Boom, Rocky Top strikes again! This time, the Vols grab Amare Campbell, a linebacker from Penn State. It's worth noting that Jim Knowles was his coach at Penn State and helped identify and bring him over to Knoxville.
Josh Heupel looks to upgrade secondary as Tennessee has transfer portal CB on campus
There's no question that the Jim Knowles effect is real. Tennessee landed Xavier Gilliam last night and now Campbell. The Vols look to land 5-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman in the coming days, too.
BREAKING: Penn State transfer LB Amare Campbell has Committed to Tennessee, he tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 10, 2026
This season he totaled 103 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 PD, 1 FF, and 1 FR
He’ll have 1 year of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/0FJyIW5s1a
Tennessee lands LB Amare Campbell
This is a big-time get for Heupel and the staff. The Vols needed linebacker help, and they got a guy who knows the scheme and can make an immediate impact. Sign me up for that 10 out of 10 times.
247Sports has Campbell rated as the No. 16 linebacker in the portal. Tennessee just got an absolute beast at linebacker who seeks out contact, and the data backs it up, too. In 2025, he had an insane 103 tackles, three sacks, and a pass defended.
Campbell had a Pro Football Focus grade of 70.8 last fall, and that includes an excellent 81.7 run defense grade. Tennessee struggled mightily last fall, stopping the run, and with Campbell and Gilliam, they have made significant progress in that regard.
Oh, and another thing fans should love. Campbell's best-graded game by PFF last season was against Ohio State. He showed up in the big games.
Tennessee now has seven portal commits, and they will look to keep this momentum going into next week. Campbell is also the fourth defender to join the fold. Heupel had a clear plan on retooling the defense, and it's paid off so far.
Jim Knowles is going to have a lot of chess pieces to deploy next fall, and I can't wait.