Tennessee football is coming off an 8-5 season marked by a defense that struggled at times, missed kicks, and close games that slipped away. Even with the challenges of 2025, Tennessee has a rich history of talented players and national championships that keep the brand alive. The Vols remain a national powerhouse in many areas of the game.
5 early Transfer Portal targets emerging for Tennessee football
In 2024, Tennessee had one of the most-watched games in all of college football. The Vols versus Ohio State on ABC drew in 14.86 million viewers to watch the first round matchup. Despite a mediocre 2025, the Vols still landed on the list of most-watched games. Tennessee versus Georgia was the fourth most-watched college football game this year with 12.6 million viewers.
The fact of the matter is that people still tune it to Tennessee games. They are must-see television on a national scale. Recruits are taking notice, too.
Tennessee just signed its best class under Josh Heupel, which ranked 7th in the nation by the 247Sports composite. The 2026 class featured three 5-star recruits, including Faizon Brnadon, the No. 2-ranked player in the nation. Recruits are seeing just how important Tennessee is to the college football landscape.
Tennessee football has to capitalize off their brand name in the Transfer Portal
Tennessee will need to leverage its brand name to full effect during this transfer portal cycle. The Vols have plenty of holes to fill, but they aren’t far off from being in the mix for national titles again. Josh Heupel is a solid recruiter and an offensive genius, but he is not perfect.
Heupel is in year six now, and the program took a step back last fall after making the playoffs. 2026 will prove to be a very key year for him. If he fails to deliver, the seat could get hotter for him. Taking full advantage of the portal should be his number one priority this offseaosn.
Heupel’s biggest selling point to transfer portal recruits is the chance to play on a national stage while receiving top-tier development. The Vols have done an excellent job during the Heupel era of getting players into the league. Add in the opportunity to play at Neyland Stadium, and it’s an easy pitch to make. Leverging the Tennessee brand could take the 2026 team to a new level.
Once everything shakes out, Tennessee should have a very good squad to bring out on the gridiron in 2026, but it all starts with using the brand to bring in some high-end talent.