The transfer portal and NIL continue to transform college athletics, creating new challenges for coaching staffs as they try to keep their rosters together year to year. It’s pretty much a given at this point that you’re going to lose players, one way or the other, as athletes now hold all the power to move freely to another situation if they choose.
Tennessee has lost four players to the portal this season, but really just one of true significance. Former five-star power forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield opted to enter the portal after just one season in Knoxville, despite having a significant role lined up for next season.