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Tennessee wide receiver Nathan Leacock plans to enter transfer portal

On3 imageby:Eric Cain12/12/24

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Nathan Leacock, Tennessee Football | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK) Tennessee wide receiver Nathan Leacock (85) walks onto the field for warm ups before the start of the NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Georgia on Saturday, November 18, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee redshirt-freshman wide receiver Nathan Leacock intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal as two years on Rocky Top.

The former four-star wide receiver played in six total games for Tennessee (5 in 2024) while totaling one reception for 13 yards. The lone reception came in the 2024 season-opening win over UTC at Neyland Stadium. Leacock appeared in one game last season, the win homecoming win over UConn and arrived during bowl prep ahead of the Orange Bowl that capped the 2022 season.

Leacock will have three years of eligibility remaining following a total of 52 offensive snaps at Tennessee.

The wideout is the third at his position to enter the transfer portal this offseason for Tennessee, joining the likes of Kaleb Webb and Chas Nimrod. Tennessee’s losses stand at seven currently as running back Khalifa Keith, offensive lineman Vysen Lang, cornerback Jordan Matthews and linebacker Jalen Smith, have all announced their intentions of entering the portal.

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 College Football Playoff 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 had success in 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. 

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