Arizona offensive lineman Wendell Moe signs with Tennessee out of NCAA Transfer Portal
Tennessee hosted Arizona offensive line transfer Wendell Moe on Sunday. He left campus on Monday morning and committed to the staff on Monday night. He went public on Tuesday as he joins an evolving Polynesian pipeline on Rocky Top,
“Great facility, great coaching staff and great players,” Moe said following his visit. “I got to meet the O-Line (Sunday) and that was enjoyable. Just overall a great experience.”
Moe started 27 games over three seasons at Arizona. In 2023, he earned All-Pac-12 second-team honors as a redshirt freshman. And in 2024, he played 760 snaps as an anchor on the Wildcats’ offensive line. He got to spend time with Glen Elarbee over the weekend, which helped him come to a big orange decision.
“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.”
He also got to hang out with Nico Iamaleava, who grew up in the same area of California.
“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.”
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.
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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.
