3 SEC teams that should target Virginia transfer WR Malachi Fields ft. Tennessee
Virginia transfer Malachi Fields has apparently committed to Notre Dame. But in the portal, as in war, all is fair, and there are plenty of SEC teams that shouldn't shy away from a last-ditch effort to sign Fields before Notre Dame finishes the deal.
Fields is coming off 58 catches for 811 yards and five scores in 2023. In 2024, he had almost the same season, with 55 catches for 808 yards and five touchdowns. A 6-foot-4 standout, he was by far the most consistent part of Virginia's struggling offense. That kind of skill and consistency would be helpful anywhere. In fact, here are three SEC schools that could really use Fields.
3 SEC teams that should target Malachi Fields
3. Kentucky
Kentucky's passing game was horribly broken a season ago. The Wildcats finished 14th in the SEC in passing yardage and 16th in passing efficiency. UK ended the season with 15 touchdowns against 17 interceptions, making them the only SEC team to end up with more picks than scores.
Meanwhile, Kentucky's top receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key have both jumped into the transfer portal. Brown is committed to LSU and Key is rumored to be likely to head to Georgia. Kentucky could certainly use a 6-foot-4 receiver with back-to-back seasons of 50+ catches. That's Fields in a nutshell.
2. Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Sooners had just about as many problems as Kentucky in passing. They finished last in the SEC in passing yardage and next to last in passing efficiency. QB Jackson Arnold has hit the road in the transfer portal and Oklahoma's broken offense needs fixing in a hurry.
The Sooners have added Washington State transfer John Mateer at QB, but Mateer could use some experienced talent in his receiving corps. Fields has 129 receptions for 1,849 yards and 11 touchdowns in his Virginia career. Adding a potent WR1 to perhaps the best QB in the portal could see Oklahoma jump from 6-6 to a solid bowl game next season.
1.Tennessee
The Vols made the CFP, but things didn't go well there. While Ohio State was using Jeremiah Smith down the field to break the game open, UT's lack of game-breaking receivers was obvious.
Dont'e Thornton was the only significant UT receiver with over 13 yards per catch. But Thornton struggled with consistency. He had seven sub-50 yard receiving games in 2024, including two with no catches and three more with just one grab.
Fields had no such issues. He had only two games with less than three catches (and he had two catches in each of those). He had five sub-50 yard games, and two of those had him with 48 and 42 yards respectively.
Sure, Fields is just one player. But adding a more consistent deep ball threat to an already potent Tennessee offense could be absolutely massive for 2025.
What do you think about Fields's portal possibilities and whether anyone could drag him away from Notre Dame? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!