ESPN names under-the-radar player as the Tennessee Vols' best transfer portal addition of the offseason

ESPN recently named the "best" transfer portal addition that each top 25 college football program has made so far this offseason and for the Tennessee Vols, they chose a player that might be flying under-the-radar a bit. 

Instead of going with one of the two offensive linemen that the Vols added in the portal (Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton and Arizona transfer Wendell Moe), ESPN went with Duke running back transfer Star Thomas as Tennessee's best portal addition this offseason. 

(Tennessee also added Alabama transfer wide receiver Amari Jefferson this offseason.)

From ESPN: Dylan Sampson was a breakout star and the SEC's leading rusher in 2024, turning 278 touches on offense into 1,634 yards and 22 touchdowns. That's a ton of production to replace. Thomas has rushed for 2,049 yards and 16 scores over three seasons at Duke and New Mexico State and was granted an extra season of eligibility as a former juco transfer. He'll team up with DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis to power a run game that should benefit from the arrival of new starting offensive guards Wendell Moe Jr. (Arizona) and Sam Pendleton (Notre Dame).

Adding Thomas is a move that didn't generate a ton of hype for Tennessee, but it's an extremely important addition for the Volunteers.

Josh Heupel's offense at Tennessee leans heavily on the run game. And last season, most of that burden fell on the shoulders of Dylan Sampson. As a result, Sampson ran out of gas near the end of the season and wasn't able to make an impact in the Vols' loss to Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

Adding Thomas to the roster will allow Tennessee to fully utilize a "three-headed monster" at running back (along with DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis) as the Vols did in 2022 and 2023. And in turn, Tennessee's running backs should stay fresh deep into the 2025 season.