The Tennessee Vols are losing a key starter to the transfer portal and there may be an explanation for why it’s happening
The Tennessee Vols are losing a key starter to the NCAA transfer portal.
The Tennessee Vols are losing a key starter to the NCAA transfer portal.
Vols starting left tackle Lance Heard announced on Thursday that he’s planning to enter the portal when it opens on Friday.
Heard, who started his career at LSU, spent the last two seasons with the Volunteers.
Why is Lance Heard leaving Tennessee?
Heard, who played in Tennessee’s loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday, could’ve declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
That’s why it’s a bit of a surprise that he’s electing to hit the portal instead of staying at Tennessee or going to the NFL.
One reason why Heard is transferring could be due to a disagreement over whether he should play left or right tackle for the Vols in 2026.
Heard played left tackle the last two seasons, but the feeling around Tennessee is that rising sophomore David Sanders Jr is going to move to left tackle in 2026.
“I think the rubber meets the road on the whole left tackle thing,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price last month. “Because David Sanders is planning on being Tennessee’s starting left tackle next year. So that’s a discussion that both sides have to have if Lance wants to come back. And what does Tennessee do there? But that’s why they pay Josh Heupel $9 million to make those decisions.”
This is speculation, but it looks like Heard is hitting the transfer portal so he can find a place to play left tackle next fall.
As for Tennessee, they could look to the transfer portal for an offensive tackle, or they could start Jesse Perry at right tackle.
Perry filled in at right tackle for the Vols during the first month of the 2025 season while Sanders was sidelined.
Earlier on Thursday, news broke that Vols redshirt freshman offensive tackle Bennett Warren is entering the portal.
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