Now that Tennessee has officially locked in DeSean Bishop for 2026, Josh Heupel has turned his attention to finding a dependable backup for next season. With Star Thomas off to the NFL and Peyton Lewis entering the portal, adding depth behind Bishop quickly became a major priority this offseason.
Tennessee loses transfer commit to Baylor in twist that should infuriate Josh Heupel
Bishop was a Second Team All-SEC selection last fall and is one of the best returning running backs in the nation. He racked up 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns, making him the clear feature back for 2026.
On the other hand, Bishop can't take every carry, so adding a good backup was very important. Tennessee has been active in the portal, and they have now picked up their third commitment today.
On3's Hayes Fawcett has reported that former Tulane running back Javin Gordon has committed to Tennessee. Gordon is now the 14th addition to the Transfer portal class.
BREAKING: Tulane starting RB Javin Gordon has committed to Tennessee, @Hayesfawcett3 reports🍊https://t.co/Gg42MgAjF3 pic.twitter.com/T6GHNEFiyh
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 17, 2026
Javin Gordon will be the backup RB for Tennessee
Javin Gordon was an under-recruited player out of high school, but he still flashed as a true freshman last fall. He was a 3-star and the No. 99 running back out of high school, but he proved the rankings wrong. Gordon is a powerful running back who has good vision and contact balance. He should complement Bihop very well next fall. In 2025 for Tulane, Gordon had 128
carries for 516 yards and five scores.
This is a high-upside addition for Tennessee. Josh Heupel didn’t take a running back in the 2026 class, so bringing in a young ball carrier was a necessity. The Vols add a back with plenty of upside who can develop while also being capable of filling the backup role right away.
Dare I say that Tennessee now has one of the SEC next fall? They have proven production from two running backs who have been a part of teams that played in the College Football Playoffs. Now Tennessee just needs to get the quaterback situation figured out and they will be all set for 2026.