Color us a bit surprised by this move. Thus far, Vysen Lang and Kaleb Webb were the known players on the Tennessee Vols football team who were planning to enter the transfer portal. Now, though, another name has been added to the list and it’s a big one.
That’d be linebacker Jalen Smith, who has been solid for Tim Banks and the Tennessee defense in 2024. Due to injuries, Smith saw significant playing time this fall and the expectation was that he’d build an even bigger role for himself next campaign. That won’t happen, with Hayes Fawcett reporting Smith will be entering the portal instead:
Key Tennessee LB Jalen Smith will enter the transfer potal
As of this writing, it’s totally unknown if Smith will be with the team for the College Football Playoff run. This is quite surprising, as Smith looked strong for the Tennessee defense and seemed to be in good spirits leading up to the regular season finale against Vanderbilt.
In 2024, the 6-2, 230-pounder turned heads at times, posting 34 tackles on the year. Smith was always trusted to post a stop when a runner was in front of him. With him wanting to play elsewhere moving forward, however, does this mean he indeed won’t be on the field for the CFP? Who knows at this point, which is disappointing.
Coming out of high school in 2023, Smith was ranked three stars and the No. 36 ‘backer in the country according to the 247Sports Composite – he was also the No. 43 player from Georgia for his class. He chose the Vols over Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, LSU, Oregon, Pitt and many others.
The Smith news has caught a lot of people off guard and understandably so. Tennessee will be finding out its final seeding for the College Football Playoff soon, but it now looks like there’s a strong chance it won’t have Smith available to make plays for them.