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Tennessee transfer LB Jalen Smith commits to Mississippi State

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly12/19/24

MattConnollyOn3

Jalen Smith
(© Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

Former Tennessee linebacker Jalen Smith is staying in the SEC. Smith has committed to Mississippi State, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Smith recorded 34 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss for Tennessee in 2024, which ranked eighth on the team. The redshirt freshman has three years of eligibility remaining.

Smith signed with Tennessee as a three-star recruit and the No. 42 linebacker in the country for the class of 2023, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

As a freshman in 2023, he appeared in five games and recorded four tackles. He was a key reserve linebacker for the Vols in 2024 as Tennessee reached the College Football Playoff. The Vols will play Ohio State on Saturday.

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Prior to playing at Tennessee, Smith attended Grayson High School in Grayson, Georgia. As a senior in 2022, he finished the year with 154 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wireThe On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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Tennessee CB transfer Jordan Matthews commits to Vanderbilt

Another former Tennessee defender committed to a new school on Wednesday as Jordan Matthews chose the Commodores.

Matthews entered the portal on Dec. 10 after spending two seasons in Knoxville. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, he appeared in all 12 regular season game for the Vols and has recorded three tackles on the year. He also has two pass breakups on the season.

Before he arrived on campus at Tennessee, Matthews was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class per the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 16 cornerback in the country in the class and No. 143 player overall.

The portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. More than 2,800 FBS scholarship players entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer database during the 2023-24 school year. Removing those who withdrew or went pro, the final total sat at 2,707 transfers.