A closer look at Tennessee's transfer portal additions

Tennessee football added two new names to its class of NCAA Transfer Portal commitments on Sunday, with the addition of LSU five-star freshman Zalance Heard and Stanford defensive lineman Jaxson Moi. Here’s a look at the transfer class in its entirety, as of Sunday:

Holden Staes (Notre Dame)

Holden Staes became Tennessee’s first commitment out of the NCAA Transfer Portal in this cycle on December 15. The 6-foot-4, 242-pound Staes spent the last two seasons with the Fighting Irish. He caught 15 passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games this season, after catching one pass for 11 yards as a freshman in 2022. He was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class out of Westminster School in Atlanta, Ga. He was ranked as the No. 9 tight end his class and was the No. 23 overall player in the state of Georgia. He was ranked No. 201 overall in the On3 ratings.

Jakobe Thomas (MTSU)

Middle Tennessee State defensive back Jakobe Thomas, who initially committed to Oregon State after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, flipped to Tennessee on December 16, giving the Vols .The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety over the last two seasons had 108 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, to go with eight passes defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He had 37 tackles in 12 games in 2022, with 1.0 tackles for loss and all four interceptions, in 2022. He had 71 tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss, in 11 games this season. Thomas attended Tullahoma High School in Tullahoma, Tenn.

Jermod McCoy (Oregon State)

Freshman Oregon State defensive back Jermod McCoy had 31 tackles with two interceptions, a fumble recovery and seven passes defended this season. The 6-foot, 180-pound McCoy, out of Whitehouse, Texas, was a three-star wide receiver prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. 

Chris Brazzell II (Tulane)

Tulane sophomore receiver Chris Brazzell II caught 44 passes for 711 yards and five touchdowns with the Green Wave this season, appearing in 13 games. He caught one pass for 11 yards in two games as a freshman in 2022. His father, Chris Brazzell palled 14 games for the Dallas Cowboys over the 1999 and 2000 seasons, catching seven passes for 126 yards. He was sixth-round draft pick in 1998. Chris Brazzell II was a three-star prospect in the 2022 class out of Midland Legacy High School in Midland, Texas.

Jalen McMurray (Temple)

Temple defensive back Jalen McMurray committed to Tennessee on January 9. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound McMurray played 24 games at Temple over the last three season, finishing with 90 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one interception. He had 11 pass defended and one fumble recovery, along with two forced fumbles. 

Miles Kitselman (Alabama)

Alabama tight end Miles Kitselman committed to Tennessee during his visit to Knoxville on January 12. He appeared in 13 games last season for the Crimson Tide, but played only 23 offensive snaps while contributing mainly on special teams. He played 33 offensive snaps and had two catches for 16 yards at Alabama during the 2022 season, after transferring from Hutchinson Community College.

Zalance Heard (LSU)

Zalance Heard, the 6-foot-6, 340-pound offensive lineman from Monroe, La., was a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. In the On3 ratings he was ranked No. 11 overall nationally as well as No. 2 among offensive tackle prospects and No. 2 overall in the state of Louisiana. He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on January 2 and took an official visit to Tennessee just days later. It’s been a waiting game since then.

Jaxson Moi (Stanford)

Jaxson Moi, the 6-foot-2, 303-pound defensive lineman from Oceanside, Calif., played 24 games the last two seasons at Stanford. He recorded 37 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, with three passes defended. Moi was a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, ranked by On3 as the No. 44 among defensive linemen and No. 28 overall in the state of California.