The Tennessee Volunteers are set for a massive 2026 college football season on the defensive side of the ball. They have multiple new coaches, including a new man in charge, with Jim Knowles taking over duties on the defensive side of the football. The Vols also have Anthony Poindexter and Andrew Jackson as new defensive coaches from the Penn State staff, while they also added Derek Jones to be the cornerbacks coach.
The Vols also have a new group of athletes set to compete, with only a handful of returning players on the defensive side of the football. Two of their newest transfer portal additions on the defensive side of the football include former Auburn Tigers cornerback Kayin Lee and former Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Amare Campbell .
Tennessee defensive back Kayin Lee (20) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Both of these players were rewarded with a massive jump in the rankings, as on Wednesday, both players made a jump up the transfer portal rankings. Campbell is the No. 144 player in the nation, and he received a 91 rating, while Lee made a jump inside the top-200. He is coming in at No. 193 in the nation and received a rating of 90, according to 247Sports. Campbell slides in at No. 3 among all transfer portal additions, while Lee slides in at No. 4. The only players they fall behind are Chaz Coleman and Xavier Gilliam.
Both of these Vols are expected to be starters for Tennessee this season, as both of them have great potential to dominate in this upcoming season. If both of them play to their expectations, then the sky is the limit for the Vols' defense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as Two Tennessee Football Transfer Additions Rise in Latest Rankings .
