Tennessee's Josh Heupel explains why adding players from transfer portal is more difficult during spring transfer window

The Tennessee Vols weren't expected to be extremely active during the spring transfer portal window (the portal was open during the last half of April), though there was a thought that the program could add a running back or another defensive back to the roster. 

But despite some early contact with a couple of players, the Vols haven't added anyone from the portal during the spring window. It's still possible that they could, but it seems more likely than not that Tennessee will enter the summer months without making another portal addition. 

(Transfer players who entered the portal during the spring window can transfer to a new program at any time.)

There's a reason why Tennessee hasn't been overly aggressive in the transfer portal during the spring window -- even though the team still has some depth needs. 

Vols head coach Josh Heupel explained during a Big Orange Caravan stop in Nashville this week that adding transfer players during the spring window is a challenge in part because the 2024 version of Tennessee has been building its culture since January. 

“I not sure what the right verbiage is, but it’s just different," said Heupel when asked about the challenges of the winter window versus the spring window. "The number of guys that enter the portal based off the time of year is different. The culture of your program -- you have been building it since January. Being mindful of that as well when you look at who’s in the portal. You are closer to the season. Guys are ingrained into your program. They understand where they have to continue to grow. It’s different than the January process.” 

Essentially, Heupel doesn't want to disrupt what his team has been building the last four months by bringing in a player that doesn't fit into the culture of this year's team. 

Heupel knows as well as anyone that the culture and bonds that are formed in the offseason are where championship teams are born. He experienced that first hand during his time as a national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma. 

If the Vols had a glaring need at a position, then Heupel and his staff would likely scour the portal until they found an option that makes sense for Tennessee. 

But since that isn't the approach the Vols are taking this spring, the assumption is that Heupel is comfortable with the state of his roster entering the summer.