🔻 Tennessee Baseball Loses Pitching Stalwart to Transfer Portal — How It Impacts 2025 Rotation
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Volunteers, fresh off a stellar 2025 campaign, have hit a snag as veteran left-handed pitcher Dylan Loy enters the transfer portal, leaving a notable hole in an otherwise experienced pitching staff.
According to Rocky Top Insider, Tennessee’s transfer window has seen nine pitchers enter the portal, but only a few were significant contributors. Among them, Loy, along with Andrew Behnke and Austin Breedlove, led the way in playing time and impact on the mound last season .
Loy’s departure is the most concerning. He delivered 20 innings in SEC play, showcasing a reliable mix of lefty command and situational effectiveness—qualities often tough to replace. Behnke and Breedlove offered rotational depth, but Loy’s consistency and innings total gave him a unique value .
Despite these losses, Tennessee isn’t starting from scratch. Head coach Tony Vitello and his staff anticipated such departures and proactively added talent via the portal. The Vols have already secured three D-I pitching transfers and a JUCO arm, plus bolstering the position with the return of notable prospects .
While On3 ranks Henry Ford as the No. 1 position‑player transfer, Tennessee’s key priority remains pitching reinforcements—especially to compensate for departures like Loy’s . The challenge now? Ensuring new arrivals can transition seamlessly into SEC competition.
With the MLB Draft looming, Tennessee still risks losing more arms. However, Vitello’s aggressive portal strategy and depth of high-upside recruits provide a buffer. The church-clock rotation may need recalibration—but the groundwork is already in motion .
—
📌 Key Takeaways:
Dylan Loy, a key left-hander with SEC experience, is transferring out—leaving a void in the rotation.
Behnke and Breedlove depart too, but their roles were less central.
Tennessee has responded with multiple portal additions and strong recruiting, aiming to maintain its championship-caliber pitching.
With further departures possible via the MLB Draft, Coach Vitello’s roster strategy will be tested—but the Vols seem ready to recalibrate and reload.
#VolsBaseball #PitchingDepth #PortalStrategy #RockyTopStrong
