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Tennessee freshman quarterback Tayven Jackson enters NCAA Transfer Portal

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•01/13/23•

GrantRamey

KNOXVILLE, TN - 2022.09.17 - Tennessee vs. Akron
KNOXVILLE, TN - September 17, 2022 - Quarterback Tayven Jackson #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Akron Zips and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee freshman quarterback Tayven Jackson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Jackson was on the depth chart behind starter Hendon Hooker and backup Joe Milton III this season.

Jackson was a four-star prospect out of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana in the 2022 recruiting class. He picked the Vols over offers from Texas A&M, Michigan, Oregon and Auburn, among others.

Milton is returning next season for Tennessee and the Vols signed five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava as the headliner in their 2023 recruiting class. Iamaleava arrived in Knoxville in December and went through bowl practices before Tennessee’s 31-14 win over Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 30.

Vols enter 2023 with Joe Milton, Nico Iamaleava at quarterback

Milton started in the Orange Bowl, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns. He threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Bru McCoy, a 15-yard touchdown pass to freshman Squirrel White and a 46-yard touchdown to Ramel Keyton.

Iamaleava, a 6-foot-5.5, 195-pound prospect out of Long Beach, Calif., was the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the On3 Consensus. He was ranked No. 2 among quarterbacks and was the No. 1 overall prospect out of California, picking Tennessee over other offers from Miami, Alabama and Georgia.

Jackson appeared in three games this season, before suffering an injury that sidelined him later in the year. He completed his only two passes for 28 yards against Akron on September 17 and was 1-for-2 for 9 yards against UT Martin on October 22. 

Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said before the Orange Bowl that the quarterback job will be up for grabs beginning in the spring.

“We’ll have a quarterback competition this offseason and go from there,” Halzle said in Miami. “ … They all understand that. The conversation’s been had with all of them. They all understand that.”

Tayven Jackson is 10th Tennessee player to enter transfer portal this offseason

Jackson is the 10th Tennessee player to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal since the end of the regular season, following sophomore wide receiver Walker Merrill (Wake Forest), redshirt sophomore offensive lineman RJ Perry (South Florida), redshirt freshman offensive lineman William Parker, redshirt freshman tight end Miles Campbell, redshirt sophomore running back Len’Neth Whitehead, freshman running back Justin Williams-Thomas (Cal), redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jimmy Calloway (Louisville), freshman defensive lineman Jordan Phillips (Maryland) and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jimmy Holiday (Western Kentucky).

The Vols have added seven players from the portal: Oregon wide receiver Dont’e Thornton, Arizona State defensive lineman Omar Norman-Lott, Miami offensive tackle John Campbell, BYU linebacker Keenan Pili, Texas offensive lineman Adrej Karic, UC Davis tight end McCallan Castles and Indiana kicker Charles Campbell.

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