The Tennessee Volunteers should be much improved at a key position in 2026 thanks to an offseason transfer addition. The Vols were active in the transfer portal this winter, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
A Tennessee Vols newcomer that “isn’t being talked about enough” is expected to help UT’s defense improve at an important position in 2026.
The Volunteers were active in the transfer portal over the winter, landing 21 transfer additions.
Most of the attention this offseason has focused on the quartet of Penn State transfer additions — linebacker Amare Campbell, defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam, defensive back Dejuan Lane, and EDGE Chaz Coleman.
Those four players played under new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles last season at Penn State. They’re expected to help Tennessee’s other defensive players quickly pick up Knowles’ scheme.
Kansas transfer safety Qua Moss is one of the Vols’ offseason additions that’s flying under-the-radar a bit, but he could end up being a very important player for Tennessee this fall.
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs joined WNML’s SportsTalk on Tuesday and shared some thoughts on Moss.
Specifically, Hubbs suggested that Moss could help Tennessee be much better at nickelback (or slot corner or STAR, whichever term you prefer), a position where the Vols struggled at times last season.
“I don’t think Qua Moss is being talked about enough at nickel,” said Hubbs. “And how much that’s going to help the secondary improve. Because I think he’s a really good player, and I think they were really poor at that position a year ago. I think they’ll be much improved at that spot with Moss in that role.”
On paper, the Vols should’ve been elite at nickel a year ago with Boo Carter returning.
Carter, though, went AWOL last summer , and when he rejoined the team for fall camp, he had to work his way back into the good graces of his teammates.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Carter never seemed “all-in” on returning, and his snaps diminished throughout the season until he was eventually kicked off the team .
Jalen McMurray, who landed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent after going undrafted in April, saw action at nickel as Carter’s role with the team faded.
Tennessee never had a real defensive identity under defensive coordinator Tim Banks last season. The lack of an identity combined with the uncertainty around Carter simply led to a less-than-ideal situation for the Vols at nickel — which is an important position due to how many teams use three wide receiver sets (and there are a lot of dangerous slot receivers in the SEC).
It sounds like Tennessee landed exactly what they needed in Moss, but the results on Saturdays this fall will be the true judge.
