Undergraduate FBS athletes have access to the NCAA transfer portal through Monday, and Tennessee has already begun scouting and reaching out to players from other universities whose records are in the database in order to pursue other opportunities.

After being chosen for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Sunday, the Vols still have one game left in the 2023 season: they will play Iowa in Orlando on New Year’s Day. However, the coaching staff will spend the most of the upcoming weeks evaluating their needs and assembling the squad for 2024. With the Early Signing Period approaching later in December, this is a big recruiting month. Tennessee’s coaches will be focusing on portal targets during their travels and final visitation days.

Tennessee’s preference, according to third-year head coach Josh Heupel, is to build the majority of the program through traditional high school recruiting.

The Vols currently have a 20-member class of committed players ranked No. 12 for 2024, which includes 12 blue-chippers. This class comes after a top-10 2023 class. However, the Vols shown a year ago that they will make use of the transfer site to add players to the roster as needed and to get plug-and-play starters.