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UT Martin transfer TE Drake Martinez commits to Tennessee

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs01/25/26grant_grubbs_

Former UT Martin tight end Drake Martinez has committed to Tennessee, via the NCAA Transfer Portal. He only spent one season with the Skyhawks.

In his lone campaign at UT Martin, Martinez made 12 appearances and 10 starts. He recorded 18 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. Before transferring to UT Martin, Martinez spent the 2024 season at Houston Christian.

He made 11 appearances for the program, tallying 16 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Martinez spent the 2023 campaign at McNeese State.

He began his collegiate career at Colorado State, where he spent the 2021-22 seasons. However, he never saw any action for the Rams.

Drake Martinez played high school football at St. Thomas (TX), where he was a three-star recruit. He was the No. 1,556 overall player and No. 88 tight end in the 2021 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

Martinez is the 21st player who has committed to Tennessee via the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason. Tennessee has also landed transfer commitments from standouts such as EDGE Chaz Coleman and linebacker Amare Campbell. As of this report, Tennessee is ranked No. 20 in On3’s 2026 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

Tennessee finished the 2025 campaign with an 8-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in conference play. The team ended its season on a 30-28 loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl.

It was a step backward for the Volunteers, who posted 10 wins in the 2024 season. Next season will be head coach Josh Heupel‘s sixth season at the helm of Tennessee. With no shortage of talent on his roster, Heupel is hungry to see the Volunteers thrive in 2026.

“This game doesn’t care what logo is on the side of your helmet or where you are playing,” Heupel said in December. “Winning football is in the details. You have to be on the right side of that and you have to do that 365 days out of the year to give yourself a chance. You have to win the week of preparation and go earn it on gameday too. It’s hard, but that’s what it takes.”

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.