This one could move quickly.
After hitting the transfer portal directly following the National Championship, Notre Dame offensive guard Sam Pendleton is set for a visit to Tennessee. Austin Price of VolQuest had the news late on Wednesday night.
Tennessee set to host transfer offensive lineman Sam Pendleton starting Thursday. ⤵️⤵️⤵️https://t.co/g4rnt72gtK
— Austin Price (@AustinPriceless) January 23, 2025
Pendleton entered the portal with a do-not-contact tag and news of his visit to Tennessee came out short after his decision. Feel free to do that very simple math here — things could move quickly.
Pendleton was a four-star prospect in the class of 2023. He was a pleasant surprise this season for the Fighting Irish, winning the job and ending up starting seven games. The 6-4, 310 pound offensive lineman is originally out of Pfafftown, North Carolina. Tennessee was a part of his recruitment back in 2022, so there’s an existing relationship there with offensive line coach Glen Elarbee.
Tennessee has already picked up a commitment from Arizona offensive guard Wendell Moe. They’ve been looking for a second addition on the interior with up to three starters exhausting their eligibility. Adding both Moe and Pendleton would give Elarbee two obvious answers at guard, while tackle appears to be set with Lance Heard and five-star freshman David Sanders.
The Volunteers still have a numbers need a receiver, and potentially cornerback with the injury to Jermod McCoy. With dwindling names available in the portal, the staff could be forced to punt until the spring window, however. We’ll see.