BREAKING: Blake Corum Re-Enters Portal, Stuns Football World With Immediate Flip to Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, TN — In an unprecedented and seismic move that blurs the lines of the transfer portal era, former Michigan star running back and Heisman Trophy contender Blake Corum has reversed his decision to enter the 2024 NFL Draft and instead entered the transfer portal, committing immediately to play his final year of eligibility for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers.
The stunning announcement, confirmed by Corum and the Tennessee program on Monday, marks one of the most shocking player movements in modern college football history. Corum, who rushed for 1,245 yards and an FBS-leading 27 touchdowns in Michigan’s 2023 national championship season, was widely projected as a mid-round NFL draft pick before his sudden reversal.
“Winning a national championship at Michigan was a dream come true, but I have unfinished business on the field and in the classroom,” Corum said in a statement released by Tennessee. “My connection with Coach Heupel, the explosive potential of this offense, and the opportunity to compete in the SEC—the best conference in America—present a challenge I am ready to embrace. I’m coming to Rocky Top to chase another ring and help build something special. Go Vols.”
For Head Coach Josh Heupel, this is a program-altering, “all-in” acquisition for the 2024 season. Landing a player of Corum’s proven production, leadership, and championship pedigree from the reigning national champions is an almost unimaginable coup. It signals that Tennessee’s high-octane offensive system and robust NIL infrastructure, led by the Spyre Sports Group, can attract the most coveted ready-made stars in the sport, regardless of origin.
The on-field implications are immediate and transformative. Corum is a complete, durable back whose elite vision, power, and nose for the endzone make him the perfect every-down weapon for Heupel’s tempo-based attack. His presence instantly catapults Tennessee’s offense into the national elite, provides a security blanket for a new starting quarterback, and makes the Volunteers a presumptive top-10 team and SEC title contender.
The national ramifications are profound. For Michigan, the loss of its offensive icon and locker room leader to the portal—and to a future opponent—is a devastating and unexpected blow to its 2024 title defense. For the SEC, it adds another superstar to the league’s arsenal and intensifies the arms race. For the sport, Corum’s move establishes a stunning new precedent: even the most celebrated veterans from championship teams are now viable, game-changing targets in an increasingly professionalized transfer market.
In Knoxville, Neyland Stadium is already buzzing with a surge of championship anticipation. Blake Corum is more than a transfer; he is a statement. Josh Heupel and Tennessee have not just acquired a running back; they have secured a cultural catalyst and a proven winner, declaring to the college football world that they are willing and able to go anywhere to secure the final pieces for a championship run. The message is clear: Tennessee is in win-now mode, and they just landed the ultimate win-now player.
