Tennessee Dealt Brutal Blow on Star Playmaker This Weekend

The Tennessee Volunteers have seen a surprising bit of drama in the transfer portal. They lost a star signal-caller and gained another during this stretch. Even though the portal closed at the end of Friday, the team was dealt further bad news.

Tennessee’s hopes of landing BYU’s top playmaker Keelan Marion evaporated this weekend, as the All-American wideout bypassed the Vols in favor of the Miami Hurricanes in a late-spring portal decision.

UT had extended a scholarship offer to the 6-foot, 195-pound junior and hosted Marion on April 26, aiming to bolster both its receiving corps and special teams return game, but ultimately the Volunteers could not match Miami’s pitch.

During his visit circuit, Marion met with SMU on April 24 and Miami on April 25 before arriving in Knoxville on April 26.

The loss leaves the Vols’ receiving room thin on proven targets entering fall camp, forcing head coach Josh Heupel to pivot quickly toward in-house options.

A first-team All-American kick returner and wide receiver in 2024, Marion finished last season with 24 receptions for 346 yards and one touchdown, along with 18 kick returns for 472 yards and two scores, ranking among the nation’s elite dual-threat playmakers

Between April 16–26, Miami secured linebacker Kamal Bonner (NC State), All-American WR/KR Keelan Marion (BYU), and veteran kicker Bert Auburn (Texas) in the transfer portal. Head coach Mario Cristobal praised their immediate impact on roster depth Thursday.