Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert announces transfer portal plans
Published:
Tennessee starting kicker Max Gilbert has decided to enter the transfer portal.
Gilbert announced that news on Friday afternoon on the first official day of the transfer window in college football.
“After long and thoughtful conversations with my friends and family, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility remaining,” Gilbert wrote. “This was a very difficult decision. I will never forget my time on Rocky Top and will forever cherish the moments spent I spent at the University of Tennessee.”
Here’s Gilbert’s announcement:
Gilbert was the starting kicker for the Vols in each of the past 2 seasons. He went a perfect 118-for-118 on extra points, but struggled on field goals — particularly in 2025. Gilbert missed key field goals in close losses to Illinois, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Over 2 seasons in Knoxville, Gilbert made 75.6% of his field goal attempts. Gilbert was 8-of-10 from inside of 40 yards this season.
This means Tennessee will likely need to pursue a kicker in the transfer portal this offseason. The Vols have not signed a high school kicker in the class of 2026 to date, although that could change as well in the coming weeks.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
