Tennessee starting cornerback Rickey Gibson III tells On3 he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. Gibson has spent two seasons with the Volunteers.
Gibson made 12 appearances for the Volunteers last season, tallying 32 tackles, two tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a forced fumble. Gibson had his best showing of the season in Tennessee’s 28-18 win over Kentucky.
In the victory, Gibson tied a career-high with six tackles and also had a crucial pass breakup in the end zone on fourth down. In his true freshman season in 2023, Gibson played in 13 games but primarily saw action on special teams. He finished the year with nine tackles.
The spring transfer portal window opens on April 16 and closes on April 25. Whenever a head coach leaves a program, the players will receive an additional 30 days to enter the transfer portal.
Rickey Gibson III played high school football at Hewitt-Trussville High School (AL), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 322 overall player and the No. 35 cornerback in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
his senior season at Hewitt-Trussville High School, Gibson notched 40 tackles, 13 passes defended and four interceptions. For his efforts, he was named to the Starnes Media All-South Metro First Team.
Gibson was key to Tennessee’s improvement on pass defense last season. The Volunteers only allowed 189.3 passing yards per game in 2024, ranking No. 29 in the nation. For reference, Tennessee gave up 221.5 passing yards per game in 2023.
Tennessee has lost 15 players to the NCAA Transfer Portal this season, including other defensive backs such as Jordan Matthews. In comparison, the Volunteers have only added four players via the transfer portal. The group is headlined by offensive linemen Sam Pendleton and Wendell Moe.
Tennessee finished the 2024 campaign with a 10-3 record and made the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Volunteers season came to an end in the first round of the CFP when they fell 42-17 to eventual national champion Ohio State.
It appears Rickey Gibson isn’t looking to run it back with the Volunteers next season. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel will have his work cut out for him as he enters his fifth season at the helm of the storied program.