The Tennessee Volunteers’ season has been done for a week now, but it’s still been one of the most important weeks of the calendar year over the last 7 days.
And that’s, of course, the transfer portal and the comings and goings of the roster. In other words, it’s a crucial week for the 2026 roster to take shape as Tony Vitello hopes to find the right combination to get the Vols back to Omaha.
So, how have things gone over the last week? Let’s summarize…
Transfer departures:
LHP Bryson Thacker
RHP Thomas Crabtree
OF Colby Backus
INF Jack Jones
RHP Austin Hunley
LHP Ryler Smart
LHP/OF Brayden Sharp
INF Robinson Martin
The Skinny: no major losses here. Backus and Crabtree logged the most time here, and neither was a factor in SEC play.
Transfer additions:
RHP Bo Rhudy (Kennesaw State)
RHP Brady Frederick (ETSU)
RHP Clay Edmondson (UNC-Asheville)
RHP Mason Estrada (MIT)
INF Tyler Myatt (Walters State)
RHP Matt Barr (Niagara CC)
The skinny: Myatt is a prize, as he led NJCAA in home runs, batting average, and RBIs in 2025. If he makes it to Knoxville, that is (MLB Draft). Barr was also elite at the juco level, posting a 1.74 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 94 strikeouts in 57 IP last year. Frederick struck out 4 Vols in ETSU’s 7-6 win this year and was the SoCon Pitcher of the Year. Rhudy only walked 5 batters all year while striking out 44.
Clearly, the Vos have prioritized getting better pitching, and they have oodles of options now, particularly with experience pitching out of the pen. We’ll see if any of them can get stretched out into a starting option.
There have been other visits, and they would be crucial gets. Virginia INF/OF Henry Ford headlines the list, and he would be a big replacement for Andrew Fischer at first base, who’s surely heading to the draft after a terrific season in 2025 for the Vols. He could also man an outfield spot, as he did this year. Ford slugged a .362 average and .995 OPS last year with 11 HRs and 42 RBI.
Seton Hall OF Aiden Robbins, Rutgers RHP Landon Mack, and California INF Jarren Advincula also have visited. Like Ford, Advincula was also a second-team All-ACC member in 2025.