Tennessee set to face Lance Heard next season after he commits to one of the Vols’ biggest rivals
The former Vol is on his way to one of Tennessee’s annual rivals.
Lance Heard will likely be playing football on the field at Neyland Stadium again in 2026. He will, however, be wearing a different-colored uniform when doing it.
Tennessee’s starting left tackle entered the portal last week after the end of the Vols’ 2025 season. And he ended up coming out as a Kentucky Wildcat. Per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Heard committed to Kentucky on Saturday.
Former Tennessee tackle Lance Heard commits to Kentucky Wildcats
There have been a couple of reasons mentioned as to why Heard could have moved on from Tennessee. Five-star freshman David Sanders, Jr. lived up to the hype he generated coming into the season with a solid performance at right tackle. His future is on the left side, where Heard was stationed.
Also, per VolQuest’s Austin Price, Heard’s agent was asking for a huge sum of money, one that Tennessee was not willing to entertain.
The move to Kentucky is an interesting one in particular because the UK program is in a state of flux after the firing of Mark Stoops. With Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein having just taken over the role, what they’ll look like in 2026 is a big unknown.
However, adding Heard is obviously a big get for them. It was also notable how they managed to get Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, the top quarterback in the transfer portal, in town for a visit.
In any event, Heard and the Wildcats will be taking the field in Knoxville on Saturday, November 7. And Heard will surely be motivated to show Josh Heupel and Tennessee what they’re potentially missing without him.
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