Come this weekend, Tennessee and Vanderbilt are going to face off in a game where bragging rights are going to be on the line. Not only that, but the Vols are hoping to crush Vandy's CFP dreams. Neyland Stadium is going to be packed, as Senior Day is always special.
College football fans' ultimate guide to 2025 rivalry week
However, there are other guys who are probably going to be saying goodbye to Knoxville this weekend too - at least signs are pointing in that direction. Between leaving for the NFL and entering the transfer portal, we always see attrition for a team. This year will be no different for Josh Heupel and his coaching staff. Here are five players we have in mind:
5. QB Joey Aguilar
To start us off, it once seemed like it was guaranteed that Joey Aguilar was going to be one and done with the Vols. However, he has decided to take legal action to try and push for an extra year of eligibility, with his JUCO playing days potentially opening the door for that to happen. Yup, Aguilar has gone the Diego Pavia route. While it's exciting that the door might be open, we just don't see things working out there for Joey. If we had to guess, he'll be all out of eligibility and on his way out of town after this season.
4. DB Boo Carter
This unfortunately isn't a 'probably,' it's a lock. We're still including Boo Carter on this list as he isn't officially in the portal just yet. However, few people can argue with the fact that his time on campus was quite disappointing and it ended in the worst way possible. People had high hopes for Carter, as he was an in-state 4-star signee. After a tremendous freshman season, it felt like the future was bright for him. He has already left the program and several big-name schools are expected to push for his services this winter.
3. QB Jake Merklinger
Another quarterback who could be ready to move on? That'd be Jake Merklinger, a redshirt freshman quarterback who is backing up Aguilar right now. George MacIntyre is also on the roster, while 5-star QB Faizon Brandon is getting ready to make things official with Tennessee during the Early Signing Period.
Merklinger could stay with the SEC side and push for the starting job, but insider Austin Price said earlier this month that not a lot of people expect Merklinger to stick around once January gets here. He could surprise us all and fight for the QB1 spot, but it feels unlikely at this point.
"Most people don't believe that Jake Merklinger is going to be here past January."@AustinPriceless explained why it makes sense for George MacIntyre to be Tennessee's second QB vs New Mexico State — and why other young players need valuable in-game reps.
— Josh Ward (@Josh_Ward) November 6, 2025
🎥 via @JoshandSwain pic.twitter.com/o7CS9rwmvi
2. CB Jermod McCoy
If Jermod McCoy leaves Tennessee, absolutely no one is going to blame him. He hasn't been able to play this season due to a torn ACL he suffered during the offseason while training back home in Texas. It was a brutal injury for McCoy, who was an All-American in 2024.
He continues to rehab his knee and he's still projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He has eligibility if he does want to return to Tennessee for one more season, but why would he do that when the NFL and millions of dollars are calling? Fans were robbed of watching McCoy in '25, but they'll be ready to cheer him on once he goes pro.
1. CB Colton Hood
Another Tennessee player on defense who could be taken in the first or second round would be Colton Hood. The former Auburn and Colorado defensive back has been rock solid for the Vols this year and he has surely raised his NFL Draft stock. On the season, Hood has posted 49 total tackles, one interception and one forced fumble. With McCoy and Rickey Gibson injured, Hood has emerged as a leader for the DBs room. While fans would love to see him return, the NFL could pull him away.