Edge rusher Caleb Herring spent the first three seasons of his career at Tennessee before transferring to South Carolina earlier this offseason.

Herring was a highly-touted four-star recruit coming out of high school, but he totaled just five sacks during his time with the Vols.

The Georgia native hit the transfer portal after Tennessee made a defensive coordinator change following the 2025 regular season.

While it wasn’t necessarily a surprise to see Herring transfer, it wasn’t a decision that was easy for him.

Herring admitted earlier this month that leaving Tennessee was the hardest decision he’s had to make.

“It was the hardest decision I had to make,” said Herring. “I felt like it was time for me to leave Tennessee, and give my best somewhere else. After the first five or six games that were good, there was a little dip in consistency.”

Herring recorded three sacks in the first three games of the 2025 season, but he only had one sack over the rest of the season.

Caleb Herring says he has good memories from his time at Tennessee

Herring said earlier this summer on 1801 Media that he has fond memories of his time at Tennessee.

“I feel like going to Tennessee, I really feel like that helped make me into the person I am today,” said Herring. “And then sitting behind two high-end guys, Joshua Josephs and James Pearce, they really helped me build my game. Even though the first two seasons, I’m not going to lie, they were very frustrating. I barely played. But just learning behind those two guys, it ultimately led to the season I had last year.

“And then shoot, I felt like my time at Tennessee had ended. Like after that year, I have good memories and stuff from there, but I just felt like it was time.”

Herring has reportedly had a strong fall camp with the Gamecocks — specifically showing up against the run. He’s poised to play a key role in South Carolina’s defense in 2026.

Tennessee will see Herring on October 24 when the Vols travel to Columbia for a matchup against South Carolina.