Tennessee
Tennessee, Auburn show why Cinderella became ‘glorified juco’ in men’s March Madness
Should the NCAA transfer portal open before the end of March Madness?
Rick Pitino, John Calipari, and even J.J. Watt sound off on the transfer portal opening during the NCAA tournament.
Sports Seriously
Norfolk State managed one of the great upsets in men’s NCAA Tournament history with veteran players who didn’t shy away from No. 2 Missouri in a first-round upset.
Kyle O’Quinn, one of Norfolk’s four senior starters, went off for 26 points in his penultimate game before being drafted into the NBA.
No chance Norfolk could hang onto a player of O’Quinn’s caliber for four seasons nowadays, amid college basketball’s transfer revolution. But don’t take my word for it. Just listen to what Norfolk coach Robert Jones said recently.
“Now, we’ve got to get a new team every year, every two (years),” Jones told WAVY-TV. “We’re basically a glorified juco.”
“Until mid-majors get the money that high majors have, we’re never going to be able to keep kids here for a long time,” added Jones, who was an assistant coach on Norfolk’s 2012 Cinderella team. “It’s easy to get them. It’s hard to retain them.”
Cinderella became a glorified community college, in Jones’ own telling. Maybe that helps explain why no team from outside a Power Four conference reached the Sweet 16 this season.
Tired of getting slapped by Cinderella’s slipper, power-conference coaches now acquire the best players off mid-major rosters.
This emerged as a natural evolution after the NCAA began to loosen transfer restrictions in 2021, amid a flurry of legal action. The rules further loosened after a 2023 court order that allows players to bounce from school to school, year after year, without penalty.
Mid-major standouts able to transfer freely without penalty can’t ignore the financial and exposure benefits of moving up to a high major. Coaches within the power ranks can’t ignore top mid-major players who possess the talents to become high-major stars, and mid-major coaches don’t have the clout to retain proven players.
Transfers supplanted the “diaper dandies” who once dominated college hoops.
The NCAA maintains disinterest in collective bargaining or a contract-based employment model that might offer coaches more roster control. In lieu of that, the transfer carousel spins ‘round, and the top players from teams like Norfolk stampede toward Power Four rosters.
On cue, Norfolk’s top scorer Brian Moore Jr. swiftly entered the transfer portal after the team’s first-round NCAA loss to Florida. Last spring, Norfolk lost leading scorer Jamarii Thomas to South Carolina, as Thomas joined his third school in as many years. Thomas became the Gamecocks’ second-leading scorer.
“You can get (players), because a lot of kids want opportunities,” Jones, the Norfolk coach, explained, “but once they get the opportunity, and then they blow up, it’s hard to retain them, because now the big boy is going to come.”
Auburn, Tennessee reflect transfer revolution in March Madness
A photo circulated in 2019 showed how Grant Williams looked as a freshman clinging to baby fat, compared to what he’d become as a chiseled junior forward on the frontline of one of the nation’s best teams.
Three years spent in Tennessee’s strength in conditioning program transformed Williams. He epitomized a Tennessee roster that coach Rick Barnes spent years developing. That Vols team ascended to a No. 1 ranking for a stretch of the season and reached the Sweet 16. Tennessee’s roster included no transfers on that team that won 31 games, and a fan base fell in love with a lineup it knew well.
Oh, how the sport changed in a matter of years.
Tennessee will play a Sweet 16 game against Kentucky on Friday with a transfer-fueled roster. Barnes’ 2024 recruiting class featured one high school recruit. More room for transfers.
Five transfers played in Tennessee’s second-round win against UCLA. Four came from mid-majors, including leading scorer Chaz Lanier.
Thanks, Cinderella, for putting in the legwork. Barnes will take it from here.
“Every year the excitement of putting together a team and putting the parts together is, honestly, it’s fun,” Barnes told reporters last spring.
It’s more fun when you’re the program gaining top players, rather than losing them.
The SEC advanced seven teams into the Sweet 16, an NCAA record for a conference. Several factors account for the SEC’s uprising. Expansion helped. SEC newcomers Oklahoma and Texas qualified for the field. Strong hiring and more effective scheduling became keys, too.
Also unmistakable, though, is that SEC schools flex muscle in the transfer sweepstakes.
Consider No. 1 overall seed Auburn, playing in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
Bruce Pearl took Auburn to its first Final Four in program history in 2019 with a roster he’d signed and developed. Now, he’s playing the transfer game, too.
Superstar Johni Broome is in his third year at Auburn after transferring from Morehead State.
Auburn’s Sweet 16 opponent, No. 5 Michigan, deploys a starting lineup exclusive to players who have transferred at least once. That includes Michigan’s star frontcourt of Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf. They played last season at Florida Atlantic and Yale, respectively, Cinderellas that won games in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Instead of trying to run it back in a glass slipper, Goldin and Wolf turbo-charged Michigan’s rebuild.
“I don’t begrudge anyone (for transferring),” said Michigan coach Dusty May, who previously coached Goldin at FAU.
Can Cinderella make a comeback?
The Sweet 16, for the first time since 2007, features no team seeded No. 11 or higher, but Cinderella’s vitality has been threatened before.
Gonzaga became the only team from a mid-major conference to reach the Sweet 16 in 2017, years before transfer rules loosened, and the Zags hardly count as a Cinderella. They exchanged their glass slipper for a stomping boot several years back.
The following year, in 2018, Loyola-Chicago charged into the Final Four as an 11-seed, a comeback for Cinderella, and Nevada reached the Sweet 16.
Perhaps, Cinderella has another comeback left in her next season.
No. 12 Colorado State, from the Mountain West, would have reached this year’s Sweet 16 if not for Maryland banking in a runner at the buzzer. No. 12 McNeese beat Clemson in the first round. Drake beat the big boys at their own transfer game. Using a lineup packed with Division II transfers, the 11th-seeded Bulldogs upset Missouri in the first round.
After Drake, Colorado State and McNeese exited the tournament, power-conference schools plundered their coaches. Players aren’t the only ones treating Cinderella as a pitstop.
Jones didn’t leave. Norfolk’s veteran coach is still plugging away, remolding a roster that must replace its transfer-bound leading scorer. Such is life at “a glorified juco.”
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.
Tennessee director of track and field Duane Ross gauged the hunger of the men’s 4×100-meter relay team to pull off the upset.
“They said, ‘Coach, we’re going to win,’ ” Ross said. “When they bring you that much confidence, you can grab your popcorn and enjoy the meet.”
No popcorn was consumed, but the appetite was there from the start.
Traunard Folson, Davonte Howell, T’Mars McCallum and Elijah Clark finished in a school record time of 37.98 seconds at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 12 in Eugene, Oregon. It was the the program’s first national title in the 4×100 since 1983 and the fourth-fastest in NCAA history.
Four other relay teams never crossed the line. Auburn, the two-time defending champion, had run an NCAA-record 37.75 in the semifinal, but had a botched handoff on the last exchange. Arkansas, the reigning SEC champion, also dropped its baton, along with Oregon and Houston.
McCallum said staying clean through a race of chaos starts with a focus on winning, even in practice.
“In the moment we can’t really worry about anything else, just what we can control,” McCallum said on June 18. “We came to practice every time with the idea of, ‘OK, we’ve got to make sure this is fixed, because we know if we run that time, we can win.’ “
It was the final event of McCallum’s college career. It didn’t fully hit until the long flight home to Knoxville.
“I was like, we really did it,” he said. “Now we have a school record, the first team to ever go under 38 seconds here.”
Whether belief had anything to do with what went wrong in those four other lanes isn’t something Tennessee’s runners can answer. It’s exactly what they point to for why theirs didn’t.
Clark, a freshman who ran the anchor leg, said winning was just a matter of starting the race.
“We knew we had it the whole time,” he said. “No matter who did what, what happened, we knew what the outcome would come to.”
Ross said the victory wasn’t a surprise inside the program either.
“I wouldn’t say unsung,” Ross said. “I’ve watched this team all year long, and we were expecting to come out of there with the championship. It was a tight competition down to the last event.”
Tennessee finished third in the men’s team standings with 46 points, its best total since 2002.
Howell, a junior who ran the second leg, said the belief behind the relay team’s confidence was built long before the race.
“Three of the four of us already ran under 10 seconds,” he said. “Last year we all trained together during the summer, all lived together. We already had the bond, and adding the freshman on anchor was just a cherry on top. He figured it out at SECs, ran a 10.1, season’s best, and we trusted him to bring it home.”
Clark said the title is already part of something bigger to him.
“The goal is to always make history,” said Clark, who was hired by Tennessee four years ago after a successful run at North Carolina A&T. “It’s been one of my dreams. To be able to be on the wall, especially at a school like this, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
With OTAs and minicamp now behind us, all we have before the preseason gets underway is training camp. The Titans will enjoy the next month off before getting started with camp in late July.
This time of year is always fun because you get to see a few players come out of nowhere and work their way into the roster discussion. You also get to see if the young players have made progress, and we get a good idea of what the depth chart is looking like. Today, let’s go over eight players who were winners at camp and four who didn’t have the best showings.
Winner: Cam Ward | QB
Cam Ward has to be considered a winner. The quarterback faced a ton of criticism for his performance at OTAs, and if he had gone out and had a bad showing at minicamp, you can just imagine what the talking points would be.
Luckily, Ward looked much more relaxed and efficient during minicamp. On Tuesday, Ward made a few very nice throws, including a sidearm touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm that I’m sure everybody has seen by now. On Wednesday, Ward showed off his chemistry with Wan’Dale Robinson and Chimere Dike, in particular, as both guys caught several passes.
I think we saw what we needed to see from Ward this offseason. He’s a young passer learning a new offense, it’s not crazy to think there are some kinks to work out.
Winner: Tyjae Spears | RB
It seems like many forgot about Spears this offseason. After the talk of Jeremiyah Love around the draft and Nicholas Singleton being added, it seems like not many were expecting big things out of Spears.
However, Spears has done nothing but impress this summer. The Tulane product looks as explosive as ever and had a couple of really nice runs. Spears also caught some passes and mentioned that he actually wants to get even better as a pass-catcher. Spears did well enough this summer that Robert Saleh already said Spears and Pollard will be the bellcows. That has to be a win.
Winner: Xavier Restrepo | WR
Xavier Restrepo was the most productive wide receiver on the team this offseason. The receiver had more catches than any other pass-catcher and legitimately looked like an NFL-caliber player. Restrepo also had probably the most impressive catch of the summer on Wednesday. That’s really saying something, too, considering this receiver room is incredibly deep.
I still think Restrepo still has an uphill battle to make the final roster, but it would have been very difficult to have a better couple of months than Restrepo has had.
Winner: Chimere Dike | WR
Someone who definitely WILL make the roster is fellow receiver, Chimere Dike. Dike was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro as a rookie thanks to his special teams prowess, but he showed off his talent as a wide receiver too this summer.
Dike caught a ton of passes during minicamp and finished behind only Restrepo in total catches this offseason. He offered plenty of value already as a returner, so if he can give more on offense as well, watch out.
Winner: Austin Schlottmann | C
Austin Schlottmann was signed this offseason, and at the time, the deal didn’t exactly make a ton of headlines. It was expected that Schlottmann would be battling for the starting center job with several other players, but it already seems clear that the veteran is the leader for the job.
Schlottmann was made available to the media, which usually is a good sign that the player is in the team’s plans. Teammates and coaches have praised Schlottmann’s leadership and familiarity with Brian Daboll’s offensive system. Schlottmann looks primed to step into the largest role of his career in a system he’s familiar with.
Winner: Pass Rushers
There are several defenders on the line who deserve praise. This defensive front made life hard for the offensive line, especially on Wednesday. Truman Jones, Earnest Brown, Jacob Martin, and Jermaine Johnson II were all credited with would-be sacks on Wednesday.
This is another group that didn’t seem to have the best depth, but looks much better now. The line was able to dominate even without Jeffery Simmons and Femi Oladejo, too, which is more impressive.
Winner: Alontae Taylor | CB
Alontae Taylor was a big-ticket addition for the Titans and is expected to play a crucial role in 2026. Taylor missed some time at OTAs, but if there were any worries about that, those should be put to rest now.
At minicamp, Taylor showed why the Titans valued him so highly. The veteran is talkative and always seemed to be around the ball. The defender almost came down with an interception on Tuesday on a nice play and then had another nice pass breakup on Wednesday. Jim Wyatt noted that Titans fans will love Taylor’s “scrappy play and feistiness.”
Winner: Keydrain Calligan | CB
Keydrain Calligan isn’t a name that was on many radars a month ago. That’s changed now, as the depth corner took full advantage of his opportunities at OTAs and minicamp. Calligan came down with an interception and had several pass breakups over the last few weeks.
I was worried about the corner depth, and I’m still not thrilled with it, but Calligan has made me feel better. The former undrafted free agent also has some versatility and can play safety as well. Perhaps nobody more helped their chance to make the roster than Calligan.
Loser: Hendon Hooker and Will Levis | QB
I didn’t want to just pick on Will Levis, as Hendon Hooker was also underwhelming. Both passers had a perfect chance to impress, considering Mitchell Trubisky missed the first part of OTAs, and neither were able to do so.
There was probably no scenario where Levis or Hooker earned the QB2 spot, but with a good offseason program, they could’ve forced the Titans to keep a third quarterback. Instead, the young passers were either bad or mediocre for the majority of the offseason. I don’t see a scenario where either quarterback is on the final roster.
Loser: Kalel Mullings | RB
As I mentioned above, Saleh has already appointed Pollard and Spears as the team’s top running backs. Rookie Nic Singleton should also factor in as well, but there’s likely going to be four running backs on the roster. This meant that Mullings seemingly entered the offseason with a great shot to stick.
Unfortunately, Mullings didn’t take advantage of his opportunities. Michael Carter, who is also competing for a spot, made more plays, and Julius Chestnut probably has the edge due to his special teams prowess. Mullings still has time, but it would have been nice to have seen him do more this summer.
Loser: Femi Oladejo | EDGE
It feels bad to put Oladejo here because injuries are unavoidable. However, it’s objectively disappointing that Oladejo wasn’t able to do much this offseason. The young pass-rusher missed minicamp with an unspecified injury, missing out on valuable offseason reps.
Oladejo has a shot to fill an important rotational role this year. After losing most of his rookie season, it would have been nice for him to get some hype going this summer. Instead, we’ll head to training camp still not knowing what to expect from Oladejo.
Latrell McCutchin Sr. | CB
I was very high on McCutchin when the Titans signed him right after the draft. McCutchin has good size for the boundary and had a ton of pass breakups in college. With the lack of depth the Titans have at corner, I thought McCutchin had a great shot to make the team.
Instead, McCutchin has been overshadowed by Keydrain Calligan and Micah Robinson. I had McCutchin making the roster over those two originally, but if the season started tomorrow, I’d have the rookie behind both. McCutchin needs a strong camp and preseason to avoid landing on the practice squad.
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Tennessee
Tennessee Titans’ Star Jeffrey Simmons Addressed Health and Contract Concerns on Wednesday
The Tennessee Titans wrapped up minicamp on Wednesday and will now head for a summer break. Before heading out, several players spoke with the media. Jeffery Simmons was one of those, and the veteran revealed he’d been managing an elbow issue for years before deciding to address it this offseason.
“That’s the reason why I’ve been wearing a brace, you know? Probably, what, two and a half years to where I wasn’t even able to straighten out my right arm,” Simmons said.
“So to just be able to get that cleaned up… I feel good. I don’t think it’s gonna be a big difference from last year because, like I said, it’s already years in the past… I mean, I played with the brace, and [I might] play with the brace this year, who knows? But at the same time… I feel great. My body feels good, I’ll be ready to go. I’m gonna get back to training camp and hopefully this year continue to keep getting better as a player.”
Let that sink in. Simmons just put together the best season of his career while unable to fully straighten his right arm. That’s absurd.
Big Jeff Speaks: Dollars and Cents
Simmons also made it abundantly clear he’s not interested in any noise on the contract front.
“I think the biggest thing is, since I got to Tennessee, this organization has been nothing but good to me. We’ve been on the same page since I got here. So when it comes down to the contract, I [let] everything play out,” Simmons said.
“Since I got here, I don’t think we [missed] a [beat] in the front office. Me and Ms. Amy, everyone been on the same page. And whenever [it’s] time to talk contract… I know my agent… they’re going to work together to make sure it’s done the right way.
That’s a veteran who knows exactly where he stands — and trusts the people around him to handle the business side.
“One thing when it come down to that contract, we know how messy it could get. And that’s not what I’m looking for, especially going on year eight… This organization been nothing but good to me. So I’m not so focused on the contract right now. Like I said, my goal this offseason is, let me go work my tail off and get ready for training camp.”
The Scariest Part for the Rest of the AFC
Here’s where it gets fun. It’s going to be fascinating to watch how defensive guru and new Titans’ head coach Robert Saleh chooses to deploy Simmons — especially alongside his new running mate, John Franklin-Myers, who signed a three-year, $63 million deal in the spring.
Simmons is legitimately one of the best defenders this organization has ever had. In 2025, he racked up a career-high 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 67 tackles. He’s an absolute monster. For his career, he’s now at 42.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles.
Pairing a player at the peak of his powers with a legit interior running mate, under a head coach whose entire reputation is defensive violence? It’s not a stretch of the imagination to now call Jeffery Simmons arguably the best defender in the AFC. And if he played all of last season with one good arm? Look out.
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