Former Tennessee defensive back announces commitment to ACC school
Former Tennessee defensive back Wesley Walker has announced his intentions of completing his athletic and academic career at Louisville. The move came via his social media accounts Monday afternoon as this will be walker’s third stop along his collegiate journey.
Walker, who transferred from Georgia Tech to Tennessee after the 2021 season, had 89 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two interceptions in 23 games with the Vols. In 2023, he finished fourth on the team with 53 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Walker became the seventh Tennessee defensive back to enter the portal since the end of the season and the 11th overall.
— Wes Walk (@weswalkerr_) January 8, 2024
The [now] former Vol entered the transfer portal on December 22 and will be eligible immediately following the recent court ruling that allows transfers to move once again. Walker was injured in the loss at Missouri and missed the final two games of the regular season against Geogia and Vanderbilt – as well as the Citrus Bowl win over Iowa.
Other Tennessee players who have entered the transfer portal include Warren Burrell (committed to Georgia Tech), Mo Clipper (committed to Charlotte), Doneiko Slaughter (committed to Arkansas), Addison Nichols (committed to Arkansas), Tyler Baron (committed to Ole Miss), Tamarion McDonald (committed to Ole Miss), Jack Luttrell (committed to Arizona), Brandon Turnage, Gerald Mincey and De’Shawn Rucker.
Tennessee has since added four players via the transfer portal, a list that includes tight end Holden Staes (Notre Dame), safety Jakobe Thomas (MTSU), cornerback Jermod McCoy (Oregon State) and wide receiver Chris Brazzell (Tulane).
The Vols have witnessed five layers who have officially announced their intentions of utilizing the free year of COVID eligibility to return to campus next fall, a list that boasts John Campbell, Cooper Mays, Keenan Pili, Omari Thomas and Bru McCoy.
Understanding the Transfer Portal
The winter transfer portal window opened on December 4th and runs for 30 days. The winter window to enter the portal closes on January 2nd. The spring portal window runs from April 16-30th.
Players don’t have to pick a school they are going to during those specific dates but those are the span of dates on when a player can enter the portal.
Those dates don’t apply to graduate transfers who can enter the portal whenever they wish prior to May 1st. Also, if there’s a head coaching change, players can enter the portal outside of those dates.
Players who enter the portal in the 30 day winter window are trying to be somewhere for the spring semester.
For Tennessee the spring semester starts on January 22nd which is late compared to many schools around the country. Tennessee a year ago started a winter mini-term class that runs the first 3 weeks of January.
With the portal, schools also have to stay at 85 or below in their scholarships numbers, meaning when the spring semester starts they can’t be over 85. In Tennessee’s case, that number is closer to 82 as the Vols balance the scholarship reductions that they received last July when the NCAA ruled on the Jeremy Pruitt case.
