Tennessee football loses former 5-star as transfer portal decision stings

Tennessee hasn’t taken much bad news this Transfer Portal cycle. Losing young players always hurts, and it’s inevitable in today’s college football landscape, but the Vols haven’t lost many players that truly make you think, man, that one stings.

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As of right now, the Vols have 25 players departing, and the most significant loss has been starting tackle Lance Heard. Given the recent transfer portal news Josh Heupel just received, that may have changed.

On3's Pete Nakos has reported that former 5-star edge rusher Jordan ross has entered the Transfer Portal.

Jordan Ross is off to the portal

This one comes as a shock, because Ross was going to be Tennessee's starting LEO next fall. Heupel will now have to seriously pursue a game wrecker to fill in at EDGE and LEO this offseason, as the cupboards are becoming very bare.

Out of high school, Ross was ranked the No. 9 player in the nation by 247Sports. Ross was also recruited heavily by Georgia, Texas, and Florida. Although Ross has flashed on the field, he hasn't lived up to the hype just yet. In 2025, as a sophomore, he had 23 tackles, two passes defended, and 1.5 sacks.

What hurts the most is that Ross was just scratching the surface of his potential. His best traits are his quick first step and the ability to run the hoop to beat tackles. Ross has a bright future ahead of him, and it's too bad that Vols fans won't get to see it bloom in Knoxville.

Ross will no doubt receive high major interest for his talents. If he doesn't stay in the SEC, he will likely be at a big-spending school like Texas Tech or land in the Big Ten.

Losing a talented young lineman like this hurts, but that's just the nature of the game. Josh Heupel will have to rebound and get the train back on track.