Walter Nolen, a native of Knoxville, nearly committed to Tennessee after high school but ultimately chose to play for the Texas A&M Aggies. The Vols suffered a significant in-state loss in losing him, who was the top-rated prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. Two years later, Tennessee was contacting Nolen through the transfer portal once more in an attempt to recruit him. Ole Miss and Oregon emerged as the front-runners for Nolen, despite Tennessee’s early status as a candidate. Earlier in the week, Nolen committed to the Rebels and head coach Lane Kiffin, ending his second recruiting cycle. He joins Tamarion McDonald and Tyler Baron, two former Tennessee Volunteers who transferred there this offseason.

Football in Tennessee is almost done with the offseason. After finishing the regular season, the Vols are concentrating on building their roster for the 2023 campaign. With all of the most recent NFL Draft announcements and portal entries, Volunteer Country has the fans covered. The portal window is open from January 2 to December 4. Players will have to wait until May after spring practice to access the transfer portal if they do not transfer within that time.