Sam Pendleton
Junior offensive lineman on Tennessee's 2026 roster. No game stats recorded yet.
6′4″ · 315 lb · Lawsonville, NC · Reagan
Recruiting
IOL recruit
No. 406 nationally · Signed with Notre Dame
No college snaps yet.
His full recruiting profileThe story
3 offensive lineman on Tennessee's roster. No game stats recorded yet.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Notre Dame in 2023.
- Transferred from Notre Dame to Tennessee in 2025.
- Brent Key calls Georgia Tech soft (Sep 10) Reported
Buzz vs Tape
Country hotter than the fans
The wider college football conversation reads him warmer than his own fans do — a gap of 42.5 points in belief.
I think we get even better with two starters returning right in the middle of the offense and defense in Arion Carter and Sam Pendleton.
Sam Pendleton
Notre Dame to Tennessee — the move that set up everything since.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- portal record
His career
2023
- Signed with Notre Dame4-star out of Reagan
2025
- Entered the portal
Splits & context
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Josh Heupel
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
A four-star recruit at offensive line for Tennessee -- now projected at an All-Conference level.
Offensive line play doesn't show up in a box score. Here's what actually tells you whether he's good.
Tennessee has produced 6 All-Conference offensive linemen and 1 All-American. 5 have gone on to the NFL Draft since 2014. Cooper Mays was one of them, an All-American.
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Tennessee
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Offensive line · Tennessee
Returning around him
- 35% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 5 Tennessee players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -8 net (21 in / 29 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Tennessee · Last season: 8-5 (AP #18) · Talent rank #13 · 2026 recruiting class #8
Background
CAREER HONORS 2025 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll CAREER Experienced interior offensive lineman who transferred to Tennessee after playing two seasons at Notre Dame … Served as the Vols' starting center in 2025 and was originally recruited by Tennessee out of high school in nearby North Carolina …...