The Vols will be looking for depth in the spring window of the transfer portal.
With the spring exchange entrance presently open, college football is approximately to urge chaotic all over once more, with group programs experiencing enormous rebuilding in a matter of fair two weeks. One group that can be plunging into the exchange entrance once more or maybe broadly is Tennessee football.
The Tennessee Volunteers will be heading into Year 4 of the Josh Heupel period at the begin of the 2024 season. To date, the Heupel enlist has been a fruitful one, with Tennessee football wrapping up within the last best 25 College Football Playoff rankings the final two seasons. In any case, the Vols are trusting to urge back to their 2022 season, where at one point they were positioned No. 1 within the nation and wrapped up 11-2 generally, their best season since 2001. In the event that they need to have comparable victory this season, a few entrance increments will likely be required.
Here are the four players that Tennessee football should target now that the spring transfer portal is open.
Henry Parrish Jr. or TreVonte’ Citizen, Running Back, Miami
Tennessee football was listed as one of the top five teams Oregon State running back Damien Martinez intended to visit when it was initially stated that he was going to use the transfer portal. However, Martinez cancelled his visit with the Vols less than a day after the announcement, according to Hayes Fawcett at On3.
Running back is definitely a need for the Vols that this spring transfer portal window could help with. Behind starter Dylan Sampson, Tennessee has many unproven players at the position. Sophomore Cameron Seldon could potentially be sidelined recovering from shoulder surgery to start the season, and freshman Peyton Lewis won’t be ready either.
With Martinez likely favoring Miami, Tennessee football could target one of their former backs who entered the portal, such as TreVonte’ Citizen or Henry Parrish Jr.
Citizen, a former highly rated four-star in the class of 2022, was one of Miami’s best signings that year. However, after suffering a lower extremity injury in Fall camp that season, Citizen has seen little playing time until the Hurricanes’ recent spring game. He’s a high-risk, high-reward player.
That makes the veteran Parrish a more likely candidate. Transferring from Ole Miss, he has SEC experience, which bodes well in his case. While at Miami, he rushed for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Lejond Cavazos, Defensive Back, North Carolina
Tennessee football suffered losses in its defensive backfield during the last transfer portal window in the winter. Luckily, they still have starters in sophomore cornerbacks Rickey Gibson II and Jermod McCoy, as well as starting safeties Andre Turrentine and Jakobe Thomas. But depth is a concern after that.
Adding depth to the defensive backfield seems like a logical move for Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks, and North Carolina’s Lejond Cavazos could help. Cavazos is a recent addition to the portal and would be entering it for the second time in his career, originally transferring from Ohio State.
If healthy, Cavazos could be productive, as he has played both cornerback and safety. He’s only had one notable season back in 2022, due to injuries, playing in 11 games and accounting for 18 total tackles, one for a loss, and two pass deflections. With depth more of a need than a starter, Cavazos could be worth a look.
Kardell Thomas, Interior Offensive Lineman, Florida A&M
Can a team ever have enough depth on the offensive line? The answer is no. The Vols currently have four interior linemen who can rotate, but there are concerns about injuries with some veteran players like Cooper Mays and Andrej Karic. This warrants adding another piece or two on the line.
Florida A&M interior offensive lineman Kardell Thomas could be an option for the Vols. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, he has great strength and excels in run blocking but may need work in pass blocking, according to 247sports. Still, with limited options in the portal for offensive linemen, Thomas may not be a bad choice for additional depth.