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Tennessee starter plans to enter transfer portal during spring window, per report
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Tennessee cornerback Rickey Gibson intends to enter the transfer portal when the spring window opens, according to a report.
On3’s Grant Grubbs was first to break that news on Tuesday afternoon, citing a conversation with Gibson. He made an impact in both of his seasons in the Vols’ program and was a starter at cornerback in 2024. He was expected to be a key piece of Tennessee’s secondary in 2025, so this is a big loss for the Volunteers.
Gibson played 364 coverage snaps last season for the Vols, which was 2nd (amongst cornerbacks) on the team to only Jermod McCoy according to Pro Football Focus. Gibson earned a grade of 76.3 for his efforts, per PFF. He was targeted 39 times and allowed 24 catches for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season.
McCoy suffered a torn ACL earlier this offseason, but he’s expected to be back in time to play in 2025. Still, his injury and Gibson’s pending transfer are big blows to Tennessee’s cornerback room for the 2025 campaign.
Of course, Tennessee could look to replace Gibson by adding a cornerback via the transfer portal. It’s also possible the Vols look internally in order to fill Gibson’s spot in the lineup. Kaleb Beasley or Jalen McMurray are both potential options.
The NCAA’s spring transfer window will be open on April 16.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
