Tennessee and Josh Heupel are back to work in the transfer portal as the staff prepares to rebuild the roster for next season. The Vols have only signed one player out of the portal so far, but that could change soon if a crystal ball falls in Tennessee's favor.
On3 Recruiting's Pete Nakos has made an expert prediction that Tennessee will sign Josh Thompson, the No. 3 offensive tackle in the transfer portal out of Northwestern.
On3's @PeteNakos_ has logged an expert prediction for Tennessee to land Northwestern transfer OT Josh Thompson🍊
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 24, 2024
Thompson is the No. 3 OT in the portal.
Intel: https://t.co/wWsZHO54Lo pic.twitter.com/sJ6obV2vpG
One position group that Heupel consistently recruits year in and year out is the offensive line, and that was never more evident than against Ohio State. The Vols' offensive line struggled throughout the night, as there was a clear skill gap between Tennessee's offensive line and Ohio State's defensive line.
Thompson was a three-star recruit out of high school. He committed to Northwestern as a member of the 2021 recruiting class. Since entering the portal, he has become a four-star recruit and a top 50 player in the country.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound tackle would be a welcomed addition to Tennessee's 2025 roster, which will be losing several key offensive linemen. Cooper Mays, Javontez Spraggins, and John Campbell are all starters who are out of eligibility. Backups Andrej Karic, Jackson Lampley, and Dayne Davis are also out of eligibility.
Thompson has three years of experience playing on Northwestern's offensive line against quality talent in the Big Ten, which should translate well to the type of competition he will see in the SEC.
Heupel and Tennessee's coaching staff should heat up in transfer portal recruiting, as the season ended this past week. Tennessee will need to bring in several players in the portal to close the talent gap between them and other top teams in the country.