After a disappointing season, Tennessee football is now embroiled in a disappointing transfer portal window.
After a disappointing season, Tennessee football is now embroiled in a disappointing transfer portal window. The Vols have missed all targets at quarterback and are getting out-bid left and right.
Quarterbacks are always going to have the highest price tag, and that's been the case for the current transfer portal class. Back in December, On3's Pete Nakos reported that top-end transfer talent at quarterback could hit as much as $5 million for one season, more than Bo Nix' current NFL salary in Denver.
Former Arizona State signal-caller Sam Leavitt was the last remaining top-tier quarterback in the transfer portal, committing with LSU on Monday. Tennessee was heavily involved in bidding for Leavitt but couldn't (or wouldn't) fork up the money for the former Sun Devil.
With Leavitt and all other big-name transfer portal quarterbacks accounted for, Tennessee will likely either turn to a lower level possibility from the portal or go with redshirt freshman George MacIntrye as its starting quarterback for 2026. While MacIntyre is a cheaper option and knows the offense well, he does not have a lot of game experience and has none in high-pressure moments.
Tennessee also has five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon joining the Vols this offseason for his true freshman year. With the two strong quarterbacks coming in, it also makes sense to give MacIntyre playing time to not disincentivize other highly-touted quarterbacks from coming in. If MacIntyre is sat in favor of a transfer portal quarterback, other signal-callers could face the same fate in Knoxville.
With the quarterback position being the most expensive spot to fill, other positions can still be expensive. The Houston Chronicle reported that wide receiver Cam Coleman's NIL offer with Texas could have been as high as $3 million, and a Florida booster revealed that former Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton's bidding starts at $2.5 million.
Instead, the Vols leaned heavily into improvement on the defensive side of the ball, a sound decision for a team that couldn't compete at the premium positions with other schools that have more to spend.
Tennessee's transfer portal class has seen more action on the defensive side of the ball, headed by Jim Knowles after his signing in December. Defensive linemen Xavier Gilliam and Chaz Coleman came from Knowles' Penn State defense, and safety Dejuan Lane and linebacker Amare Campbell also joined from the Nittany Lions.
These moves prove that not everything is about money. While these players are getting handsomely paid, the connection to Knowles from his time at Penn State remained the reason why the move to Knoxville was made.
After Max Gilbert's departure to Arkansas, Tennessee added Louisville kicker Cooper Ranvier to its roster. The move looks to shore up a position that caused the Vols trouble in key moments of the 2025 season.
Tennessee's transfer portal process is overseen by Billy High, whose role is the executive director of football management. Head coach Josh Heupel also has a heavy hand in any transfer portal decisions and negotiations as do the coordinators and position coaches of any players.
At the end of the day, Tennessee's transfer portal class proved a harsh reality. The Vols cannot or chose not to compete on price with other, higher-status programs across the country.