Kim Caldwell will get a shot at landing a coveted target from the SEC this weekend

Kim Caldwell got her first commitment for next season on Tuesday, and now, things could be starting to heat up for the Lady Vols in the transfer portal.

Craig Smith College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell claps and yells during a NCAA basketball game at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Feb. 19, 2026. Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The week has dipped into the surreal for the Lady Vols, with no returning players on the roster going into next season for Kim Caldwell.

However, the bleeding stopped on Wednesday, when Liberty sharpshooter Avery Mills committed to Tennessee after a visit to Knoxville. It was the first piece of the puzzle, but a significant one.

Now, Tennessee will get a closer look at a couple of players over the weekend, and they can both fill significant roles for Caldwell. According to On3 Sports’ Talia Goodman, Tennessee will host transfer portal entrants Laila Reynolds from Florida and Mackenzie Nelson from Virginia Tech.

Tennessee to host Florida’s Laila Reynolds and Virginia Tech’s Mackenzie Nelson this weekend

Tennessee has to find points, obviously, and Reynolds provided that last year in her third season in Gainesville with 12.9 points per game, which was third highest on the team. She reached a season-high 21 points on two occasions last season in a win over Florida State and a loss to Texas A&M.

However, Reynolds isn’t going to thrive as a shooter from beyond the arc. She posted a career best 28.6% three point percentage last year. Fortunately, Mills should fill that role very nicely next season.

Nelson wasn’t as much of a scorer at 8.0 points per game last season and her three point percentage was similar to Reynolds at 29.2%, but she led the Hokies by a wide margin with 5.7 assists per game.

We’ll see if Caldwell can close the deal on one or both players this weekend, but, at least at this point, there’s positive momentum going for a program that desperately needs it.