The Tennessee Volunteers had substantial expectations for tight end Holden Staes when the former Notre Dame product chose to come to Knoxville after the 2023 regular season ended.
It appears his time with the Vols is ending. Per On3 Sports, Staes is entering the transfer portal again.
Staes, one of the most coveted tight ends in the portal last year, picked the Vols over Oklahoma, Washington, and Georgia. He played in 22 games from 2022-23 with Notre Dame.
Staes was second on the team in snaps for the 2024 season with 427. Miles Kitselman led the way with 599. Ethan Davis was third with 177. As such, playing time doesn’t appear to have been a glaring issue for Staes departure. He had six games this season with at least 36 snaps and played in a season-high 62 in Tennessee’s 33-14 win over Mississippi State back on November 9.
But in today’s era of NIL and free reign to transfer, players leave for a variety of reasons. Whether more money, a clash over usage/coaching philosophy, or just a better opportunity elsewhere, it doesn’t seem like it takes much for players to leave nowadays.