Josh Heupel ponders these Tennessee football roster moves for 2027 season

Tennessee football is already looking to roster decisions that will impact the 2027 team with NIL contract negotiations, the signing period for high school players and the transfer portal on the horizon.

Who will return next season? Who will leave? Who could be added? And how much will they cost?

Those in-season talks aren’t unique to the Vols. In fact, they’d be behind the competition if they put that off until the offseason. It’s a constant concern, but especially for SEC teams on their off week like Tennessee.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz summed up his experience when his team was off last week.

“We spent time during the bye week talking about rosters and dealing with agents,” Drinkwitz said. “Obviously, tampering season is in full force. Players, coaches and everybody are getting bombarded by the possibility at the end of the year.”

And Tennessee coach Josh Heupel undoubtedly got a dose of that this week.

“The hardest thing that you encounter is the turnover on your roster,” Heupel said on Oct. 28. “Because of that, keeping your team together during the duration of the season, the focus of your team week in and week out to be your best by gameday is the biggest thing that you’ve got to do a great job of.”

Tennessee’s roster management is a collaborative effort between Heupel, assistant coaches, auxiliary staff, a four-person NIL operations team and executive director of football management Billy High, the closest employee the Vols have to a general manager.

No. 17 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2 SEC) plays No. 8 Kentucky (7-1, 5-1) on Nov. 7 (6:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium. But during the off week, staff members must have hard conversations about offseason moves to construct the 2027 roster.

Those plans remain behind closed doors. But here are a few questions that UT must ask (and probably already have).

Who returns for fifth season of eligibility?

The NCAA’s new 5-for-5 rule allows players to utilize a fifth year of eligibility. UT has a few notable seniors who have played four seasons without a redshirt but can return for a fifth season in 2027.

They make up a sizable portion of UT’s strong defense: Defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs, linebacker Jeremiah Telander, linebacker Arion Carter, linebacker Amare Campbell, nickelback Qua Moss, cornerback Kayin Lee, safety TJ Metcalf.

Telander has hinted that he plans to return. Carter appears likely to enter the 2027 NFL Draft. Campbell and others must weigh their NFL draft stock. Obviously, the secondary could be greatly impacted by these decisions because Lee, Metcalf and Moss are starters there.

Will DeSean Bishop head to NFL?

Running back DeSean Bishop could challenge UT’s single-season and career rushing records this season. If Bishop returns in 2027, he could mentor David Gabriel Georges, a five-star running back from Baylor School. If Bishop goes to the NFL, Gabriel Georges will pick up a larger load of the carries immediately.

Carter, safety Dejuan Lane, defensive end Tyree Weathersby, wide receiver Mike Matthews and offensive lineman Jesse Perry also could test the NFL draft waters or return in 2027. Their decisions will impact the 2027 roster plan and NIL budget.

Who’s the 2027 quarterback – George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon or transfer?

The 2027 quarterback plan appears undecided with four regular-season games remaining. Five-star freshman Faizon Brandon could regain the starting position and prove that he’s the best 2027 option. Sophomore George MacIntyre could retain the job, which he’s held since replacing an injured and ineffective Brandon in the Auburn game on Oct. 3.

UT won’t keep both young quarterbacks. The question is which will be prioritized and whether the Vols need to add an experienced transfer quarterback to start in 2027. Most teams already have a list of quarterbacks potentially available in the portal, which opens in January, because player agents are floating their names.

What does Jim Knowles want for 2027 defense?

UT is still in the College Football Playoff hunt in large part because of its lockdown defense under first-year coordinator Jim Knowles. Heupel needs to give Knowles whatever he needs to keep that going in 2027.

At this point, Knowles knows who fits in his system and who doesn’t. In December, UT will begin to nudge some players toward the portal for those reasons. But those conversations have already begun within the coaching staff, and portal activity will follow that plan.

Can Tennessee protect best players from tampering?

Tampering with players who aren’t in the portal is an NCAA violation. But it’s hard to prove and rarely enforced in this era, when team surrogates contact player agents through back channels to gauge interest. Most players don’t ask for that attention, but they still get it for various reasons.

The quarterbacks are obvious targets, but UT likely can’t retain both. Left tackle David Sanders is another potential target because of his talent and valuable position.

Teams could try to lure five-star freshman receiver TK Keys into the portal. He has only six catches for 54 yards and one TD, but he notably made his first career start in UT’s 27-24 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 24.

Any player is susceptible to tampering, and that often triggers NIL renegotiations.

Should Tennessee add wide receiver from portal?

UT ranks last in the SEC in passing offense (181.5 ypg) and 116th nationally, the worst of Heupel’s tenure by a wide margin. Quarterback play is a factor, but wide receivers must also be evaluated.

If Matthews, Keys and Braylon Staley return, UT has a strong trio for 2027. Radarious Jackson and freshman Tyreek King are also part of the plan. But if Matthews goes to the NFL, UT must consider upgraded options from the portal.

What is Ethan Davis’ NIL value?

It’s an uncomfortable topic for many coaches, but player payrolls must align with NIL budgets. That means some players get raises and others get reductions.

Tight end Ethan Davis is a good example of where UT must be strategic in NIL negotiations.

Davis said he’ll return to UT in 2027 after suffering a torn ACL that ended his 2026 season before it began. But how much money should UT allot for Davis within the budget for tight ends?

When healthy, Davis is an All-SEC candidate, but he’s struggled with injuries throughout his career. And his replacement, DaSaahn Brame, will be targeted by schools seeking to lure him into the portal with a big payday.

Does offensive line need another round of transfers?

Presumably, UT will add offensive linemen from the portal. It has picked up seven transfer offensive linemen over the past four offseasons. The question is what position it will target and whether it’ll vie for a high-priced starter or depth players.

UT could return as many as four starters from the current offensive line in 2027: Sanders, Perry, Sam Pendleton and Nic Moore. Part-time starter Sham Umarov could return for a fifth season if he doesn't enter the portal.

Coaches must determine if young linemen are ready to start. Freshman Gabriel Osenda, for example, was one of the top-rated tackles in the 2026 class.

The portal is still a crapshoot. UT got LSU transfer Ory Williams to potentially start at right tackle, but he’s played only 28 offensive snaps in SEC games. That makes UT scouting of potential transfer so important, and it's doing that during the season.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Josh Heupel ponders these Tennessee football roster moves for 2027 season