Weren't all the transfer portal surprises done with? Not yet. While the winter transfer portal is where we see a ton of action, don't forget that the spring transfer portal is sneaking up on us too. The same can be said for spring ball, with the Tennessee football team set to get back on the field soon.
One player who won't be on the gridiron with the rest of his teammates is starting cornerback Rickey Gibson. Wait, what? That's right, on Tuesday, news broke via On3's Grant Grubbs that Gibson is planning to enter the transfer portal. Gibson was a starter for defensive coordinator Tim Banks in 2024 and he was expected to be a huge difference maker for UT in 2025.
BREAKING: Tennessee starting CB Rickey Gibson tells On3 he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal this spring. https://t.co/5AH7vGlici pic.twitter.com/LuIQo8vKQU
— On3 (@On3sports) February 25, 2025
Tennessee CB Rickey Gibson will reportedly enter the transfer portal
Earlier this offseason, rough news came in when it was revealed that Jermod McCoy suffered a torn ACL while he was training back home in Texas. McCoy is obviously going to miss spring practices and his status for the start of the campaign is very much up in the air.
With McCoy banged up, Gibson was all set to step in as the leader of the cornerbacks room. Last season, the 6-0, 185-pounder started in 12 games, posting 32 total tackles, five pass deflections and one forced fumble.
Replacing McCoy if he misses some games early in the year is one thing, but now what will Heupel and Banks do with Gibson being out the door? Gibson is yet to officially enter the portal, so there's a chance he could have a change of heart, but fans don't have much hope he'll return.
Tennessee is losing a lot of talent from last season's team, with guys off to the NFL and others joining different programs. Heupel is going to have his work cut out for him in trying to figure out who his starting CBs will be moving forward. Don't be surprised if the Vols bring in CB help during the spring portal too.