Christian Conyer, previously a defensive back for Tennessee, has declared his transfer to Coastal Carolina. He made the announcement on Saturday, just a month after entering the transfer portal. Conyer’s time at Tennessee was brief, with only one season under his belt. During his tenure, he managed one tackle while contributing to special teams in a game against UConn. Despite Tennessee experiencing turnover in the cornerback position, Conyer’s chances of securing a significant role in the team’s defense appeared slim for his sophomore season. As a three-star recruit in the 2023 class, Conyer was a notable acquisition for Josh Heupel and his coaching team. Hailing from Bowling Green, he was the top prospect in Kentucky for the 2024 recruiting cycle and initially opted for Tennessee over Kentucky.
Conyer faced stiff competition from fellow rising sophomore cornerbacks Rickey Gibson II and Jordan Matthews, which hindered his progress entering his sophomore season. Despite participating in spring practice with Tennessee, he decided to transfer afterward. Alongside linebacker Elijah Herring, Conyer was one of only two Tennessee players to enter the transfer portal following spring practice. At Coastal Carolina, Conyer joins a program that has experienced significant success since transitioning to Division One in 2017. The Chanticleers boasted a 31-7 record from 2020-2022 under head coach Jamey Chadwell before he departed for Liberty. Under Tim Beck’s leadership, Coastal Carolina posted a 9-4 record in their first season as head coach last fall.
Tennessee lost its top two cornerbacks from last season’s team— Kamal Hadden and Gabe Jeudy-Lally— while a number of young corners are looking to step into bigger roles. The sophomore Gibson and Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy projects as starters while Matthews and Temple transfer Jalen McMurray will provide depth.
