Time is running out for Tennessee football to add players during this transfer portal window, and there aren’t many good options available.

According to 247Sports rankings, only four of the top 150 players in the portal have not already committed to a school.

Southern Cal offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon (No. 11 in 247Sports rankings) is one of those players, and he visited Tennessee last week.

Pregnon is an All-Big Ten performer who will choose among Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. If he picks the Vols, it would help reload an offensive line that loses as many as four starters.

So far, the Vols have added Arizona transfer offensive guard Wendell Moe and Alabama transfer receiver Amari Jefferson from the portal.

Here are more updates to Tennessee’s transfer portal options and its projected 2025 roster.

Is Washington cornerback interested in Tennessee?.

The other top-150 players still in the portal are Georgia edge rusher Damon Wilson (No. 5), Washington cornerback Thaddeus Dixon (No. 109) and Central Connecticut State offensive tackle Rahtrel Perry (No. 114).

Dixon listed Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan and Ole Miss as his four finalists. He reportedly has taken or scheduled visits for all those schools except Tennessee, so consider the Vols a dark-horse candidate.

Tennessee returns its top three cornerbacks: All-American Jermod McCoy, starter Rickey Gibson and backup Jalen McMurray. But Jordan Matthews transferred to Vanderbilt.

Could Vols snatch players from College Football Playoff teams?

The portal is closed to new players entering it during this window.

The only exception is that players on College Football Playoff teams can enter the portal within five days of their final game.

So the window is about to close for Penn State and Texas players to enter following their CFP semifinal losses on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10, respectively.

After the CFP championship game on Jan. 20, players for Ohio State and Notre Dame will have five days to enter the portal. Classes begin for Tennessee’s spring semester on Jan. 21, so the timing would be tight.

Will Tennessee fill these needs after spring?..

Tennessee is likely still in the market for a running back, another wide receiver and perhaps a defensive tackle among other positions. But it may have to wait until the spring portal window (April 16-25) to fill those needs.

At receiver, UT lost Squirrel White, Kaleb Webb, Chas Nimrod and Nathan Leacock to the portal. Plus, Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton are headed to the NFL.

The Vols replaced those six receivers with Jefferson from the portal and three signees out of high school, so at least one more receiver is needed.

At running back, UT lost SEC Player of the Year Dylan Sampson to the NFL, as well as Cam Seldon and Khalifa Keith to the portal. It signed two running backs out of high school.

At defensive tackle, UT returns Bryson Eason, Jaxson Moi, Daevin Hobbs and some young players. But it could add another contributor after losing Omari Thomas, Elijah Simmons and Omarr Norman-Lott to the NF….

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Dukes Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

But Tennessee’s 2025 roster is almost full.

It appears that Tennessee already has 81 scholarship players for its 2025 roster, which is the same number it had for the 2024 season.

That assumes no walk-ons are put on scholarship and that starting offensive guard Andrej Karic doesn’t return. Karic exhausted his eligibility, but he is appealing to the NCAA for a medical waiver that could allow him to return for the 2025 season.

UT lost 27 scholarship players from the 2024 team: 12 scholarship seniors, 13 scholarship players entering the portal, Sampson declaring for the NFL Draft and edge rusher James Pearce presumably going to the NFL (although Pearce hasn’t announced yet).

UT has added 27 scholarship players: 25 signees out of high school, plus Moe and Jefferson from the portal.

The Vols will likely carry 82 or 83 scholarship players because of scholarship cuts required under probation from the Jeremy Pruitt recruiting scandal.

That means they must be selective in adding players during this portal window. It also means they’ll need a few players to enter the portal after spring practice to make room for new additions during the spring portal window.

What are next roster moves for Tennessee?

UT mostly wants to build and develop the roster from recruiting. It signed 25 players in the 2025 class. And coaches are aggressively recruiting for the 2026 class, which already includes eight commitments.

The Vols will be done with the winter portal soon. Spring practice will reset the depth chart and reveal needs, which could be filled in the spring portal window.

To further reload the roster, UT could get creative by compensating players with NIL money rather than a scholarship. But the player would have to agree to that arrangement, which is a tough sell for transfers considering traditional scholarship offers from other schools.

However, it might be a tactic in pushing underperforming players into the portal after spring practice and therefore trimming scholarship numbers.

Rest assured, there’s plenty of work still ahead in reshaping UT’s 2025 roster.