Former Notre Dame starting OL finds his new home via the transfer portal, and it’s with an SEC playoff squad
It wasn’t much of a surprise to see several Notre Dame players enter the transfer portal following the national championship game this week. It was even less of a surprise to see multiple offensive linemen enter, especially with how deep and talented that room is. There are some interesting positional battles up front on the […]
It wasn’t much of a surprise to see several Notre Dame players enter the transfer portal following the national championship game this week. It was even less of a surprise to see multiple offensive linemen enter, especially with how deep and talented that room is. There are some interesting positional battles up front on the horizon this offseason.
One player who opted to find a new home was redshirt freshman Sam Pendleton, who started the first seven games of the season for the Fighting Irish. The 6-4, 305-pound mauler got off to a pretty strong start this fall, but had a ton of struggles down the stretch of the season, and was eventually replaced heading into the game against Navy.
With three years of eligibility remaining, Pendleton is a player who has quite the market for his services. There aren’t enough talented offensive linemen across college football, and the demand is always high when ones do choose to enter. Despite the demand, the leader for Pendleton became apparent quickly, and it was solidified on Friday when he committed to Tennessee.
For those who watched the Volunteers down the stretch of the season, you know the offensive line was a major weakness. Tennessee has also signed former Arizona offensive guard Wendell Moe Jr. this offseason, so they fully understand the need to find quality interior offensive linemen. Pendleton is clearly a part of that equation.
The Volunteers offense is in a bit of a strange place heading into the 2025 season. They lost starting running back Dylan Sampson to the NFL, as well as wide receivers Bru McCoy and Donte’ Thornton. With head coach Josh Heupel leading the offense, you can bet the scene is going to be tremendous. The bigger question is whether the talent will be.
Former Notre Dame starting offensive lineman enters transfer portal following national title loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes
A former Notre Dame starter is on the move.
