Portal Tracker: Following Tennessee football's activity in the NCAA Transfer Portal

Tracking all of Tennessee football’s activity in the NCAA Transfer Portal following the end of the regular season:

COMMITMENTS FROM THE PORTAL

LINEBACKER KEENAN PILI — BYU

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound Pili, who spent the last four years with the Cougars, announced his commitment on social media. He had 191 tackles in 34 career games at BYU, including 62 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks in 12 games this season. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks during his time with the Cougars. Pili, a native of Provo, Utah, was a three-star prospect in the 2016 recruiting cycle out of Timpview High School. He was ranked No. 107 among linebackers in the class and No. 12 overall in the state of Utah. 

SIGNEES FROM THE PORTAL

OFFENSIVE TACKLE ANDREJ KARIC — TEXAS

Andrej Karic, a 6-foot-5, 306-pound offensive tackle from Texas, announced his commitment to Tennessee on Monday afternoon. He played 26 games over the last three seasons with the Longhorns, making two starts this season while appearing in all 12 games. He entered the transfer portal on December 5. He was a four-star prospect out of Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas, ranked No. 305 overall in the 2020 class. He was ranked No. 31 at offensive tackle and was the No. 42 overall player in the state of Texas. Tennessee is losing All-SEC First Team right tackle Darnell Wright to the NFL Draft.

TIGHT END MCCALLAN CASTLES — UC DAVIS

UC-Davis tight end McCallan Castles, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end, was Tennessee’s first commitment out of the transfer portal in the 2023 class. Castles was second-team All-Big Sky after catching 32 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He had 27 catches for 363 yards and four touchdowns in 2021, after catching 12 passes for 194 yards in the COVID spring season in 2021, leading to first-team All-Big Sky honors.

Castles played three games at Cal in 2018 and played for the Golden Bears against UC Davis early in 2019 before transferring. He has one year of eligibility to use at Tennessee.

KICKER CHARLES CAMPBELL — INDIANA

Indiana kicker Charles Campbell was Tennessee’s second commitment out of the portal, announcing his decision not long after the McCallan Castles commitment. 

Campbell is No. 8 in Indiana football history in field goals made with 37 and is 14th in career points, with 179. He’s kicked five field goals from 50 yards or farther, including a career-best 55. 

Campbell grew up a Tennessee fan and took an official visit to see the Vols in 2014.

TENNESSEE OFFERS IN THE PORTAL

WIDE RECEIVER KENT DEVONTEZ WALKER — KENT STATE (Committed to North Carolina)

Devontez Walker, a 6-foot-3, 192-pound redshirt sophomore out of Charlotte, N.C., led Kent State in receiving this season with 58 catches for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns, tied for seventh most in college football. Walker reportedly had offers from Penn State, South Carolina, North Carolina and Miami, along with the Vols.

Walker averaged 75.5 yards per game and had four games over 100 yards, including three straight against Georgia, Ohio and Miami (Ohio). He had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in Kent State’s game at Georgia, including a screen pass he took 56 yards for a touchdown while showcasing his speed. He had a season-high 121 yards on six catches against Eastern Michigan. 

He was a three-star prospect in the On3 Consensus in the 2019 recruiting cycle, out of West Charlotte High School. 

RUNNING BACK MARSHAWN LLOYD — SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina running back Marshawn Lloyd entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on December 12, after three seasons at South Carolina. He rushed 175 times for 801 yards and 10 touchdowns during his time with the Gamecocks. He had 111 rushes for 573 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games this season, to go with 18 catches for 176 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Lloyd was a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 46 overall, No. 5 at running back and No. 4 in the state of Maryland, where attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. 

WIDE RECEIVER RARA THOMAS — MISSISSIPPI STATE (Committed to Georgia)

RaRa Thomas, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver out of Mississippi State, entered the portal on December 12, after two seasons with the Bulldogs. He had 62 catches for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns in two years in Starkville, with 44 catches for 626 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Thomas, out of Eufala High School in Eufala, Ala., was a three-star prospect in 2021 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 769 nationally, No. 113 at wide receiver and No. 31 in the state of Alabama.

WIDE RECEIVER DONT’E THORNTON — OREGON

Dont’e Thornton, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound sophomore out of Oregon, caught 17 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown in 11 games with the Ducks this season. He had nine receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns in four games at Oregon as a freshman in 2021. Thornton, out of Mount Saint Joseph in Baltimore, Md., was a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 71 overall, No. 10 at wide receiver and No. 3 in the state of Maryland. 

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OMAR NORMAN-LOTT — ARIZONA STATE

Omar Norman-Lott, the 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive lineman from Arizona Sate, entered the transfer portal on December 5. He was a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 347 overall, No. 39 among defensive limens and No. 33 overall in the state of California, where he attended Grant Union High School in North Highlands, Calif. Norman-Lott spent three seasons at Arizona State, using a redshirt year in 2020, then recording 45 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sack over the last two seasons. He had 14 tackles in nine games this year, with 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE AJANI CORNELIUS — RHODE ISLAND (Signed with Oregon)

Ajani Cornelius, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive tackle out of Rhode Island, has started all 22 games of his collegiate career at right tackle. He was a First Team All-CAA pick for Rhode Island this season, on an offensive line that allowed 21 sacks over 11 games. Cornelius is form Harlem, N.Y., and played high school football at Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., helping his team win back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 2019. He was an unrated prospect out of high school with offers from Rhode Island, Bryant, Howard and Hampton.

TIGHT END KYLE MORLOCK — SHORTER UNIVERSITY (Signed with Florida State)

Kyle Morlock, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound tight end out of Rome, Ga., was a two-time Division II All-American at Shorter University. He caught 51 passes for 808 yards during his time at Shorter. His scholarship offers included Tennessee alongside LSU, Oklahoma, Tulane, Illinois, Florida State, Liberty, Pitt, North Carolina State, Missouri, Georgia Southern and Sam Houston State. 

TENNESSEE PLAYERS IN THE PORTAL

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN TIGHT END MILES CAMPBELL

Miles Campbell, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound redshirt freshman tight end out of Douglasville, Ga., announced his intentions to enter the portal on December 1. He played four games before redshirting in 2021, primarily on special teams. He played 13 snaps against UT Martin this season, but missed time the last two years while dealing with injuries.

Campbell is a former three-star prospect out of South Paulding High School. He was by the On3 Consensus as the No. 440 overall player in the 2021 recruiting cycle. He was the No. 18 tight end in the class and the No. 34 overall player in the state of Georgia. 

Redshirt senior Princeton Fant led Tennessee’s tight ends this season with 20 receptions for 222 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed six times as a fullback for 17 yards and five more touchdowns and even threw a 66-yard touchdown on a trick play against UT Martin on his only pass attempt of the season. Redshirt senior Jacob Warren, who still has a year of eligibility remaining should he choose to use it, caught 12 passes for 163 yards. The Vols signed four-star tight end Ethan Davis in the 2023 class.

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE RUNNINGB BACK LEN’NETH WHITEHEAD

Len’Neth Whitehead, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder out of Athens Academy in Athens, Ga., entered the portal on November 30. He struggled to stay healthy during his time with the Vols. He played in six games last season, rushing 32 times for 217 yards and two touchdowns, but missed time due to injury.

Whitehead was sidelined by a foot injury during his senior year of high school and was still in the rehab process when he enrolled at Tennessee. His freshman season ended with a shoulder injury. His sophomore season was slowed by injuries, too.

An upper-body injury in August required surgery that ended his redshirt sophomore season during fall camp.

Whitehead was a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 191 overall, No. 22 among running back and No. 20 out of the state of Georgia. 

FRESHMAN RUNNING BACK JUSTIN WILLIAMS-THOMAS

Justin Williams-Thomas, the 6-foot, 210-pound freshman running back, entered the portal on November 30. He appeared in three games for the Vols this season, rushing 11 times for 37 yards. 

Williams-Thomas had three rushes for six yards against Ball State in the season opener on September 1. He had five carries for 22 yards in the 63-6 win over Akron on September 17 and had three carries for nine yards against UT Martin on October 22.

Williams-Thomas was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, picking Tennessee over Auburn. He was ranked No. 235 overall in the On3 Consensus, was the No. 16 running back in the class and the No. 27 overall prospect out of the state of Georgia, where he attended East Paulding High School in Dallas, Ga.

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JIMMY CALLOWAY (Signed with Louisville)

Jimmy Calloway, who entered the portal on November 30, never found his footing at Tennessee. He finished his career with the Vols with just nine receptions over three seasons, totaling 124 yards and a touchdown. This season, Calloway had two catches for 20 yards. His career highlight was a 44-yard touchdown pass against Pitt last season at Neyland Stadium.

FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JORDAN PHILLIPS (Committed to Maryland)

Jordan Phillips was a three-star prospect out of Ocoee High School in Ocoee, Fla. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound freshman defensive lineman was ranked as the No. 73 overall defensive line prospect in the 2022 rankings. He was the No. 86 overall prospect in the state of Florida. He picked Tennessee over offers from Michigan, Miami, Auburn, Missouri, Florida and Iowa State, among others.

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER JIMMY HOLIDAY

Jimmy Holiday the first Tennessee player to announce his intentions to enter the portal this offseason on November 30, spent three season with the Vols. The Mississippi native arrived on campus as a quarterback and was quickly moved to receiver. As a freshman in 2020, Holiday had one jet sweep rush for six yards. In 2021 he had one catch and five kickoff returns. 

This season Holiday had five catches, including a touchdown, in mop-up duty against Ball State and UT-Martin. He has been a key part of special teams. Holiday averaged 20 yards per kickoff return this fall on 14 returns and had a long of 61 against Florida. 

In coverage, Holiday was a key part on kickoff and punt teams downing several punts inside the 20-yard line. As a gunner he helped the punt coverage unit be one of the best, with Tennessee giving up just five yards per punt return this season.