Once again, depth for the Tennessee football team has taken a bit of a hit for the secondary. Earlier in the week, fans learned of safety John Slaughter announcing his intentions to play elsewhere. This came after Nico Iamaleava also entered the portal.
Now, though, there's a third Vol to add to the list. That'd be veteran safety Christian Charles, who signed with the Vols back in 2021. A Gainesville, Ga. product, Charles spent four seasons with Tennessee, appearing in 30 games and recording seven starts.
He was never a standout by any means, but he was always ready to make a play whenever his number was called. He delivered an emotional message to Vols Nation as well:
Beyond Grateful for my time as a VOL…. KNOXVILLE HAS BEEN GREAT TO ME. i’m thankful for my time spent. But I think it’s time to do what’s best for me and my family! i’ll forever bleed orange GBO🧡
— 🌟Christian Charles 🌟 (@CD___Charles3) April 18, 2025
Veteran Tennessee safety Christian Charles has entered the transfer portal
Throughout his time in Knoxville, Charles unfortunately battled injuries and he was never able to be a consistent difference-maker. However, that doesn't mean he didn't provide some memorable moments. In Tennessee's unreal 52-49 win over No. 3 Alabama in 2022 (the epic Jalin Hyatt game!) Charles had a fumble recovery in the victory.
He appeared in 10 games last campaign. Now that Charles is in the portal, he'll have one more season of eligibility left for the new program he ends up joining. He was buried on the depth chart and wasn't expected to push for a starting role. Still, you can see from his tweet above that he's always going to cherist his time with the squad.
Soon enough, we'll find out where Charles, Slaughter and Iamaleava will play next. Iamaleava reportedly committed to UCLA earlier in the week, but there's been no official announcement from the Big Ten side. Reports have surfaced the two are still ironing out things in terms of an NIL package. Some closure there is expected soon.