'Is chaos a good word?': Tennessee's Tim Banks describes college football in December

It starts when the NCAA Transfer Portal opens for business in early December. That’s when college football players leave their old schools, go through the recruiting process all over again, and commit to a new school.

Coaches, meanwhile, are left to re-recruit their own players who are either considering a move or are already in the portal while also scouring the portal itself for potential roster additions.

That’s not to mention finishing their current recruiting class, with National Signing Day in late December. And preparing for a bowl game on top of it all.

“Chaos,” Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks said during his press conference on Friday. “Is chaos a good word?”

It’s the word that worked for Banks.

“It is definitely challenging,” he said. “It is different for me. I have been doing this for a couple decades, and this is obviously a new landscape for everybody, but it is what it is. You have to be able to navigate through it. I think the programs that grow will be the programs that handle it the best.”

The Vols have lost 10 players to the NCAA Transfer Portal and added four transfers

Since the NCAA Transfer Portal opened on December 4, Tennessee has lost 10 players — eight of which played on Banks’ defense, including seven defensive backs — and have added four transfer additions. 

The Vols signed their entire 2024 recruiting class on December 20, too. 

There’s no hard feelings from Banks for the players who left. At this point, it is what it is. It’s part of college football.

No. 21 Tennessee (8-4) is more than comfortable rolling with what the Vols have against No. 17 Iowa (10-3) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Monday (1 p.m. Eastern Time, ABC) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

“We love our guys and the guys that are here,” he said, “and we wish the guys that left the best. But it’s just the nature of the beast right now. (December) has been really busy. There is a lot going on. Obviously coaching your team, obviously recruiting.”

“At the end of the day, the University of Tennessee is a great place to be. We do not have any issues of getting guys that want to be here. 

“It is a lot of players who want to be here,” Banks continued. “It is a lot of players who are already here, and we are definitely excited about the ones we have and the ones who want to be here.”

No. 21 Tennessee vs. No. 17 Iowa, Citrus Bowl, Monday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC

If chaos is the term to describe college football in the month of December, Banks said opportunity is the world that describes the fallout. 

Tennessee will have five-star freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava making his first career start in the Citrus Bowl after Joe Milton opted out. 

Sophomore running back Dylan Sampson will start after Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small opted out, too.

There will be new faces at multiple positions in the secondary.

“Obviously, we have had some transition back there,” Banks said of his defensive backfield, “and we wish those guys the best. We are super happy for the guys that are here.

“There are going to be great opportunities, some guys that have played some, some guys that have not played at all. But, at the end of the day, we believe in the standard being the standard regardless of who is out there.

“We are looking forward to watching them perform this Monday. I know these guys have worked really hard and every single person in that room believes in them, and we are looking forward to watching them perform this Monday.”