Tennessee football set to lose linebacker to transfer portal

After the Tennessee football program finished their season 10-2 and second in the SEC, they could be losing a member of their defense. Tennessee redshirt freshman linebacker Jalen Smith appears to be one of the college football athletes who could be looking for a new opportunity in the NCAA transfer portal, per Hayes Fawcett of On3 on X.

“BREAKING: Tennessee LB Jalen Smith plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports,” Fawcett wrote. “The 6’2 225 LB totaled 34 Tackles & two TFLs this season. Appeared in all 12 games in 2024 for the Vols. Will have three years of eligibility remaining.”

Entering college, Smith was a three-star recruit out of Loganville, GA, playing his high school ball for the Grayson Rams. Smith was ranked 44th among recruits in Georgia, ranking as the 42nd-best linebacker that year.

And after two years with Tennessee’s football program, Smith appears to be entering the transfer portal.

Tennessee football program likely losing LB Jalen Smith to transfer portal

In 2024, the Volunteers continued their streak of winning records, dating back to 2021. Once he became Tennessee’s head football coach, Josh Heupel has had the Volunteers playing some of their best football since the late 1990s or early 2000s.

Coming in as the second double-digit-win season for Tennessee’s football program in their last three seasons, the Volunteers look to make an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

As a redshirt freshman, Smith has appeared in 17 games over two years, totaling 38 tackles and two tackles for loss. Though he wasn’t incredibly productive for Tennessee, a change of scenery could help the soon-to-be redshirt sophomore.