The transfer portal chaos has begun, and Tennessee Football is looking to fill some holes in the roster. Part of that included extending an offer to former MTSU defensive lineman Marley Cook.
Cook took to Twitter/X to announce his offer. He has also received offers thus far from UConn, Missouri, Miami, Boston College, Louisville, TCU, Baylor, California, Ohio State and Oregon State, among others.
“Blessed to receive an offer from The University of Tennessee,” Cook posted.
He becomes the first known offer for the Vols in this portal cycle. The transfer portal officially opens for most players on Monday. Cook has one season remaining of eligibility.
Cook picked up 22 tackles, six tackles for loss and a sack this season for MTSU. The Blue Raiders recently fired veteran head coach Rick Stockstill after a 4-8 season. Cook started all 12 games this year.
Last season, Cook added 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. This year, he only played against one Power 5 team — Alabama.
Cook was a team captain for MTSU this season while working mainly on the interior defensive line. He is originally from Water Valley, Mississippi and attended Water Valley High School.
Cook is the No. 20 overall prospect in the transfer portal according to 247Sports Composite. He is a three-star prospect.
The 6-foot-2, 298-pound defensive lineman could provide a big boost for a Tennessee Football defensive line likely losing several key contributors. Tyler Baron and Omarr Norman-Lott will likely test the draft waters. Elijah Simmons, Kurott Garland and Omari Thomas all are seniors who provided a lot of consistency in the middle of the Vols’ defensive line.
Norman-Lott was a defensive line transfer from Arizona State who found success, picking up six tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Rodney Garner’s group had one of the best seasons in recent memory. The defense finished with 36 sacks. For much of the early part of the season, the defensive line ranked among the top in the country in rush defense and pass rush, before skidding to finish the season.
