Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis plans to enter NCAA transfer portal
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According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Tennessee running back Peyton Lewis plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Lewis just completed his second year with the program after being a big-time recruiting win coming out of high school. Now, he intends to continue his college football journey elsewhere.
Lewis played high school football at Salem (VA), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 124 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Decent contributions came from Lewis during his two seasons on Rocky Top. Ten games during the 2025 campaign resulted in 70 carries for 290 yards and seven touchdowns. His yardage total was better as a true freshman, going for 339, but on just 64 touches and adding three touchdowns.
Tennessee can point to one spot this year where Lewis really stepped up in big fashion. Starting running back DeSean Bishop went down with an injury in the middle of the Arkansas game, leaving Lewis in a bigger role. He converted on the opportunity with two touchdowns and received some pretty big praise from his head coach after.
“I don’t care where you’re at, how much you’ve played, you get into this stretch inside the SEC, the next guy is going to be called upon,” Josh Heupelsaid. “Those running backs have all played well throughout the course of it. It was a huge run there by Peyton early and then down the stretch in the third and the fourth quarter. He played really well.”
Lewis had some major programs coming after him during his high school recruitment. Tennessee won out over the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina in the SEC. Penn State was a Big Ten team in contention, where James Franklin was the head coach at the time, now at Virginia Tech.
The transfer portal is not quite open yet. Early January is when players can officially enter their name and begin finding new destinations. Lewis might be getting a little bit of a head start on the process, getting his intentions out there. Certainly a big name to watch throughout the offseason.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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