'Get the ball in his hands and let him do special things' - Tennessee Vols let a playmaker leave via the NCAA transfer portal

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'Get the ball in his hands and let him do special things' - Tennessee Vols let a playmaker leave via the NCAA transfer portal originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
One of the most hyped players in the Tennessee Vols' 2023 recruiting class was easily four-star athlete Cam Seldon.
The Virginia native was rated by 247Sports as the No. 77 overall player in the nation. He was also the third highest rated player in Tennessee's 2023 recruiting class.Seldon, however, never made a real impact for the Volunteers. He played in 19 games over two seasons for the Vols, rushing for 224 yards and one touchdown (4.7 yards per carry). Seldon also caught one pass for -2 yards. The 6-foot-1 athlete entered the NCAA transfer portal after the 2024 regular season. Seldon eventually landed at Virginia Tech, where he's expected to play in a hybrid wide receiver/running back role.
Hokies offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery was asked about Seldon on Wednesday and he sounded excited about the former Vol's potential to be a playmaker for Virginia Tech. "I thought he had a good summer," said Montgomery. "He got a better understanding number one, of the offense, and then number two, just the position itself. And so, those natural attributes that he has -- the speed and the power and all of those things, you started seeing it early in camp. Him just playing through routes faster, understanding coverages, understanding spacing. "Again, we got to be able to use him in a lot of different ways. If you ask him, he's not a receiver, but he's also not a running back -- he's a football player. And to be able to get the ball in his hands and let him go do special things, that's what we're going to be trying to do."
Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry suggested earlier this spring that Seldon could play a Deebo Samuel-type role for the Hokies in 2025. 'I've been pleasantly surprised,' said Pry in the spring when asked about Seldon. 'He catches the ball more naturally than I anticipated. He's got really good speed. He's got a great build. He's got really good work ethic. To this point, with four practices in the winter program, he's everything that I hoped he'd be.'I think he's got the ability to do that (a Deebo Samuel role). Are we able to do that with our offense and with the personnel we have? We'll see. But based on his running back background, he's good with the ball in his hands after the catch.'
Seldon was also included on Bruce Feldman's 2025 college football freaks list (via The Athletic).Considering Tennessee's lack of depth at wide receiver (and mostly unproven depth at running back), Seldon is certainly a player the Vols could've used this fall. But maybe Seldon was just ready to be closer to home in Virginia. Or maybe the Hokies made him an NIL offer he couldn't refuse. Either way, there's no doubt that Seldon has elite talent. And surely that elite talent could've been an asset on Rocky Top had he chose to stick around for another year. I'm not saying Tennessee did anything wrong here, but Cam Seldon not working out is one that stings a bit if you're a Vols fan. And it's going to sting even more if he has a huge year for Virginia Tech.This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.