Former Vols WR Grant Frerking was a paid UT consultant, media NIL president at same time

Grant Frerking, a former Tennessee Vols wide receiver and paid consultant in Josh Heupel's UT football program, is alleged of significant financial scams and crimes. 

Frerking, who essentially had been the face of On3's Name, Image and Likeness division since he exited the UT football program after the 2022 season as On3's President of NIL University as well as director of athlete network development, was terminated by the company late last month, On3 founder Shannon Terry said in a statement posted to the X platform formerly known as Twitter.

But in explosive reporting from the Knoxville News Sentinel this week, Frerking was revealed to be a contract employee of the University of Tennessee's athletics department and specifically for Josh Heupel's Tennessee football program.

Per the report, UT paid Frerking as a contract consultant to the tune of $30,000 for a two-year contract that expires at month's end. UT officials told the KNS that Frerking no longer worked for UT and "has not done any recent work on campus."

However, Frerking had still be heavily involved in Tennessee athletics as recently as just six months ago.

Numerous sources told FootballScoop in recent weeks that Frerking was a host at an exclusive event for the University of Tennessee's fundraising arm, The Tennessee Fund, on the last day of April at Nashville's posh Hall's Chophouse. 

Indeed, invited guests received an invitation to the UT event that was to be "graciously hosted by Grant Frerking" and two additional individuals that FootballScoop is not naming at this time. Numerous high-ranking members of the UT athletics department such as basketball and football coaches as well as athletics director Danny White are typical attendees at those events.

Additionally, though he was never classified as an employee of the organization, numerous sources told FootballScoop that Frerking was involved with Spyre Sports, the collective that has been personally endorsed by White, and had attended their tailgates and various other functions. Spyre is the group that has handled virtually all Tennessee football players' NIL deals now for several years -- including the projected $8 million deal for since-departed Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. 

Spyre confirmed to KNS that Frerking had been on the Spyre-originated Volunteer Legacy's board of directors.

"Words cannot describe how excited and honored to join the Board of Directors for Volunteer Legacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit," Frerking posted to his Instagram page at the time. Frerking recently switched his social media account to private. 

On3's Terry, who's been a dynamic force in online coverage of college football and recruiting as a founder of Rivals and 247Sports in addition to On3, has issued several statements that condemned Frerking's behavior and also shined a light on Frerking's dismissal from On3.

Terry was particularly direct in light of the Knoxville paper's report on Frerking's advisory role for Heupel's program.

Frerking was spotlighted for his entrepreneurial work with his former company Metro Straw while playing for the Vols as a walk-one wideout through six seasons that ended in 2022. In addition to features from ESPN and The Athletic, Frerking became a media regular on a variety of shows that included the SEC Network staple "The Paul Finebaum Show."