Tennessee cornerback Rickey Gibson III announced he will enter the transfer portal. The report came at the end of February, making the announcement out of nowhere, as the portal did not open for another month and a half.
His portal entry was surprising. Tennessee's spring practice is scheduled to start on March 7, meaning Gibson plans to skip out on spring ball entirely if he's looking to move on from Tennessee.
The spring transfer portal window is scheduled to open on April 16, meaning Gibson will have to wait nearly two months before he can officially put his name in the portal and begin listening to the campaigns of different college football programs.
While Gibson could be looking to move on from Tennessee and skip out on Spring practice, it is likely a sign of the new era of college football, with transfers and NIL at the forefront of college football and college athletics in general.
Tennessee's secondary is still lacking in depth, giving Gibson the opportunity to become one of the team's key players in the back half of the defense in 2025.
It also opens the door for Gibson to negotiate a new NIL deal if he chooses to do so, knowing that if Tennessee doesn't cave, he will move on, and Tennessee's secondary depth will get even worse.
If Tennessee gives Gibson a new NIL deal, it could be the first snowball of a new trend in which players hold their football programs hostage for more money.
This could be a tough decision for the Vols, knowing that it could become another negative trend in the NIL era. Does Gibson deserve a "raise"? Probably. His last NIL deal was in April 2024 with The Volunteer Club.
On the other hand, Gibson could be upset with his current situation and might actually be looking to move on. If that's the case, it's understandable why he wouldn't be interested in participating in spring practice with a team he knows he won't be with this year.
Heupel could work to keep Gibson on campus and help him get a new NIL deal or call his bluff and let him move on. Either way, the decision could greatly impact Tennessee's secondary in 2025.