Ranking Tennessee Football's Incoming Transfers Ahead of the 2022 Season

When the Vols take the field on September 1 against Ball State, there will be a handful of new faces with the transfers Tennessee has landed this offseason. While not all incoming 2022 transfers will see a lot of playing time this season, there are a few players who figure to make an impact on the Vols roster in the second season of the Josh Heupel era. 

In this article, Volunteer Country ranks the eight incoming transfers by their likelihood of early impact and importance to the 2022 season.

No. 8: Navy Shuler

Tennessee's only transfer quarterback of the class is Appalachian State transfer Navy Shuler, who comes in as a preferred walk-on. Shuler has clear Tennessee roots, as his father, Heath, is a former UT quarterback and long-time fan-favorite. Shuler is a redshirt-freshman and will have four years of eligibility remaining in Knoxville, and he will play alongside his cousin, West Shuler, who is also a preferred walk-on at Tennessee. Tennessee currently has three quarterbacks on scholarship with Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton set to be joined by Tayven Jackson, so it's hard to imagine Shuler seeing the field at all in 2022 barring injury, putting him eighth on this list. However, Tennessee added a serviceable quarterback in Shuler, which keeps a big-time former player around the program, something Josh Heupel has emphasized. 

No. 7: Jackson Hannah

Tennessee's only linebacker transfer after adding two a year ago is Nebraska transfer linebacker Jackson Hannah. Hannah comes to Rocky Top as a redshirt-junior. Hannah redshirted his freshman season with the Cornhuskers, didn't appear in a game in his second year, then played every single game in his third year on special teams, seeing action at linebacker in one game against Fordham where he recorded his first and only career tackle. Hannah will likely not see the field much for the Volunteers in 2022, but he's an addition to one of the most shallow positions for the Vols, putting him above Shuler. Hannah stands at 6-foot, 3-inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. 

No. 6: Austin Lewis

Tennessee landed ETSU DL transfer Austin Lewis in early May. Lewis played in only four games at ETSU, as he missed significant time with injury. The big thing with Lewis that stands out is his size at 6-6, 270 pounds. Lewis' big frame could result in some snaps here and there on Rodney Garner's defensive line, but the Jonesborough, Tennessee, native and former Liberty flame will likely not make a sizable impact for the Vols in 2022. Lewis is entering his fifth year of college ball.

No. 5: Charlie Browder

Tennessee added UCF transfer tight end Charlie Browder in early January, who has a pre-existing connection with Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh at UCF. Browder was recruited by the duo before they left for Rocky Top. The Kingsport, Tennessee, native returns to his home state and area, providing a 6'7", 260lbs addition to the Golesh's tight end group. Crowder figures to serve behind starting tight end duo Princeton Fant and Jacob Warren, but Browder has been competing with Hunter Salmon and Miles Campbell for playing time at the third tight end spot. Don't expect Browder to get a bunch of playing time, but his big frame will definitely lend some snaps to the incoming sophomore on special teams and potentially on offense, if the Vols want to get tight end heavy in the red zone.

No. 4: Andre Turrentine

Tennessee needed depth and help in the secondary heading into this season, and the late addition of Turrentine provided just that. Turrentine seemed on pace to crack the lineup at Ohio State sooner than later, but he entered the transfer portal and made his way to Knoxville. He has a lot of positional versatility and special teams upside which will make him an important piece of the secondary rotation this fall. 

No. 3: Wesley Walker

The veteran defensive back transfer from Georgia Tech has a chance to play a crucial role for Tennessee in the fall, but he will have to beat out the competition to do so. Walker could give Tennessee a nice addition to the secondary if he can step into Theo Jackson's role at STAR. The 6'1", 205lbs defensive back made 45 tackles last fall for the Yellow Jackets and earned starts in eight of the ten games he played in. His experience bodes well for him to have a chance to succeed in this Tennessee 

No. 2: Gerald Mincey

Mincey could arguably end up first on this list at the end of the season regardless of what McCoy does this fall. Heading into fall camp, the offensive tackle transfer from Florida has the potential to lock down a role as the starting left tackle. No player on Tennessee's roster was more pivotal than Hendon Hooker was last fall, and Mincey very well could be protecting his blindside in 2022 if he can beat our Dayne Davis and Jeremiah Crawford. Mincey has added solid weight and is heading into camp in solid shape, according to a source. Even if he doesn't win the role heading into week one, he will still be a key part of the offensive line rotation. 

No. 1: Bru McCoy

The USC transfer is as physically gifted as any player in America. Measuring in at 6'3", 220lbs, McCoy has a chance to flourish as a wide receiver in Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh's offense. McCoy has been regarded as one of the freakiest athletes to ever come out of the high school ranks, but unfortunate events have derailed his career to this point. In a limited sample size as a freshman, McCoy caught 21 balls for 236 yards and two touchdowns at USC, which backed up the buzz he had surrounding him coming out of Mater Dei (Calif.). Tennessee has a true number one wide receiver in Cedric Tillman, who already bullies smaller defensive backs in the conference. If McCoy plays to his potential, meaning teams cannot bracket either Tillman or him, while also having to find a way to cover the speedsters in the slot, Tennessee's offense could be a nightmare for opposing teams this fall. 

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee