Under-the-radar transfer addition is poised to play a bigger role in the Tennessee Vols’ offense than previously expected

The Tennessee Vols may have landed a hidden gem out of the NCAA transfer portal.

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Tennessee Vols added 21 players from the NCAA transfer portal this winter.

Most of those additions came on the defensive side of the ball, largely due to the Vols hiring a new defensive coordinator in Jim Knowles.

And as expected, most of the attention this offseason has focused on those defensive transfers.

The Vols, however, also made some key offensive additions, including a running back who could end up playing a very important role in Tennessee’s offense in 2026.

Vols transfer running back Javin Gordon is one to watch

With Khalifa Keith transferring to Alabama and Peyton Lewis landing with Virginia, the Vols had a big need at running back during the winter transfer window.

But instead of pursuing some of the top options, Tennessee opted to go with an under-the-radar option in Tulane transfer Javin Gordon.

Gordon, 5-foot-10/210 pounds from Toccoa, GA, rushed for 516 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman last season.

VolQuest’s Austin Price noted during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Tuesday that Gordon is playing with a lot of “self-confidence” this spring.

“Gordon has a chance to get more run,” said Price. “… Gordon’s an interesting player. [He has] a low center of gravity — kind of like a bowling ball, to a degree. To me, he’s a nice change of pace. He’s not just like DeSean Bishop. He’s not as muscular, but I think [he] is just more of a low center of gravity running back.

“Gordon comes in having started five games at Tulane last year. And has some confidence in himself. I think he really fits well in with the other running backs in the room. He’s not a huge personality, but he has a self-confidence about himself that he feels like he can have success.”

VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs also singled out Gordon recently while discussing how spring practice has gone so far for Tennessee.

“He has looked the part,” said Hubbs of Gordon. “Now, they’re starting to add pads, and we’ll see. But I think he can certainly push in that running back backfield, where a guy like Daune Morris understands he’s got to show up every day — nothing is a given for him to be the one-two punch with DeSean Bishop.”

Bishop is undoubtedly going to be the Vols’ lead running back in 2026. But we’ve seen in the past how important it is for Tennessee to have at least two other running backs who can help shoulder the load.

Dylan Sampson, for example, broke down near the end of the 2024 season, leaving him as a non-factor in the Vols’ blowout loss to Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The last thing Tennessee needs in 2026 is for Bishop to suffer a similar fate. If Gordon continues to impress, he could be a nice complement to Bishop.

Tennessee is also high on sophomore Daune Morris, who received just 35 carries as a true freshman last season.

The running back position is extremely important in Josh Heupel’s offense. And Gordon could go a long way in helping that unit stay fresh for the entire season.

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