On Tuesday, the Tennessee Volunteers acquired transfer defensive lineman Josh Schell from the Grand Valley State Lakers.
Schell is the sixth player the Vols received from the transfer portal and is Tennessee’s first defensive player the Vols have taken in the 2025 offseason. Considering that the Volunteers lost four defensive linemen to the NFL, Schell should be a quality addition to Tennessee’s front seven.
Josh Schell
Schell arrives in Knoxville with two years of eligibility and will be a redshirt junior in 2025. Last season, Schell totaled 35 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Although he mainly served as a strong-side defensive end, Schell’s imposing 6-4 265-pound frame allows him to line up at any position on the defensive line.
Also, Schell’s size does not slow him down. The powerful defensive lineman uses his explosiveness to overpower offensive linemen and generates enough force to level defenders. Another fascinating aspect of his athletic prowess is his ability to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage. In 2024, Schell deflected six passes of the Lakers.
Schell’s on-the-field performance earned him an All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Honorable Mention selection in 2024. However, Schell’s athletic ability is not limited to football. While attending Grand Valley State, Schell served as a pitcher on the Lakers’ baseball team.
Before his college career, 247Sports listed Schell as a two-star defensive end prospect, but he became a three-star upon entering the NCAA transfer portal. Kentucky, SMU, and UCF also targeted Schell, but he ultimately chose the Volunteers after visiting with the coaching staff on April 27.
The Rodney Garner Effect
Schell made his decision after being impressed with Tennessee’s coaching staff. In an interview with VolQuest, the 3-star transfer recruit expressed his respect for Vols’ defensive line coach Rodney Garner:
“He’s obviously one of the best coaches in the country,” Schell said. “He’s been in the SEC about 36 years now, so you can’t say anybody has any more experience, so super super grateful to be coached by him.”
Garner has spent his entire coaching career in the SEC and is considered one of the country’s most prolific defensive line coaches. Since 1990, Garner had coached eight first-round NFL draft picks and 10 All-Americans.
“[Rodney Garner] has produced how many draft picks?” Schell said. “He is elite at his job. I would say that’s the most appealing thing to me.”
Last season, Garner’s defensive line helped the Vols finish sixth in the FBS in total defense and eighth in tackles for loss per game. Tennessee’s dominant defensive performance in 2024 led to two linemen being selected in the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft:
Tennessee DL in 2025 NFL Draft
DE James Pearce Jr.
Round 1 | Pick No. 26 | Atlanta Falcons
| Year | G | Solo | Comb | TFL | Sk |
| 2024 | 13 | 23 | 38 | 13 | 7.5 |
| Career | 39 | 44 | 71 | 30 | 19.5 |
DT Omarr Norman-Lott
Round 2 | Pick No. 63 | Kansas City Chiefs
| Year | G | Solo | Comb | TFL | Sk |
| 2024 | 13 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Career | 44 | 47 | 89 | 17 | 13.5 |
In addition, the Vols also had two undrafted free-agent rookie defensive linemen sign with NFL teams in free agency. The New Orleans Saints picked up Omari Thomas, and Elijah Simmons went to the Arizona Cardinals.
Tennessee DL Signed as UDFAs
DT Omari Thomas Stats:
| Year | G | Solo | Comb | TFL | Sk |
| 2024 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Career | 61 | 62 | 116 | 18 | 5.0 |
DT Elijah Simmons Stats:
| Year | G | Solo | Comb | TFL | Sk |
| 2024 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | 55 | 22 | 59 | 8 | 0.5 |
Considering Garner’s impressive resume and track record, it is not hard to see why Schell chose the Volunteers. And with all of the defensive linemen the Vols lost in the draft, Schell has an excellent chance of getting playing time this Fall.
For a Tennessee team that likes to rotate several defensive linemen, Schell’s ability to line up across multiple techniques makes him a valuable asset to the Vols’s defense.
