It’s baffling enough that the Tennessee Football program would suffer a loss into the transfer portal in late February just as spring practice is about to start. Who is leaving the Vols, though, may be the biggest shocker of all given what has happened to the program this offseason.
Vols cornerback Rickey Gibson III is reportedly planning entering the portal, according to Grant Grubbs of ON3. Gibson started the final 12 games of the season for the Vols opposite Jermod McCoy and was a crucial part of UT’s secondary having a dramatic turnaround last year.
That impact makes it crazy enough that Gibson would leave. However, given the fact that McCoy suffered an ACL tear, which could have him hobbled the first month of the season, Gibson’s role was likely to increase even more this year. He’d be the No. 1 cornerback for a period of time.
Beyond that, Gibson’s play also seemed to be a big reason Jordan Matthews, who was a member of the 2022 Tennessee Football recruiting class with Gibson and was actually more highly touted, entered the transfer portal himself this offseason.
Simply put, this is an odd time for Gibson to enter. There can only be three explanations. The first is a Mike Matthews situation. Perhaps he’s entering the portal for more leverage to negotiate a better NIL deal. Since the Vols will need him a lot more, that makes a ton of sense.
Secondly, what if he’s scared of the moment? Perhaps he’s worried that moving over to the No. 1 cornerback will be a bad look for him and that he can’t guard No. 1 receivers. That seems crazy, but if you’re smartly thinking about your NFL Draft stock, maybe it isn’t.
Thirdly, there’s the possibility that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee football coaching staff are targeting other cornerbacks in the transfer portal with McCoy hurt, and that could push Gibson to the bench when McCoy comes back. Heck, he may just be bitter that they’re targeting other guys.
None of those are really likely reasons for Gibson entering the portal except for NIL negotiations. In general, though, Tennessee football fans need to take a step back. There could be a lot of moving parts with what’s happening in the Vols’ secondary right now, and it may not have all played out just yet.
