Report on former Vols player blows up what was once seen as a massive advantage for the Tennessee football program
A bombshell report about a former Tennessee Vols player surfaced on Wednesday night that essentially blows up what was once seen as a major NIL advantage for the UT football program. The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that former Vols walk-on wide receiver Grant Frerking has "has tumbled into a mess of financial scams and legal […]
A bombshell report about a former Tennessee Vols player surfaced on Wednesday night that essentially blows up what was once seen as a major NIL advantage for the UT football program.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that former Vols walk-on wide receiver Grant Frerking has "has tumbled into a mess of financial scams and legal issues that have him asking former Vols athletes for loans".
From The Knoxville News Sentinel: In the past six months alone, a Davidson County judge has ordered Frerking to vacate two apartments in swanky Nashville neighborhoods where he ran up nearly $16,400 in unpaid debts, according to court documents reviewed by Knox News.
All the while, Frerking has been accused of pretending to work for Metro Straw, his former ground cover business, to collect money from customers who sent payments believing he still worked there, only to be left without product delivered. Read more here.
After leaving the Tennessee football program, Frerking was hired by On3 to serve as the company's "director of athlete network development". He was also the president of On3's "NIL University".
Frerking has since been let go by On3 amid the allegations against him.
"On3 is aware of allegations concerning a former employee, whose employment ended on May 27, 2025," said On3's Shannon Terry in a statement. "On3 has a zero tolerance policy for blatant violations of its internal standards and values, and takes allegations of criminal misconduct especially seriously. An internal investigation into the allegations is ongoing. On3 has no further comment at this time."
Frerking, who gained notoriety during his time at Tennessee as a result of his role as the CEO of "Metro Straw", was seen as someone who provided UT with an edge in the new world of NIL deals thanks to the roles he held in which he worked closely with student-athletes, NIL reps, and other colleges.
Essentially, Frerking, who remained close to the program and had noted that he was close with Vols head coach Josh Heupel, was able to provide (if Tennessee chose to utilize it) unique insight to his alma mater when it came to the volatile NIL market and the deals that were being made around the sport.
Here's how Frerking was described by Tennessee on the program's official website.
From UTSports.com: Founded GTF Enterprises with the mission of changing the landscape of college athletics through NIL opportunities—including endorsements, engagements, appearances and partnerships … Serves as President of NIL University (NIL U), a branch of On3 that provides resources and a playbook for NCAA student-athletes, their representatives, collectives and colleges to safely and successfully navigate the new frontier of Name, Image and Likeness … Named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Figures in NIL by On3.com
It's unclear just how often (or to what extent) Tennessee utilized Frerking's NIL insight/inside information. But there's no doubt that it could've served as a huge advantage for Tennessee. Most of the public information floating around about NIL deals is based on rumor and hearsay. Frerking, however, was in a role where he likely had access to first-hand information that would be beneficial to Tennessee as the program tried to navigate the ever-changing world of NIL deals.
The report on Frerking should serve as a cautionary tale to student-athletes (and perhaps even staff members) that the NIL world is ripe for fraud and exploitation.
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