Tennessee Football Gets Penn State LB Amare Campbell to Reunite with Jim Knowles
Amare Campbell, who led Penn State with 103 tackles in 2025, joins Tennessee to strengthen their linebacker group as their seventh transfer portal addition.
- On Jan. 9, 2026, Tennessee added Penn State inside linebacker Amare Campbell via the transfer portal; Campbell has one year of college eligibility remaining.
- With Arion Carter entering the 2026 NFL Draft, Tennessee sought an upgrade at inside linebacker, aided by Campbell's prior work under Jim Knowles and Tennessee assistants familiar with him from Penn State.
- Campbell led Penn State with 103 tackles and 769 snaps in 2025, totaling 193 tackles, 22 tackles-for-loss, and 10.5 sacks in his career.
- The pickup bolsters Tennessee Volunteers defense ahead of the 2026 season, expediting the Tennessee linebacking corps' grasp of Jim Knowles' defensive scheme and filling depth after departures.
- The portal surge and Penn State's roster gaps contextualize Campbell's move, with more than 4,000 NCAA Division I players entering since Jan. 2 and Penn State's 48 entries to the portal, plus 22 departures for NFL or eligibility.
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More than 4,000 NCAA Division I football players have put their names in the transfer portal since Jan. 2, a number never seen before. At Penn State, 48 players have entered the portal or committed to new schools. Combined with 22 players from the 2025 roster who are out of eligibility or who have declared for the NFL draft, the Nittany Lions have had a staggering 70 roster spots to fill. So it’s no surprise that new coach Matt Campbell and his …
Productive Penn State defender following Jim Knowles to Tennessee
Another productive Penn State defensive player has decided to follow Jim Knowles from State College to Knoxville for the 2026 season. Transfer linebacker Amare Campbell announced on Friday night that he has committed to Tennessee. On3’s Hayes Fawcett shared the news of yet another Penn State-Tennessee connection taking place for next season. Knowles’ move from defensive coordinator at Penn State in 2025 to DC at Tennessee in 2026 was already pay…
Report: Former Penn State Football Linebacker Amare Campbell Transfers To Tennessee
Former Penn State football linebacker Amare Campbell has committed to transfer to Tennessee, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He has one year of eligibility remaining. BREAKING: Penn State transfer LB Amare Campbell has Committed to Tennessee, he tells @On3SportsThis season he totaled 103 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 PD, 1 FF, and 1 FRHe’ll have 1 year of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/0FJyIW5s1a— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January …
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