Tennessee football welcomes 18 transfers as winter workouts begin

The work towards the 2026 season officially began on Wednesday as Tennessee began its winter workout program. This upcoming season will prove to be a pivotal one for the Vols and head coach Josh Heupel, who are coming off an 8-5 campaign. Heupel has responded by making big moves. First, he reworked his defensive staff by bringing in former Ohio State and Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the same position. Knowles retained William Inge (linebackers) and Rodney Garner (defensive line), but Michael Hunter Jr. (cornerbacks), Andrew Jackson (LEOs), and Anthony Poindexter (assistant DC/secondary) are new to Knoxville. On top of the staff turnover, the Vols placed an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball in the transfer portal. Of the 18 players Tennessee has brought into the program via the portal so far, 11 have been on defense. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, here are the 18 players UT has brought in. EDGE/LEO - Chaz Coleman Viewed as one of the top players from the portal, Coleman comes in from Penn State, following Knowles to Tennessee. He appeared in five games as a true freshman last season, where he made eight tackles, one sack, forced a fumble and broke up a pass. He committed to the Vols on January 10 and has three years of eligibility remaining. DL - Xavier Gilliam Another former Nittany Lion, Gilliam redshirted his true freshman season in 2024 but made an impact in 2025. Listed at 6-foot-2, 300 pounds, he recorded 17 career tackles, a half sack, and a forced fumble in State College. Gilliam chose the Vols on January 8 and will have three more seasons of eligibility. CB - Kayin Lee Coming in from Auburn, Lee has spent the last three seasons as a mainstay in the Tigers' secondary. He's played in 36 career games, where he's made 81 tackles, three interceptions, and 17 pass breakups. Lee committed to UT on January 7 and will be a senior in 2026. LB - Amare Campbell Yet another former Penn State player, Tennessee will be Campbell's third stop in his college career after spending 2023-24 with North Carolina. Last season, he was the Nittany Lions' leading tackler with 103 total tackles. Campbell announced his commitment on January 9 and will be in his fourth year. S - TJ Metcalf Metcalf spent 2025 with Michigan after playing for Arkansas for two seasons. The cousin of Steelers' receiver DK Metcalf, the safety has played in 37 career games and intercepted four passes, defended another 11, and made 130 total tackles. He chose the Vols on January 13 and will be a senior in 2026. S - Dejuan Lane Following Knowles and many others on the defensive staff, Lane comes to Tennessee via Penn State. The Baltimore native has one interception, four PBUs, and 44 tackles in 29 games played. Lane will be a junior in the 2026 campaign and announced his commitment on January 10. S - Qua Moss Moss arrives to the Vols via Kansas State. He began his career at Dodge City Community College, then West Georgia before playing in Manhattan in 2025. Last year, he played in all 12 games for the Wildcats, racking up five TFLs, a sack, and even two rushing attempts. He was the first commit of the portal class, announcing his intentions on January 4. RB - Javin Gordon Making the move to Knoxville from Tulane, Gordon rushed for 516 yards and four touchdowns for the Green Wave. He contributed as a pass-catcher as well, reeling in 13 receptions for 93 yards and a score. The Alabama native committed to Tennessee on January 12 and has three more years of eligibility. OT - Ory Williams A former All-District player in Texas in both football and basketball, Williams spent two first two seasons of college football at LSU. He played in all 12 games and made two starts last season and didn't allow a sack in 150 offensive snaps. Williams will be a redshirt sophomore next season and committed on January 6. OL - Donovan Haslam Primarily an interior offensive lineman, Haslam spent last season at West Virginia following three years at Austin Peay. He played in 12 games with the Mountaineers and didn't allow a sack. 2026 will be his last season of eligibility and he committed last Saturday. CB/WR - Isaiah Hardge A two-way player on the outside, Hardge played for Colorado the past three seasons. Last year, he played in nine games and made one start, where he made 15 tackles and also caught five passes for 37 yards. He will have two years in college ball left and committed to UT on Sunday. S - DJ Burks A Maryville native, Burks returns to East Tennessee following a four-year stint with Appalachian State. He made 133 total tackles, picked off two passes, and played in 40 games while in Boone. Burks will spend his final year of eligibility with the Vols after committing on Saturday. TE - Trent Thomas Thomas arrives to campus from South Alabama. He's played in 26 games and caught five career passes for 39 yards He also committed Saturday and has two years left of college football EDGE/LEO - Jordan Norman Following a two-year stint at South Alabama, Norman played at Tulane in 2025. He has 10 career sacks in 30 games played as well as 13.5 tackles for loss. He has two years of eligibility left and joined the Vols on January 12. CB - Tevis Metcalf The younger brother of TJ in this portal class, Metcalf also played at Michigan last season after a year at Arkansas. He's made four career tackles and forced a fumble. Metcalf joined the class on Saturday and has three years of eligibility remaining. QB - Ryan Staub The signal caller spent the last three seasons at Colorado. He's appeared in 12 games, making two starts, throwing for 681 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. He'll have two more seasons of eligibility after joining the portal class Sunday. K - Cooper Ranvier Ranvier spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Louisville. He went 39-of-41 on extra points and 21-of-25 on field goals last year. Only one miss was inside 50 yards. He will have three years of eligibility left and committed on January 8. LS - Blake Howard The long snapper spent the past two seasons at Eastern Kentucky after spending 2023 with ETSU. Howard comes onto campus as a redshirt junior and committed on January 9. Other notes Linebacker Arion Carter is back with the Vols after initially declaring for the NFL Draft. After withdrawing from the draft process, he put his name into the portal as a contingency plan. However, he and Tennessee worked out a deal for his return. Quarterback Joey Aguilar will have his court case heard on February 10. Aguilar is in search of another year of eligibility due to the NCAA's precedent on junior college athletes.