Former Tennessee wide receiver Nathan Leacock signs with Purdue
Nathan Leacock, a former wide receiver for Tennessee, signed a Purdue contract through the NCAA Transfer Portal. Along with defensive tackle Jayson Jenkins (Florida State), linebacker Kalib Perry (Louisville), and wide receivers Chas Nimrod (South Florida) and Squirrel White (Florida State), he is one of five former Vols who have chosen new schools in the previous three days.
Leacock played in five games this season and caught just one pass for 13 yards in Tennessee’s victory over Chattanooga on August 31. As a freshman in 2023, he played in just one game.
In 2023, Leacock was rated as a four-star prospect. In the On3 Industry Ranking, he came in at number 75 overall. From Millbrook High School in Raleigh, he was ranked as the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina and the No. 12 wide receiver in the nation.
Seven former Vols have committed to other institutions.
Leacock joins Nimrod, White, Jenkins, Perry, wide receiver Kaleb Webb (Maryland), defensive back Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), and linebacker Jalen Smith (Mississippi State) as the seventh former Tennessee player to commit to a new school through the NCAA Transfer Portal. He is also the fourth to do so since Saturday afternoon.
During the December portal window, Perry was one of at least 13 scholarship athletes from Tennessee to access the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Tight end Holden Staes, defensive back Christian Harrison, running back Cam Seldon, running back Khalifa Keith, and offensive lineman Vysen Lang are the four Vols who have not officially committed to new schools but have accessed the site.
White caught 131 passes for 1,665 yards and six touchdowns during the previous three seasons, but three Tennessee wide receivers have left via the NCAA Transfer Portal. He grabbed 34 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games this season, compared to 67 receptions for 803 yards and two scores in 2023 as a sophomore. In 2022, as a freshman, he caught 30 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns.
Three catches for 45 yards in Tennessee’s victory over Kentucky on November 2 was a season best for Nimrod, another redshirt sophomore wide receiver, who caught 10 passes for 121 yards in 12 games this season. He caught two passes for 34 yards against Kent State and three passes for 29 yards each against Florida and Arkansas. In 13 games last season, he caught 19 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.
In 13 games this season, Jenkins recorded nine tackles, including 2.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss. In 20 career games throughout his three years at Tennessee, he recorded 15 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks.
On Monday, Perry inked a contract with Louisville. He played in 37 games during his time at Tennessee and recorded 61 tackles, including three tackles for loss, throughout the last three seasons with the Vols. Perry played in 12 games this season and recorded a career-high 26 tackles, including 11 solo and 15 assisted, along with three tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
