Breaking news: Good bye to Tennessee Vols football by Holden Staes and vowing never to…..

 

The closing of the NCAA transfer portal window means Tennessee no longer will lose any players, but the Vols still can add from other teams and will be looking to make some final additions to their roster for the 2025 season via the portal in January. Tennessee and Josh Heupel prioritize traditional high school recruiting, but the Vols know they can supplement those classes and those players through transfers and have brought in eight scholarship players from the portal in each of the past two offseason cycles. With transfers now able to take visits again after a dead period over the holidays at the end of December, the list of portal targets for Tennessee will grow and change and players enter the database and come off the board in the coming days and weeks.

Tennessee’s lone transfer pickup in December was Wendell Moe Jr., the two-year starting guard from Arizona rated as a three-star transfer by 247Sports. The list of December targets focused on the offensive and defensive lines, but the needs for the Vols have shifted heading into January as losing several wide receivers make that position a priority for Tennessee, which also could add to its backfield. Keep in mind that the Vols are bringing in a 25-player 2025 recruiting class, and that will impact what positions are targeted more than others.

 

Transfers can take visits the first five days of January before the dead period lifts for everyone on January 6. Tennessee hosted a quartet of transfer targets back in December, but Moe was the only one the Vols landed. Spring-semester classes for Tennessee don’t begin until January 21, which is later than a lot of schoolsHolden Staes

Tennessee saw its need at cornerback increase after Jermod McCoy suffered a torn ACL during offseason training earlier this month, but though the Vols had a connection with Dixon in linebackers coach and former Washington assistant William Inge and he was reportedly considering them, North Carolina, Michigan and Ole Miss along with a return to Washington, he is headed elsewhere. He opted for the Tar Heels over the Wolverines and Rebels on January 18 after taking official visits to all three programs. Dixon played two seasons in junior college before his two seasons at Washington and thus has an extra season of eligibility after the Diego Pavia lawsuit and NCAA blanket waiver. Rated a four-star transfer and ranked the No. 112 overall transfer and No. 13 portal cornerback by 247Sports, Dixon started 12 games and had 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups and one interception in 2024 after recording 26 tackles, one pick and six PBUs in 2023.

 

Banks joined Tennessee’s staff back in 2021 and has been with the program ever since. He has been a major factor in helping the Volunteers turn their defense around and become one of the nation’s best units. Josh Heupel has certainly created a certified offense year in and year out, but perhaps the biggest difference maker has been what the Volunteers have done defensively the last two years.

 

ESPN’s Chris Low reported on Jan. 15 that the Tennessee Volunteers and defensive coordinator Tim Banks are working on an extension to keep him with the program.

“Tim Banks and Tennessee are finalizing an extension for him to remain as @Vol_Football’s defensive coordinator, sources tell ESPN,” Low said. “Banks, a Broyles Award finalist, led one of the top defenses in college football last season, holding 11 of 13 opponents under 20 point

s.”