Transfer defender that Tennessee didn’t want to lose could be reuniting with former Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks
Tennessee Vols transfer cornerback Rickey Gibson III is reportedly taking a visit to Auburn.
A Tennessee Vols transfer defensive back could be reuniting with former UT defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
Vols transfer cornerback Rickey Gibson III will visit the Auburn Tigers on Wednesday according to On3.
Banks, who was fired by Tennessee after the Vols’ loss to Vanderbilt in the regular season finale, was recently hired as Auburn’s co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach (former UT offensive coordinator Alex Golesh is the new head coach at Auburn).
Gibson, who missed the majority of the 2025 season after suffering an injury in Week 1, played for Banks at Tennessee from 2023 to 2025.
“I think for him, he’s gotten a lot stronger,” said Banks last July when asked about Gibson. “He’s really paid the price in the weight room and off the field with all the things he needed to do to be a stronger defensive back, and I think you will see that coming to fruition in terms of how he plays. Just be able to see the strength of which he plays with. I think he’s just scratching the surface if I’m being honest. I think he can be even better, and I know he wants to be.”
The Texas A&M Aggies are also in the mix for Gibson.
Tennessee didn’t want to lose Rickey Gibson to the transfer portal
Gibson is a player that Tennessee reportedly didn’t want to lose to the transfer portal.
“Tennessee has lost a lot of guys that they didn’t necessarily want to,” said CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer last week.
“Some of them they wanted to lose, some were contract negotiations. Rickey Gibson isn’t someone they wanted to lose. Tennessee has been making some tough decisions.”
Gibson nearly entered the portal last spring, which is why it’s not a total shock that he’s planning to transfer this offseason — especially with Tennessee bringing in a new defensive coordinator and a new cornerbacks coach.
Auburn and Texas A&M are both on the Vols’ 2026 schedule, so it seems likely that Gibson will play against some of his old teammates next fall.
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