensive lineman who will undoubtedly land somewhere big this offseason.
