Tennessee football has a luxury that many other programs don't as portal mania begins
The new age of college football is upon us, as the transfer portal has opened, and players are announcing left and right their intentions to head to new destinations to finish their college careers – or eventually leave again in some cases. The biggest headliner moves have involved quarterbacks, and many noteworthy names are now […]
The new age of college football is upon us, as the transfer portal has opened, and players are announcing left and right their intentions to head to new destinations to finish their college careers – or eventually leave again in some cases.
The biggest headliner moves have involved quarterbacks, and many noteworthy names are now free agents. Riley Leonard (Duke), Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), Will Rogers (Mississippi State), Tyler Van Dyke (Miami), Cam Ward (Washington State), Max Brown (Florida) and Max Johnson (Texas A&M) are among the names looking for new homes. Johnson already found a new school, committing to LSU.
And the NIL price tag isn't cheap for their services either. Per On3 quoting Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, the cost of a good transfer portal QB is between $1 and 2 million.
While many schools are looking for a difference maker and will ultimately shell out seven figures for their services, Tennessee isn't in that situation. With freshman Nico Iamaleava set to take over as the Vols' starting quarterback in 2024, Tennessee doesn't have to spend high NIL money on securing a difference maker.
Sure, the Vols might be able to land someone who is willing to back him up, but the NIL compensation shouldn't be nearly what it is for top starters. Tyler Van Dyke is a player that might fit that mold, but he will likely have significant interest from other programs looking at him as a starter.
What it all means is Tennessee can turn its portal recruiting efforts and financial commitments towards other areas of need, and they can do so first ahead of other programs that might have the same need but have to shore up their QB positions first. Specifically in the areas of secondary, linebacker, and wide receiver.
That's a nice position for the Vols to be in.
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