Tennessee Football DB Rickey Gibson Announces Transfer Plans

Rickey Gibson announces his Tennessee Volunteers transfer decision.

Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) throws the ball during warm-ups before a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 11, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers have the chance to be solid, as they have been making many decisions around their staff, including firing someone who is widely viewed as a mediocre defensive back coach by the fans of the Tennessee program. While that can be very dramatic, his players have made it known that they love to play for him so much that one of the better players on the Tennessee roster has opted to enter his name into the transfer portal.

Rickey Gibson Announces His Portal Plans

Tennessee’s Rickey Gibson (1) at the first University of Tennessee spring football practice, Friday, March 7, 2025. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rickey Gibson is the player. Gibson is one of the better players on the Tennessee Vols roster and as someone who was consistently good last season however he didn't see many snaps this season due to an upper body injury that sideline him for almost every single game. He was expected to be the Tennessee football programs No. 1 corner for the upcoming season, but that will no longer be the case, as he will now be one of the priority options for teams in the transfer portal.

It seems that the firing of Willie Martinez led to this, but fans and players should have been expecting this, as the Tennessee Vols have been linked to many coaching changes. Here is what Chris Low from On3 Sports had to say just a few weeks ago about Jim Knowles (new Tennessee Vols defensive coordinator) and him taking the job in Knoxville, as he was set to make some major changes.

“I think one of the things that was appealing to Jim to come here is that he’s going to get/make a couple of hires,”Low stated on the Josh and Swain show. “He’s been told he’s going to get a couple of hires….I’ve told you guys for a couple of weeks, and a lot of people doubted it, not because I said it, but I've told you guys for a couple weeks that there were going to be changes on Heupel’s staff. And I felt confident in that all along. And I don’t think this changes with Tim Banks leaving and Jim coming in. I think there will be more. And I think that was a part of the whole deal in him coming. I don’t blame any coordinator. When you go into a situation, to want to have the latitude to bring in a couple of your guys. It just makes sense.”

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