Public enemy number one in Knoxville has been Lane Kiffin ever since the fiasco 16 years ago, and there has been no love lost between the two sides. In typical Lane Kiffin fashion, he was hosting quarterback Sam Leavitt on a visit to LSU when news came out that the Tigers had offered a significant sum of money to Washington quarterback Demond Williams.
Josh Heupel reloads defense as Tennessee lands another stud Penn State defender
Williams, in the midst of a complicated NIL contract dispute, likely won't hit the Transfer Portal and is going to stay with the Huskies. This just made Lane Kiffin pivot back to the former Arizona State Sun Devil Leavitt.
Lane Kiffin posted on X yesterday that he was at the Knoxville airport, which immediately raised some eyebrows. Soon after, reports surfaced that Kiffin was in town to meet with Sam Leavitt, potentially upping LSU’s offer and making a push to bring him back to Baton Rouge.
Leavitt, the No. 2 quarterback in the portal, still took his visit to Miami, but Kiffin didn't walk away empty handed.
Things moved fast after Kiffin’s visit, as he ended up landing former Tennessee center William Satterwhite. He signed with LSU just hours after Kiffin was in Knoxville.
BREAKING: Tennessee transfer OL William Satterwhite has signed with LSU, @PeteNakos reports🐯https://t.co/HtAnKA5BDW pic.twitter.com/bUYKzxWOZf
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 10, 2026
Former Tennessee OL William Satterwhite signs with LSU
Satterwhite saw the field in eight games for Tennessee in 2025 and played 137 total snaps. His 48.9 Pro Football Focus grade doesn’t jump off the page, but as a former four-star recruit from Akron with three years of eligibility left, there’s still plenty of time for him to develop into a legit starter.
This is now the second Tennessee player to leave via the Transfer Portal and land with Lane Kiffin. LEO Jordan Ross hit the portal even though he was expected to be Tennessee’s starter next season, and Kiffin went all-in on the former five-star to lock down his commitment.
While Kiffin didn't walk away with the prized quarterback Leavitt, he did take a young high-upside lineman. The Vols host LSU on November 21st, and you can bet that it's circled on Josh Heupel's calendar.