Tennessee Football Lands Key Wide Receiver Transfer Portal Target

Tennessee football has landed a wide receiver transfer portal target.

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers have been looking to land multiple players in the transfer portal from many different positions and college programs. The Tennessee Vols have the chance to do just that, and they made a major addition on Sunday. The Vols landed a wide receiver transfer portal target.

The Vols landed their second transfer at the wide receiver position, but the first in technicality after Gavin Freeman flipped away from the Vols to the Baylor Bears. The player that they landed on Sunday is Ian Duarte, who is joining the roster from the Idaho State program.

He is an underrated prospect, who will be coming in to play both wide receiver and kick returner, as he will likely be a front-runner for the kick returning gig. Duarte is one of the better names on their board, and now he is transferring to the Vols.

Here is some more information on what Duarte is bringing to the table, according to the Idaho State website.

Ian Duarte transfers to the Tennessee Volunteers | Ian Duarte

Ian Duarte's 2025

"Appeared in all 12 games for the Bengals during the 2025 season...Recorded 46 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns...Averaged 43.4 receiving yards per game and added 17 rushing yards on six carries...Turned in a career-best receiving performance at UNLV on 08/23/25 with a career-long 64-yard reception...Posted career-best rushing marks at Northern Colo. on 09/27/25 with three carries for 18 yards...Contributed in the return game with a season-long 31-yard punt return against LU (CA) on 09/20/25 and a season-long 28-yard kick return at Montana St. on 10/11/25."

Ian Duarte's 2024

"In the 2024 season, Duarte burst onto the scene as a strong component to the Bengal inside receiver group... Duarte appeared in all 12 games for Idaho State and started in four of them... Against the Western Oregon Wolves on 09/07/2024, Duarte had a career day. He posted his high total reception yards, 123 yards, which all occurred in the first half of the game. Duarte hauled in nine receptions against the Wolves and scored a game-high two touchdowns in the Bengal 50-10 win... On the year, Duarte had 47 total receptions, crossing the 500-yard mark with 504 total receiving yards... Averaged 10.7 yards per catch and in his games played, averaged 45.8 yards per game... Also against the Wolves, Duarte had his season-long reception, a 41-yard completion... Duarte had at least one reception in every game for the Bengals in 2024."

Ian Duarte's 2023

"Appeared in one game for the Bengals in 2023... Against Idaho had two receptions for 10 yards."

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