Tennessee Football Defensive Lineman Announces Plans to Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Herb Gray announces his plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal following the Vols loss to the Fighting Illini.

Herb Gray in a Tennessee practice | Herb Gray

The Tennessee Volunteers have had a lot of news releases as of recently, which is to be expected as the Vols enter one of the more important timelines of the season, and it is only within the first few days of the new year. The Vols will be starting the year off with some transfer entries, but they will have the chance to replace them with more suitable candidates for playing.

The Tennessee Volunteers have the chance to do very well in the transfer portal, but the first part of the portal has already started without it officially beginning, as the portal begins on the 2nd of January (Friday) and will close following the 16th. The Vols have the chance to do well in terms of the portal, but there will be more positions they need to fill following the depth taking a cut at certain positions. This includes one of the players who entered following the game that was played on Tuesday.

Herb Gray Announces He is Entering the Transfer Portal

Nov 23, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Herb Gray (middle) and defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs (right) laugh as they follow senior defensive lineman Omari Thomas (21) off the field to the locker room after the Vol Walk before a game against the UTEP Miners at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

One of the players who entered the portal is Herb Gray. Gray is a defensive lineman from the Tennessee roster, who never really seen the field, and has spent some time in Knoxville, as he was with the Vols for multiple years. The Tennessee defensive line is coached by arguably the best defensive linemen coach in the nation, Rodney Garner. He spent years under him, which will prep him for the transfer portal (where he will likely be looking for a spot to play immediately). This is something that many of the others are looking for when it comes to the players that have already entered the portal. Many of these players will have the chance to find a new home and play, but the Vols will also need to find some players.

With the departure of someone like Gray, it is important that the Vols take a look at their defensive line group and ask themselves if it is time to look and get some of the players from the portal, even it is for a depth standpoint. The Vols know better than anyone at this current time that injuries can make or break a lot of things, which means the depth is always important. The Vols need to make some moves, and it is hard to imagine that they won't go after some defensive linemen in the portal.

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