3 Squirrel White transfer destinations for CFP hopefuls needing a major deep threat

What a difference a week can make. Just a few days ago, Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers were flying high, confident in their team's chances of springing an upset in the first round of the College Football Playoff against Ohio State. (So confident, in fact, that Vols fans did their best to take paint Ohio Stadium orange.) But a 42-17 pasting in Columbus left everyone wondering just what exactly went wrong, and has left the program reeling a bit in the aftermath.

Tennessee appeared to have secured a commitment from Northwestern transfer tackle Josh Thompson in the portal, but a late NIL push swung him to SEC rival LSU. And now one of the team's primary offensive weapons is unexpectedly headed for the exit: According to On3's Pete Nakos, wide receiver Squirrel White is set to enter the transfer portal.

White never quite made good on the considerable hype that surrounded him after a promising freshman year, but he did catch 67 passes for 803 yards in 2023 before injuries limited him to just 381 yards this past season. At just 5-foot-10, 167 pounds, he's exclusively a slot player, but his twitchiness and deep speed means he's a big play waiting to happen, one that plenty of teams will be willing to take a shot on.

3. Louisville

Jeff Brohm secured his QB for 2025 in former USC passer Miller Moss, but receiver remains a bit of a question mark for the Cardinals. Leading wideout Ja'Corey Brooks is off to the NFL Draft, and Caullin Lacy is likely moving on after opting out in late October. There's work to be done on this depth chart, and Brohm has had success with shifty slot types like White in the past.

For a coach who loves getting aggressive in the passing game, White would seem to be an ideal fit, and White himself figures to find plenty to like in Brohm's offensive track record. This could be a sneakily perfect fit, although Nakos does report that the Alabama native is looking to move closer to home.

2. Auburn

If that is in fact the case, why not Auburn, a program that seems to be snatching up every possible transfer target under a revitalized Hugh Freeze? Granted, the Tigers did just secure a commitment from Georgia Tech wideout Eric Singleton, and Cam Coleman and a host of young blue-chippers are fighting for playing time. But you can never have too many weapons, especially when your QB situation (a battle between transfers Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels) leaves a bit to be desired.

White grew up in Pinson, just over two hours north of Auburn, and this move would bring him closer to home while also giving him a central role on what should be a competitive team in the SEC next season. Freeze has yet to really get his offense going on the Plains so far, but his track record at Ole Miss was explosive, and he could do some fun stuff with a player as versatile as White.

1. Georgia

Before White committed to Tennessee, it looked like he might be headed to Georgia, who came on late in White's recruitment out of high school. Kirby Smart is desperate to find wide receiver help, set to lose Dominic Lovett, Colbie Young and Arian Smith next season, and White would be a great fit to fill Smith's role in this offense in 2025 and maybe even beyond.

Flipping to Georgia would be the ultimate betrayal in the eyes of Tennessee fans, but if White wants to go somewhere he can compete for titles and play in front of plenty of NFL scouts, it's hard to do a lot better than the Dawgs. Granted, the passing offense is hit or miss, especially with Carson Beck potentially moving on to the NFL Draft. But Smart and Georgia's NIL operation has been humming of late, and this is a position of real need.