There's a player in the NCAA transfer portal the Tennessee Vols need to pursue for the 2023 season
There's a player in the NCAA transfer portal the Tennessee Vols need to pursue, but he likely wouldn't help the team until 2023. LSU linebacker Antoine Sampah entered the transfer portal this week. According to Tigers head coach Brian Kelly, Sampah is healthy after dealing with some injuries this summer. Sampah is a former four-star […]
There's a player in the NCAA transfer portal the Tennessee Vols need to pursue, but he likely wouldn't help the team until 2023.
LSU linebacker Antoine Sampah entered the transfer portal this week. According to Tigers head coach Brian Kelly, Sampah is healthy after dealing with some injuries this summer.
Sampah is a former four-star recruit who signed with LSU during the 2020 recruiting cycle. He was rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 6 inside linebacker in the nation.
The Virginia native played in four games as a true freshman in 2020, but he missed all of last season due to injury.
Here's the scouting report on Sampah from 247Sports:
Ideal inside linebacker frame with length. Physical and sure tackler in the box. Quick to diagnose plays and move downhill. Comfortable in traffic. Disengages and locates ball carrier well. Possesses closing speed. Strong in lower body. Can push ballcarrier back. Effective interior blitzer. Must become more flexible in lower body. Has to improve lateral movement. Needs to prove he can chase play to edge. Consistency with drop depth is an issue. Multi-year starter at top program. Mid-round NFL draft pick.
Sampah visited Tennessee twice during the recruiting process (when Jeremy Pruitt was the head coach), so there was some previous interest there.
The Vols need to continue adding linebackers. And Sampah would provide great depth and he could potentially turn into a key player for the Volunteers.
Unfortunately, Sampah has missed the cutoff to be eligible this season. So unless he received a waiver from the NCAA (it's possible, but it's far from a certainty), he'd have to wait until next season to play for Tennessee. I think it would be worth it for both sides. It would give Sampah a chance to get completely healthy and it would give the Vols a much-needed addition on the defensive side of the ball.
This is a move that UT should at least entertain.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports
