The expectation is that the Tennessee Vols will pursue a quarterback in the NCAA transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2.

One of the quarterbacks that Tennessee’s already been connected to is TCU’s Josh Hoover.

Hoover, who was briefly pursued by Tennessee this past spring, played in an offense at TCU that’s similar to what the Vols run under Josh Heupel. That alone makes Hoover a logical fit for Tennessee.

How much money is Josh Hoover expected to command as a transfer quarterback?

It’s unclear how aggressive Tennessee plans to be in the transfer quarterback market. The Vols have several transfer needs — specifically on the defensive side of the ball — so they may not be eager to spend big money on a quarterback.

The feeling is that quarterbacks near the top of the market could command anywhere from $4 million to $5 million.

Hoover isn’t expected to be quite that expensive, but he won’t be cheap, either.

ESPN’s Max Olson suggested on Monday that Hoover could land a deal worth more than $3 million.

“Hoover has played a lot of winning football and is another proven veteran QB who’s likely to fetch more than $3 million on his next deal,” wrote Olson.

If a bidding war starts for Hoover, that number could get close to $4 million, depending on how wild the transfer market gets.

We’ll see if Tennessee plans to spend that much on a quarterback. It won’t be a surprise if the Vols choose to pursue more affordable options and spend big money on other positions.

Tennessee Volunteers News

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel makes statement that he shouldn’t have to make

Vols head coach Josh Heupel made it clear this week that winning national championships is the standard at Tennessee.

Zach Ragan