Tennessee football LEO Jordan Ross (Photo via Ryan Sylvia | RTI)
This offseason, Tennessee football lost a bit to the transfer portal. With a change at defensive coordinator, some of the notable losses were on the defensive side of the ball, as well. One of the key losses was former five-star recruit and edge rusher Jordan Ross, who enters his junior year.
Ross departed UT and found his way to LSU to team up with former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin in his first year in Baton Rouge. The natural question is, why did he leave, though, and why were the Tigers the pick?
Ross was asked about the decision during spring camp last week and noted the coaching changes with the Vols. Not only was his defensive coordinator, Tim Banks, fired, but his position coach, Levorn ‘Chop’ Harbin, was also not retained.
“Honestly, I had to find a new program,” Ross said. “I had to look for a new start after my defensive coordinator left and my other coach left. I wanted to start off fresh to be honest. I’ve seen Coach Lucas left his South Carolina job to go to LSU, and I did my research on Coach Baker and how he ran his defense, and honestly, it really fit my playstyle and how I can be better and be put in a great system.”
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Ross is coming off a sophomore season where he totaled 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. The Birmingham native played 249 snaps in 11 games during the 2025 season, earning a 78.2 PFF grade.
The edge rusher is a former five-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle when he committed to Tennessee over Auburn and Florida. 247 ranked Ross as the No. 9 player in the cycle.
At his LEO position, Tennessee also lost starter Joshua Josephs to eligibility before he was selected in the NFL draft last weekend. Another backup, Caleb Herring, also left through the portal for South Carolina. In response, UT landed coveted Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman, though he’s dealt with off-the-field issues in the spring. Tulane transfer Jordan Norman also joins the group.