This analysis starts an in-depth look at the player development that has happened during Josh Heupel's reign as head coach at Tennessee.
Like many programs around the country, Tennessee football experiences constant movement in both directions of the transfer portal, with several players leaving the Vols but new ones coming in.
Head coach Josh Heupel has been aggressive in using the transfer portal to find new talent, but some use has been reactive to fill needs from players who left. A total of 61 recruits signed by Heupel have entered the transfer portal since his arrival.
Tennessee signed 19 players to its 2021 recruiting class, Heupel’s first as head coach. The class featured Byron Young and Jaylen Wright, both of whom are in the NFL. The Vols faced scholarship restrictions during this period and could not use the full 85 scholarships allotted per the time’s NCAA rules.
Of that 2021 class, 14 entered the transfer portal after playing one or more seasons with Tennessee. Young, Wright and Jeremiah Crawford all went to the NFL and left before their college eligibility expired. As such, none of Heupel’s initial 17 recruits remained on the roster until they exhausted their college eligibility.
For the 2022 season, Tennessee signed 23 players to its freshman class including more familiar names. James Pearce Jr. and Dylan Sampson were part of this freshman class as well as current Vols punter Jackson Ross. The Vols brought in eight transfers to go along with its freshman class.
Fifteen of those 23 players have since entered the transfer portal after playing for the Vols, including many who did so multiple times. Sampson, Pearce and Dee Williams moved to the NFL earlier, and two players are trying to go pro after using up their eligibility. Three players from the class redshirted and are still on the Vols for 2026.
The Vols signed a 25-person freshman class ahead of the 2023 season, headlined by five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. More of Tennessee’s current performers are in this class including tight end Ethan Davis and linebacker Jeremiah Telander.
Eighteen of Tennessee’s 25 players left the Vols through the transfer portal after three or less seasons. Just seven players from the 2023 freshman class are still with the Vols, including Arion Carter who entered the portal before deciding to come back to Knoxville. The class was supposed to be a turning point for the Vols, but Heupel has not been able to retain many players from the group.
Heupel welcomed 21 freshmen as part of the 2024 class, and it has experienced a high rate of flight as well. After just two seasons, 11 players from that class have entered the transfer portal and will be on different teams in 2026.
It is far too early to tell what will happen with Tennessee’s 2025 class, but three players entered the portal after their freshman seasons. That makes a total of 61 transfers out of the Vols’ program from Heupel’s first five recruiting classes.
This is not necessarily a problem, but it is the reality of college football. Very few players are staying at one school for their entire career, and even less are doing so in the SEC. Heupel has been prudent in his use of the transfer portal, and he must continue to do so in the modern era of college football.