Forgotten Tennessee QB will enter the transfer portal for the 3rd time

Despite the focus being on the Early Signing period for so many people out there, don't forget that in less than a month, the transfer portal is going to open up. There's a lot of movement expected for the Vols, but there are also some former players to keep in mind too.

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The list includes former 4-star quarterback Tayven Jackson, who signed with the Vols as a member of the 2022 class. Jackson was one and done with the Vols, leaving Knoxville after the 2022 campaign to sign with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2023.

Jackson spent two seasons in Bloomington before making the move to UCF this season. With some college eligibility remaining, the veteran quarterback has decided it's time to find yet another spot. That's right, news broke this week that he's off to the portal when things open up:

Former Tennessee QB Tayven Jackson is off to the transfer portal once again

When Jackson first signed with the Vols, there was hope that he'd become a stud for the SEC powerhouse. He came out of high school ranked as the No. 13 QB in the country and No. 198 prospect nationally per the 247Sports Composite - he was also the No. 7 prospect out of Indiana.

However, things didn't quite go to plan for him. He appeared in three games during his true freshman campaign, getting some reps during garbage time. He ended up tossing for 37 yards and no touchdowns during his lone campaign with Tennessee.

He didn't get extensive playing time at Indiana, but he took over as the starter for UCF in 2025. On the year, he completed 200-of-315 pass attempts for 2,151 yards and 10 touchdowns to eight interceptions. With him having so much experience, he's going to look to jump to another program with a QB1 opening. The expectation is that he'll get plenty of looks. Meanwhile for Josh Heupel, he'll be waiting to see if Joey Aguilar will be given an extra year of eligibility or not.