Josh Heupel, the head coach of the Tennessee Vols, is in a difficult situation. Heupel, who is starting his fifth season as the Volunteers’ head coach, has a big decision to make this offseason, and if he makes the wrong choice, there may be some controversy. The difficult thing for Heupel is that there isn’t a clear solution, so it’s a bit of a catch-22 for the former national championship winning quarterback.
Late last month, news broke that rising junior cornerback Rickey Gibson III plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal when the spring window opens on April 16.
The timing of the report is…..odd.
Spring practice starts for the Vols on March 7. Gibson can’t enter the portal until after spring practice. The timing seems to suggest that Gibson is using his leverage for a new NIL deal.
Tennessee’s lack of depth at cornerback gives Gibson some clout.
In January, Jermod McCoy, a transfer from Oregon State who was an immediate star for Tennessee in 2024 (he was named to the first team of the SEC), tore his ACL. When McCoy will be able to resume his activities is too soon to tell.
Gibson immediately takes over as the Vols’ most seasoned cornerback after McCoy is sidelined. In 2024, Tennessee saw 636 snaps from the former four-star prospect (McCoy played 696 snaps). In contrast, last season’s 264 snaps were played by Jalen McMurray, a cornerback who transferred to the program prior to the 2024 campaign.
Gibson is undoubtedly a player that Tennessee needs on the roster. If he transfers from Tennessee, the Vols will need to rely on some young players that might not be ready yet to play at an extremely high level if the program is going to reach the College Football Playoff for a second straight season.
So what do you do if you’re Heupel and the staff at Tennessee?
Does Tennessee give Gibson whatever he’s asking for? Or do they call his “bluff” and let him enter the portal?
Option 1 could set a dangerous precedent moving forward. If Gibson receives a big NIL raise from Tennessee via his decision to announce that he’s entering the portal before spring practice, what stops other players from doing the same?
Option 2 could also have negative consequences. If Gibson is truly set on receiving a big NIL raise, he’ll almost certainly get it if he enters the portal. Cornerback is one of the hardest positions to find in the portal. Gibson would instantly be a hot commodity if he officially enters the portal.
Tennessee needs Gibson on the roster. But the Vols also have to protect the culture of the program. The word culture gets overused at times, but an elite culture is absolutely necessary for a program to win a national championship.
This is an extremely tough spot for Heupel and the Vols. And there’s no handbook on how to handle this due to the fact that it’s a relatively new phenomenon in college football thanks to the transfer portal and NIL deals.
It’ll be interesting to see how Heupel handles this saga as it unfolds in the coming days/weeks. This situation is a great reminder that being a college football head coach is about far more than just X’s and O’s and scheme. It’s just as much about putting out fires and managing hundreds of different personalities and situations.
If Heupel is going to be a championship coach, he has to prove he can handle an impossible situation like the one Tennessee is currently in with Gibson.
And with no obvious solution, I’m not sure how he’s going to do it.
