A Look at Tennessee's Early Transfer Portal Interests

The 45-day transfer portal window is open and players are entering the portal in hopes of finding a new home. Tennessee has already extended a handful of offers, and we take a look at some of their early interests here. 

Mississippi State Wide Receiver Rara Thomas

The do-it-all receiver for Mississippi State was one of the biggest names to jump into the portal early on, and the Vols got involved early. Thomas could be on campus this week in Knoxville, but there is heavy competition here. Auburn, Georgia, and Ole Miss are among numerous schools showing heavy interest. Thomas caught over ten touchdowns during his time at Mississippi State. 

Oregon Wide Receiver Dont'e Thornton

Maybe one of the most physically impressive prospects in the portal, Thornton would be an ideal match with Tennessee's vertically attacking offense. He is an impressive 6-4.5, 195 pounds and runs like a track star. He may be the most coveted non-quarterback prospect in the portal at this time. But he has at least been open to conversations with Tennessee. 

Kent State Wide Receiver Devontez Walker

Tennessee entered the picture quickly for Walker once his name hit the portal. The Vols visited Walker in-person, and he says it went well. He has been relatively quiet about what schools have extended offers, but there are at least a few different suitors in the mix. Walker can stretch the field vertically but can also work underneath. He hopes to check Knoxville out sooner than later. To this point, he has been to Rutgers on an official visit and will visit UNC at some point.

Shorter (Ga.) Tight End Kyle Morlock

Speaking of coveted prospects, no one has listed more public offers than Division II All-American Kyle Morlock. Tennessee has already added one tight end to the room, but Morlock still remains a priority. The Vols continue to swing there, and they could get him on-campus later in the week. Florida State continues to be the major threat in this one, as the Noles have a lot of momentum. 

Arizona Defensive Lineman Kyon Barrs

Tennessee joined a handful of SEC teams in offering graduate transfer defensive lineman Kyon Barrs. Barrs is a west coast product, but he is intrigued by Tennessee. He says he will "most likely" make a trip to Knoxville to learn more about the Vols. He will be at Southern Cal on Tuesday, and it certainly feels like they are the biggest competition for the Vols at this point. Barrs has committed to USC since this article was originally published. 

Western Michigan Defensive Lineman Andre Carter

Tennessee would like to add a veteran transfer piece at defensive end, and Carter fits the mold. He is a high motor guy that can play meaningful snaps for the Vols. Several other schools are involved for Carter, but the Vols appear to have a strong chance if they push hard down the stretch here. He currently does not have anything set for a visit, so it remains unclear how hard the Vols will push,.Tennessee has also offered Carter's teammate Marshawn Kneeland, but he does not feel like a prospect the Vols are going to push strongly for at this point.

Virginia Cornerback Fentrell Cypress

Everyone from the outside looking in is expecting Tennessee to try and load up at cornerback in the portal, but we do not believe that to be the case. Cypress is an immediate impact player for any team, so it is no surprise the Vols are involved here. But this is going to be a tough pull with numerous other team involved here. Cypress is certainly a take if Tennessee can get him, but given their feelings on the coveted freshman coming into the program in Rickey Gibson, Cristian Conyer and Jordan Matthews, it does not feel like the Vols are going to force a cornerback in. Cypress certainly has a spot, but Tennessee needs to get him to campus and establish some traction for him to be a realistic.

South Carolina RB Marshawn Lloyd 

Lloyd recently entered the transfer portal and there are several schools showing some interest in the former five-star, including the Vols. Lloyd may not rush to a decision, so this will be slow go. He played his initial recruitment close to the vest, and this will be no different. Georgia and others have reached out as well. Lloyd would fit well into Tennessee’s scheme and can hit the long-gainer with breakaway speed.

There are at least a handful of other options Tennessee continues to speak with and evaluate, but these players mentioned above are the ones we feel are the most significant to watch at this time. 

Understanding the Transfer Portal and Its Windows

The transfer portal has essentially been the wild West from the outside looking in. However, the NCAA has implemented new windows that take some of the chaos out of the equation.

The window for winter transfers opens on December 5th and runs for 45 consecutive days, while the Spring portal window is shorter and runs from May 1-15th.

A key part to understand during this process is that a player does not have to choose their school during this window, they just have to declare their name to ensure immediate eligibility, unless they are a graduate transfer. In this case, a grad transfer does not apply to these rules.

Most players that enter during this window are looking to get enrolled for the Spring semester at the school of their choosing. For Tennessee, the Spring semester starts on January 23rd. There is also a winter term that spans three weeks after the first of the year.

The biggest impact being seen with the transfer portal is on high school recruits, who are seeing classes shrink due to Division 1 programs flipping their rosters via the portal. The early signing period runs from December 21st-23rd this year.