The transfer portal is not officially open, but players can announce their intentions to enter their name when it opens. It seems as if Tennessee's offense will suffer a loss from a key young player that many fans were excited about.
According to On3's Hayes Fawcett, Tennessee's backup running back Peyton Lewis is planning on entering the transfer portal.
BREAKING: Tennessee RB Peyton Lewis is entering the @TransferPortal, he tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 21, 2025
He was ranked as the No. 4 RB in the 2024 Class (per On3)
Lewis scored 10 TDs in his 2 seasons with the Vols
Repped by @caseygunn0 https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/CYzHr1HDW4
RB Peyton Lewis plans on entering the transfer portal
This is unfortunate news for Tennessee, because Lewis flashed a lot of talent during his time in Knoxville. He was behind Dylan Sampson last year and DeSean Bishop this year, so he never got his shot. In two years at Tennessee, Lewis had 134 carries for 629 yards and 10 touchdowns. While not groundbreaking numbers, Lewis was a reliable option during his time at Tennessee.
Out of high school Lewis was a prized blue-chip prospect. He was ranked as a top running back in the 2024 class and a top 150 overall recruit. The Vols beat out Alabama, Penn State, South Carolina, Auburn, and plenty of other major schools for Lewis' pledge.
This one stings based on the fact that Lewis is a very talented player and is capable of being a starter at the Power Four level. The Vols still have DeSean Bishop who had nearly 1,000 yards last season, but Lewis as the backup would have been ideal.
Tennessee still has Duane Morris and Justin Baker two highly recruited players in the 2025 class, but I'd assume Josh Heupel adds a more vertan body to backup Bishop next fall.
The Vols also didn't take a running back in the 2026 class, so they do need another body anyway. Ideally, they would get an elite body to have a thunder-and-lightning tandem with Bishop, but that is probably unlikely.
Resources have to be used this offseason effectively, and I doubt most running backs wanna be in a committee when they could be a bell cow elsewhere.
Hopefully, Lewis shines wherever he goes. He will most likely end up at a lower-tier power four school or one of the premier group of five options. The best is yet to come for Lewis.