Arizona transfer Wendell Moe reacts to Tennessee visit

Tennessee hosted Arizona offensive line transfer Wendell Moe on Sunday. He left campus on Monday morning and recapped it all with Volquest.

“Great facility, great coaching staff and great players,” Moe said. “I got to meet the O-Line (Sunday) and that was enjoyable. Just overall a great experience.”

Coming in, Moe was fresh off a visit to Auburn, but what did he find on his trip to Knoxville?

“I got to meet coach Elarbee and make that connection,” Moe said. “I really appreciate his coaching style and the way he was talking and just overall environment. How everyone just enjoys playing football and being around each other is great to see.”

Moe is from the same neck of the woods as Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava and while he didn’t know him personally coming in, he got to spend time with the redshirt freshman.

“Just a great guy and fun to be around,” Moe said. “He is a great football player but a great person too.

“I had only seen him around but I didn’t get to know him like that. To be able to hang out with him was pretty cool.”

So where does it go from here?

“I really don’t know,” Moe said. “I’ll have to talk to my agent about that. But wherever I do go, I just hope it turns out good.”

Moe was impressed by Smokey’s, the food spot for the athletes inside the Anderson training facility. He has now seen both Auburn and Tennessee on back to back visits to compare.

“They are both great programs and have a lot to offer but for me it’s where do it fit?” Moe said. “I really just have to talk my family about that and go over everything.”

Tennessee is looking for veteran depth on the offensive interior and Moe would help in that regard.

“Everybody has to compete for their spot,” Moe said. “I feel like I’d have a good shot if I do come here.”

So how quick will he look to make a decision and what other trips may he take?

“I’m still several days away from that,” Moe said. “But I do want to make my decision this week with the process starting out pretty fast. Probably go on one more visit and talk to my family about everything and see where we want to go.”

That visit will likely be to Washington, where his old coach Jedd Fisch resides over the Huskies.

Understanding the portal

The winter transfer portal window runs from December 9-28. The spring portal window runs from April 16-25.

Players don’t have to pick a school they are going to during those specific dates but those are the span of dates on when a player can enter the portal.

Those dates don’t apply to graduate transfers who can enter the portal whenever they wish. Also, if there’s a head coaching change, their players are granted an immediate 30-day window during which they can enter the portal. 

Of note, any team playing in a game after Dec 28 (playoffs or regular bowl) gets a five-day window once season ends for those player to enter portal.

So, say a team loses in the CFP first round on Dec 20/21? Their transfer portal window wouldn’t be affected as the regular window ends more than five days after that loss.

Players who enter the portal in the winter window are trying to be somewhere for the spring semester. 

For Tennessee the spring semester starts on January 21which is late compared to many schools around the country. Tennessee a year ago started a winter mini-term class that runs the first three weeks of January. 

Vols have benefitted from the portal

The transfer portal can giveth and it can taketh away. For Josh Heupel it’s been much more of a positive than a negative for the Vols when you look at the 2024 season. 

Left tackle Lance Heard has been a fixture on an offense line that has helped the Vols rush for over 2700 yards. Tight end Miles Kitselman has been a terrific portal grab because he is the leader of the tight end room. A room that also includes transfer Holden Staes. 

Defensively, Jermod McCoy has been the best transfer Tennessee has gotten. McCoy is having an All-American season. 

In total, Tennessee added 10 transfers for the current 2024 roster.