The Tennessee Vols have had a lot of success in the portal in recent years, but they’ve also lost some talented players to the portal. We put together a list of the best ex-Vols players who are still playing college football.
The Tennessee Vols have done pretty well under Josh Heupel when it comes to retaining top talent.
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Tennessee, like most programs, has lost a few players to the portal that it didn’t want to lose (it seems there’s always a school willing to pay more), but for the most part, the Vols have kept the players they wanted to keep.
Still, there’s some serious talent that’s left Rocky Top over the last few seasons. So we put together a an All-Ex Vols transfer portal team. And for fun, we took a look at how it compares to an early depth chart prediction for Tennessee in 2026.
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The All-Ex Vols transfer portal team
Quarterback: Jake Merklinger — UConn
Running Back: Peyton Lewis — Virginia
Running Back: Khalifa Keith — Alabama
Wide Receiver: Chas Nimrod — Auburn
Wide Receiver: Cam Seldon — USF
Tight End: Jack Van Dorselaer — Oklahoma
Left Tackle: Lance Heard — Kentucky
Left Guard: Max Anderson — Kentucky
Center: Addison Nichols — SMU
Right Guard: William Satterwhite — LSU
Right Tackle: Bennett Warren — Minnesota
Cornerback: Rickey Gibson — Texas A&M
Cornerback: Boo Carter — Colorado
Safety: Kaleb Beasley — Louisville
Safety: Christian Harrison — Arkansas
Nickel: John Slaughter — Colorado
Linebacker: Brenden Anes — Western Michigan
Linebacker: Jalen Smith — Mississippi State
Defensive Lineman: Jayden Loftin — Wisconsin
Defensive Lineman: Jamal Wallace — Utah
Defensive Lineman: Caleb Herring — South Carolina
EDGE: Jordan Ross — LSU
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Kicker: Max Gilbert — Arkansas
Here’s a quick look at what Tennessee’s projected depth chart looks like for the 2026 season.
Quarterback: Faizon Brandon
Running Back: Desean Bishop
Wide Receiver: Braylon Staley
Wide Receiver: Mike Matthews
Tight End: Ethan Davis
Tight End: DaSaahn Brame
Left Tackle: David Sanders
Left Guard: Wendell Moe
Center: Sam Pendleton
Right Guard: Jesse Perry
Right Tackle: Ory Williams
Cornerback: Ty Redmond
Cornerback: Kayin Lee
Safety: Qua Moss
Safety: TJ Metcalf
Nickel: Dejuan Lane
Linebacker: Amare Campbell
Linebacker: Arion Carter
Defensive Lineman: Xavier Gilliam
Defensive Lineman: Daevin Hobbs
Defensive Lineman: Tyree Weathersby
EDGE: Chaz Coleman
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Kicker: Cooper Ranvier
Tennessee’s roster is clearly better than the All-Ex Vols transfer portal team, but there are definitely some talented players that left Knoxville over the last few years.
Boo Carter, Rickey Gibson, Jordan Ross, Lance Heard, Caleb Herring, and Jack Van Dorselaer are all former Vols who have a real chance to reach the NFL.
Tennessee, notably, also has significant depth — specifically on the defensive side of the ball — that isn’t listed above.
