Tennessee football adds transfer TE Drake Martinez before spring practice

Tennessee football added UT Martin tight end Drake Martinez to the 2026 roster just before spring practice.

Martinez was in attendance at UT's first practice on March 16, but he must go through an NCAA-mandated acclimatization period before participating on the field.

A UT spokesman confirmed that Martinez signed last week and recently enrolled. UT offers a mini-session, giving students the option to cram a course into a condensed time frame during a half-semester. The session runs from March 18 to May 7.

Martinez is UT's 21st transfer added this offseason. He is a 6-foot-3, 240-pounder from Houston. He was a three-star recruit in the 2021 class and has bounced around since then.

Tennessee will be the sixth school in his college career, which includes redshirts to extend his eligibility. Martinez spent two seasons at Colorado State, one season at McNeese State, one season at Houston Christian and one season at UT Martin.

His production has come in the past two seasons. In 2024, he had 16 catches for 142 yards and two TDs at Houston Christian. In 2025, he had 18 catches for 124 yards and two TDs at UT Martin.

Martinez adds depth to the tight end group, and UT hopes he can contribute as a physical blocker. The Vols must replace Miles Kitselman (out of eligibility) and Jack Van Dorselaer (transferred to Oklahoma).

UT returns pass-catching tight ends Ethan Davis and DaSaahn Brame, along with reserve Cole Harrison. It also added South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas from the portal and Luca Wolf as a 2026 signee.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Drake Martinez: Tennessee football adds tight end transfer