As if losing eight players within 24 hours of the Cotton Bowl wasn’t enough, the Ohio State Buckeyes are now on the verge of losing a former national title-winning DC Jim Knowles’ disciple to Josh Heupel’s defense. College football insider Matt Zenitz hopped onto X and shared the blow:

“Tennessee is expected to hire Ohio State’s Michael Hunter as cornerbacks coach, sources tell @CBSSports.”

Before jumping to conclusions, Michael Hunter doesn’t have much blood on his hands for Ohio State’s 2025 postseason campaign. The former NFL DB worked as an assistant defensive backs coach under Tim Walton. The Buckeyes’ DBs were excellent all season until the postseason run.

After working two seasons in Columbus as a graduate assistant (2024) and DB assistant (2025), Hunter decided to hop onto the coaching portal in Nashville.

Truth be told, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Michael Hunter and Tennessee Vols’ new DC Jim Knowles go a long way back. The two have worked side by side at both Oklahoma State and Ohio State.

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Since Hunter already knows Knowles’ complex defensive system inside and out, he’ll be able to jump right in and start teaching the Vols’ secondary without a steep learning curve.

Before becoming a rising star in the coaching world, Hunter was an elite athlete himself. He played college football as a standout cornerback at both Indiana and Oklahoma State. He also spent four years in the NFL, playing for six different teams, including the Giants, Broncos, and Chiefs. That experience should come in handy while coaching at Tennessee.

Hunter is stepping in to replace Willie Martinez, a longtime coach Tennessee recently moved on from after a somewhat disappointing 2025 season.

He joins a revamped defensive staff that includes other fresh faces like Penn State’s Andrew Jackson. This defensive overhaul demonstrates that head coach Josh Heupel remains committed to making Tennessee a powerhouse on both sides of the ball, not just on offense.

While the university hasn’t officially announced the hiring yet, it’s essentially considered a done deal once the final paperwork is completed.

Losing eight players within 24 hours of a Cotton Bowl loss is nothing short of absurd.

All eight players are leaving Ohio State

The portal has just opened, and the Buckeyes have seen several players decide to look for a new program following their recent bowl game loss. The list of players includes some pretty notable names and positions.

At tight end, Jelani Thurman is moving on after three seasons, and quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who was in the battle for the starting job, is also exploring his options. Wide receiver Bryson Rodgers was the first to enter the portal.

The defensive side of the ball is seeing some changes, too, with former five-star recruit C.J. Hicks, a defensive end/linebacker, seeking more playing time. Cornerbacks Bryce West and Dianté Griffin (who is the grandson of the famous Archie Griffin) are also transferring out.

There are also a few others who, for various reasons, weren’t seeing the field much and are hoping for a fresh start elsewhere. This includes wide receiver Damarion Witten, who was the focus of our previous chats, and young running back Sam Dixon. Defensive linemen Dominick Kirk Jr. and Logan George round out the group.

For many of these individuals, especially the younger ones, it’s about finding a place where they can secure more consistent playing time and showcase their skills.

The transfer portal window is open for a couple of weeks, running until January 16, so it’s possible more names could be added to this list.