Tennessee LB Jalen Smith plans to enter transfer portal

Tennessee linebacker Jalen Smith plans to enter the transfer portal, he tells On3. The redshirt freshman will have three years of eligibility remaining. It’s unclear if he will play in the College Football Playoff.

He’s notched 34 tackles in 2024, emerging as a key player in the Tennessee defense. A former three-star recruit, Smith picked the Vols over Pittsburgh, Texas and Virginia coming out of high school.

“Their fan base is crazy,” Smith said about Tennessee during his recruitment. “When I went there for my official, there were some fans around and they were saying ‘come home’ and stuff like that. They were very supportive.”

Jalen Smith was the No. 432 overall prospect and No. 42 linebacker in the 2023 On3 Industry. The season-ending knee injury to Tennessee seventh-year linebacker Keenan Pili opened up more responsibilities for the 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker.

The transfer portal officially opens 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. That means roughly 25% of all FBS scholarship players hit free agency in one year.