South Carolina football adds defensive end from SEC school in transfer portal
South Carolina football bolstered its defensive line with a player from a Southeastern Conference school.
Tennessee’s Caleb Herring committed to the Gamecocks on Thursday night. On3’s Steve Wiltfong was the first to report the news. The Gamecocks beat out Texas among other schools for Herring.
Herring’s commitment comes a day before he was reportedly scheduled for his visit to South Carolina.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Georgia native was No. 1 recruit coming out of Tennessee in 2022 and played three seasons for the Vols. This year, Herring had his best season with 14 tackles (6 for loss) and four sacks. For his career, he has played in 36 games with 25 tackles (8 for loss) and five sacks.
Herring is the second defensive end and fifth defensive linemen overall USC has got during the transfer portal over the last few weeks.
South Carolina’s 2026 transfer portal class
- RB Sam Williams-Dixon (Ohio State)
- RB Jabree Coleman (Penn State)
- WR Jayden Gibson (Oklahoma)
- WR Nitro Tuggle (Purdue)
- OL Dayne Arnett (Ferris State)
- OL Carter Miller (UCF)
- OL Jacarrius Peak (NC State)
- OL Emmanuel Poku (East Carolina)
- OL Hank Purvis (Purdue)
- OL Seth Smith (Northern Arizona)
- K Upton Bellenfant (Texas Tech)
- LS Emmet Rhoades (Western Carolina)
- DL Jordan Thomas (Georgia)
- DL Tomiwa Durojaiye (Illinois)
- DL Kelby Collins (Alabama)
- DE Drew Collins (Arkansas State)
- DE Caleb Herring (Tennessee)
- DB Quay’Sheed Scott (Kentucky)
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 6:51 PM.
