A Maryland native, Gilliam spent the past two seasons at Penn State and has a direct connection to Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles.

Tennessee football adds Penn State transfer defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam to the 2026 roster. Gilliam is a redshirt freshman. He is now the fourth player Tennessee has picked up from the transfer portal. 📸 : AP Images pic.twitter.com/ARA9GlpB5A

Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop signed a new NIL deal to secure him on the 2026 roster. The Knoxville native has gone from walk-on to All-SEC.

2026 will mark the third season with 16 SEC teams after Oklahoma and Texas became league members in 2024. Each league school will have three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents for the next four years. Beginning in 2026, Tennessee will play Alabama , Kentucky and Vanderbilt as permanent opponents.

Tennessee AD Danny White took exception to fans blaming him for the Vols' relative inactivity in the transfer portal and directed some sarcasm.

Tennessee football still needs a quarterback, and the options are narrowing in the transfer portal. Here's where coach Josh Heupel is in his search.

Tennessee football legendary defensive lineman coach Rodney Garner has not only been retained but signed an extension with a nice built-in raise. The new contract will run through 2027 and come with a nice bump in pay of $100,000, which will have Garner at a million-dollar salary.

The transfer portal and NIL deals have diminished the long-term impact of traditional recruiting signing days. Many college football players transfer after their second year, seeking more playing time or better NIL opportunities. Top programs like Ohio ...