Now that the Tennessee Volunteers’ 2025 football season has come to a close, it was inevitable that some players would be leaving for the transfer portal. However, a few names might come as a surprise.
Here are three of Tennessee’s most significant portal losses so far:
Ricky Gibson III
Rickey Gibson III was expected to have a breakout year for the Volunteers in 2025. However, an arm injury in the season opener against Syracuse sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Before his injury, Gibson was named to the 2025 Preseason All-SEC Third Team by Athlon Sports.
What makes this move surprising is the fact that Gibson would’ve been the Vols’ primary defensive back in 2026. Especially considering the departures of Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood, who are two corners that are projected to be first-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft.
However, the most logical reason for Gibson’s exit could be the firing of Willie Martinez, who served as Tennessee’s secondary coach for the past five seasons. Not mention the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who is known for coaching complex defenses that take a few seasons to master. Whatever Gibson’s reason is for entering the portal is unknown, but he’ll likely excel at whatever school he chooses as long as he can remain healthy.
As a sophomore in 2024, Gibson became Tennessee’s starting cornerback, appearing in 12 games and finishing third on the team in pass deflections with five. Additionally, he recorded 32 tackles, including two tackles for a loss and one forced fumble.
During his freshman campaign in 2023, Gibson played in 13 games, primarily on special teams, and also served as a backup cornerback. While on defense, he was targeted 10 times and didn’t allow a single touchdown. He finished the season with nine tackles and one pass breakup.
Caleb Herring
Similar to Gibson, Caleb Herring was expected to have a significant role on Tennessee’s defense in 2026. Unfortunately for Herring, he’s already had to play behind several talented defensive linemen, such as James Pearce Jr., who is currently leading the NFL in sacks by a rookie, and Joshua Josephs, who opted out of the Music City Bowl to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Because of the Vols’ depth on the defensive line, it has been difficult for Herring to receive the playing time he likely deserves. Instead, he primarily served as a rotational player. However, he eventually made his first career start in week 12 versus New Mexico State.
Even without starting for most of the 2025 season, Herring still finished second on the team in sacks with four. Additionally, he finished with 14 tackles, including six tackles for a loss. Herring arguably had his best performance of the year against No. 6 Georgia, registering four tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
The fact that the Vols hired a new defensive coordinator could have been the catalyst for Herring’s decision to transfer. However, it could also be because Tennessee has been targeting former Penn State freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman in the transfer portal. Coleman is currently listed as the No. 1 edge rusher in the transfer portal and was a four-star prospect in the 2025 class.
Lance Heard
Lance Heard is an offensive lineman who made a massive jump in 2025. Initially, Heard began his career at LSU before transferring to Tennessee. During his lone season with the Tigers, Heard earned 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team honors.
Initially, Heard struggled in his first season with the Volunteers in 2024. However, most of his issues could be attributed to playing through injury. During that season, Heard battled two separate injuries, including one that sidelined him for a few games. Eventually, he decided to play through his second injury once he returned.
“It was never a point in last year where I was feeling 100% healthy,” Heard said. “I was always battling something. I think the biggest challenge was battling the mental. I had never been that low. That was probably one of the lowest points of my life. But I still came and grinded.”
Fully healthy in 2025, Heard’s play helped the Vols rank in the top 10 in the nation in sacks allowed and tackles for loss allowed for several weeks before those numbers dipped toward the end of the season.
Heard’s performance earned him Coaches’ Third Team All-SEC honors, making his decision to enter the transfer portal somewhat surprising, especially given his NFL Draft potential.
David Sanders Jr. One possible explanation is the emergence of Tennessee’s young offensive tackles, Jesse Perry and David Sanders Jr., who both earned Freshman All-America honors from different media outlets in 2025. However, Heard’s agent reportedly asked for a large sum of money that the Vols weren’t willing to match, according to VolQuest’s Austin Price on WNML’s Josh and Swain last Friday.
“His agent asked for a gargantuan amount of money, and Tennessee was not willing to do that,” Price said. “They liked the growth that David Sanders had over the last month and a half of the season, and how he played in the bowl game. And they liked what Jesse Perry brought them at right tackle early in the year.
Now that Heard is leaving, the Volunteers will likely need to target an offensive lineman in the transfer portal, which wasn’t a priority until his departure.
