Tennessee
Transfer Portal: Tennessee linked to UNLV QB Anthony Colandrea
A new name has surfaced in Tennessee’s search for a quarterback out of the transfer portal. Anthony Colandrea, who announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Friday, could be an option for the Volunteers.
Tennessee, of course, is waiting on a legal answer from the Diego Pavia lawsuit that Joey Aguilar has joined. However, as things inch closer to the transfer portal opening up on January 2nd, it’s feeling more and more like Tennessee won’t get the answer they’re seeking in time. That’s going to force Josh Heupel’s hand, likely moving in a different direction at quarterback for the 2026 season.
Tennessee has also been linked to Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby and TCU quarterback Josh Hoover. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Colandrea is another name to follow closely.
“Sources have told On3 that UNLV transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea is expected to command significant Power Four interest,” Nakos reported on Saturday. “While Florida State has started to surface, sources have cautioned that other schools are heavily in the mix. Keep an eye on Tennessee, too.”
Following the exit of Jake Merklinger, Tennessee is left with two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster — redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon, who is the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2026. Tennessee will be forced to add a third arm to that room in some form or fashion.
Colandrea is coming off of a huge season for UNLV, playing under Dan Mullen. The 6-0, 205 pound quarterback threw for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns this year for the Rebels. He ran for another 649, scoring ten times on the ground. Colandrea spent his first two seasons at Virginia.
Tennessee is clearly evaluating the arms from this portal group as they decide which direction to go. Jim Knowles has plenty of holes that he’s going to have to plug for his year one defense, notably in the secondary and up front on the defensive line. Obviously how much they spend at the quarterback position will go a long way in determining what they can add defensively.
Colandrea may not command as much cash as some of the other top names in the portal, so this could be a nice happy medium for Heupel and company. We’ll see what other names surface over the next several days as the giant game of musical quarterbacks gets underway.
Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.
The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.
“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”
In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.
It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.
Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.
The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.
Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.
Knoxville Regional
7-seed Virginia
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
Indiana
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
Northern Kentucky
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
More From RTI: Everything Josh Elander Said After Tennessee Baseball Dropped Series Finale Against Texas
Knoxville Super Regional
3-seed Georgia
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
6-seed Clemson
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- Jamison Brockenbrough – .342
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
UNC Greensboro
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
- Brooklyn Shroyer – 1.41
Charleston
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
- Mackenzie Mathis – 3.34
Tennessee rowing won the program’s first SEC championship in a thrilling finish on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge.
The title came down to the final race with the varsity eight boat, which had the lead against Texas going into the final 250 meters. The Longhorns made a late push to overtake the Lady Vols, but the 1V8 crew held on for the victory to secure the SEC championship on May 10.
Tennessee narrowly beat Texas 79-75 to win the title. It’s the first time the Lady Vols have won a conference championship since 2013 when they were a member of Conference USA.
The program’s first SEC title comes in the third season under coach Kim Cupini, who has transformed Tennessee into a national powerhouse.
“Phenomenal to see that from the team”, Cupini said in a school release. “Texas coming in was the number one team in the country and had that undefeated eight. So to see the varsity eight clinch like that was awesome. I have to take my hat off to the full team to get enough points to win the SEC Championship and bring that championship home, especially here at home in Tennessee. So, I was super impressed and super proud of them.”
Tennessee moves on to the NCAA Championships at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, from May 29-31.
Tennessee narrowly beat Texas 79-75 with four total wins, which also included the 2V4, 3V8 and 3V4.
The 1V8 boat finished with a time of 6:06.939 for the win. The first varsity eight crew has beaten eight ranked opponents on the season.
The 2V4 was a crucial comeback win for Tennessee. The second varsity four crew fell behind early but caught up to and overtook Texas in the final 500 meters for the win, finishing with a time of 7:12.677.
“I think the boats on the water saw that,” Cupini said. “To be able to race from behind in the event and win is incredible. The second four, we were going crazy on that. It was a group that just got together the other day. They row together a lot as a team and as a group, but that lineup hasn’t been together. So to see them pull that off and get the win was incredible.”
Tennessee swept the third varsity races, with the 3V8 finishing with a time of 6:29.409 and the 3V4 finishing with a time of 7:16.747. The Lady Vols placed second in the 2V8 and 1V4, losing to Texas by a combined 11 seconds.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
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