AI-assisted summaryFormer University of Tennessee football player Grant Frerking faces multiple allegations of financial scams and unpaid debts.Frerking’s former employer, On3, cut ties with him after the allegations surfaced, and Metro Straw issued a warning on its website about his business practices.Frerking has been evicted from two Nashville apartments this year, according to court records, and owed $16,387 in unpaid rent in an upscale neighborhood.Former Tennessee football player Grant Frerking, who gained fame during his playing career as the teenage CEO of what was described as a $1 million company, has tumbled into a mess of financial scams and legal issues that have him asking former Vols athletes for loans.

In the past six months alone, a Davidson County judge has ordered Frerking to vacate two apartments in swanky Nashville neighborhoods where he ran up nearly $16,400 in unpaid debts, according to court documents reviewed by Knox News.

All the while, Frerking has been accused of pretending to work for Metro Straw, his former ground cover business, to collect money from customers who sent payments believing he still worked there only to be left without product delivered.

“Grant Frerking is a lying unscrupulous SOB,” said Doug Proctor, a Georgia man who told Knox News he was scammed by Frerking as a Metro Straw customer. “All the time he bills himself as a star football player at Tennessee as well as a gifted businessman. What a phony! He needs to be exposed.”

Frerking sought loans from his former teammates and other Vols athletes, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Knox News. The sources requested to not be named in Knox News’ reporting. One source told Knox News he loaned money to Frerking two years ago and has not been paid back.

Frerking did not immediately return multiple requests by Knox News for comment.

It’s an eye-opening turn for Frerking, who garnered attention in media reports for his entrepreneurship and during numerous TV appearances on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on SEC Network after his Tennessee football career ended in 2022.

He has been a fixture on the Neyland Stadium sidelines as a former player, booster and an influential figure involved in name, image and likeness deals for athletes while working for On3, a Nashville-based sports media company that covers teams, recruiting and NIL pay for college athletes.

Currently, Frerking does not have any obvious ties to the Tennessee athletic department beyond being a former student-athlete and donor. UT declined to disclose the extent of his financial donations. On3 has cut ties with Frerking.

Frerking, 26, was a Vols walk-on from 2017-22. He gained attention unusual for even a scholarship player because of his claimed business successes as the former CEO and founder of Metro Straw, which began in the metro Atlanta area and expanded across the Southeast. The Athletic documented Frerking’s success in a November 2018 story.

Metro Straw was so uncomfortable with Frerking’s business practices that the company posted a warning this spring about him on its website to protect people from being scammed by him. Customers who paid him but never received product told Knox News he told them he worked for Metro Straw.In an undated text box on its website posted this spring, Metro Straw declares “Metro Straw and former owner Grant Frerking have parted ways for 2 years. Metro Straw does not associate with Grant Frerking in any way.” Metro Straw did not immediately return numerous phone calls or email from Knox News on June 11.And when civil claims for unpaid bills and accusations that Frerking was scamming people piled up, On3 cut ties with the former Vol.”On3 is aware of allegations concerning a former employee, whose employment ended on May 27, 2025,” in a statement provided to USA TODAY Network. “On3 has a zero tolerance policy for blatant violations of its internal standards and values, and takes allegations of criminal misconduct especially seriously. An internal investigation into the allegations is ongoing. On3 has no further comment at this time.”Grant Frerking lost three civil claims for unpaid bills in NashvilleFrerking has faced a dozen civil court claims in little more than a two-year span for allegations ranging from unpaid rent to stiffing a limo driver, according to court records.Frerking has been evicted from two Nashville apartments this year, according to court records, and owed $16,387 in unpaid rent in the upscale neighborhood The Gulch.In May, a Davidson County judge signed off on an eviction order after determining Frerking owed almost $8,200 to the leasing company for the Prima at Paseo South Gulch Apartments. In January and March, a Davidson County judge found Frerking owed boutique Gulch apartment owners Harlowe more than $8,000 in two separate rulings.In total, 12 civil claims were filed against Frerking in Davidson County since 2023, court records show, including 10 by the same landlord.Nine claims were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be filed again. And they often were a few months later for unpaid rent.In May 2023, a limo company filed a civil claim against Frerking for $2,500. The plaintiff said he was hired as Frerking’s private driver at $75 per hour, and that tab was unpaid. Later the same day, the driver dismissed his claim.Customers say Frerking scammed money after leaving company he foundedFrerking founded Metro Straw, a ground cover company, as a budding 15-year-old entrepreneur.Frerking left the company in July 2021, according to his LinkedIn, shortly after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management and just before being hired by On3.But customers told Knox News that Frerking continued contacting them on behalf of Metro Straw, acting as a representative of the company and making unmet promises as recently as mid-May.Proctor, a Metro Straw customer, told Knox News that Frerking agreed to deliver pine straw to his property in Johns Creek, Georgia, in spring 2024, three years after he left the company. Frerking asked for payment up front. Proctor declined, but he gave Frerking his debit card to charge half the amount up front and half after the job. Frerking never delivered the pine straw, but he charged the full amount.Proctor complained to Frerking via email, but then he was charged an additional half of the total cost.“He charged me half the amount three times and never did anything,” Procter told Knox News.Frerking eventually refunded Proctor two of the three payments, but still owes him a few hundred dollars. Proctor didn’t know about Frerking’s background as a UT football player and young entrepreneur until he searched for him online after he was scammed. Proctor said Frerking quit returning his emails requesting a refund last fall.A different resident of Johns Creek, Georgia, and a repeat customer was scammed by Frerking in early February in similar fashion, he told Knox News. The man, who requested he not be named, told Knox News he reached out to Metro Straw to purchase pine straw. He was contacted directly by Frerking and not by Metro Straw with “an insane deal.” Frerking requested half-payment as a deposit. A day later, Frerking requested the rest at a discounted rate to take advantage of what he said was a vendor offering a deal.Both payments were made on Venmo to Gracie Roberson, whom Frerking referred to as “his partner” and was his girlfriend at the time of the transactions. Roberson, a UT graduate from Nashville, could not be reached for comment. It is not clear in the records whether Roberson knew of Frerking’s business dealings.“I assumed it was a female business partner,” the man said. “Then I looked at her history and it was silly stuff like drinks and birthday cake and nothing to do with pine straw.”Frerking repeatedly insisted delivery would be made in a couple of days, but it never was. The man contacted Metro Straw directly and was told there was no record of the order he placed through the website. A company representative asked if the man had been dealing with Frerking.“That was when my red flag went up,” he said.The man was one of three people who paid Frerking via Roberson’s Venmo from Feb. 1-March 10, according to records reviewed by Knox News. The man ultimately was issued a refund via Venmo on March 17 after he realized he was being conned. He sent a Venmo to Roberson’s account after receiving the refund with a caption cautioning anyone from doing future business with Frerking. A December 2024 Yelp review labeled Frerking “the most unscrupulous liar.” Claims across Yelp and with the Better Business Bureau consistently describe an insistence on prepayment, a lack of follow through and disappearing when confronted for refunds. A BBB complaint said Frerking’s bank account had been frozen.

“This is theft,” a complaint on the BBB website stated on May 13. “My money was taken in good faith and there was never the intention (to) deliver either product.”

Another complaint on the BBB website on July 25, 2024, requested that the watchdog bureau “report this company as a SCAM,” and identified “Grant” as the person responsible.

Frerking was named the 2016 Baylor Youth Entrepreneur of the Year.

In that 2018 profile in The Athletic, Frerking said integrity and customer communication were the bedrock principles of his business.

“We keep true to our word. We’re honest,” Frerking said. “… We treated people right and grinded. We called people back. We checked up on customers. My managers follow up after every single job we do.”

Grant Frerking worked in NIL space with On3

Frerking joined On3 in August 2021. He held a role related to the company’s NIL valuations, promotions and sponsorships, but was no longer an employee as of June 2025.

Frerking had served as president of On3’s NIL University and director of athlete network development. He also had been a point person for On3’s major NIL events that focused on NIL contract negotiations, tax education and wealth management with celebrity speakers like gymnast Livvy Dunne, ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit and chief marketing officers for Fortune 100 brands.

In 2022, On3 named Frerking one of the 25 most influential figures in NIL. The article currently has 24 names on it. Frerking is no longer mentioned. Frerking founded GTF Enterprises to focus on work in the NIL space as it entered college athletics.

He was a board member for Volunteer Legacy, a nonprofit organization within the framework of NIL started in late 2022 by Spyre Sports, the collective that pays UT athletes for their NIL rights. Spyre CEO/co-founder James Clawson told Knox News that Frerking was never an employee of Spyre. Board members of any organization are not involved in the day-to-day operations.

Grant Frerking was frequent presence on Tennessee football sidelines

Frerking became a fixture at Tennessee sporting events following his graduation. He also joined the Tennessee Fund’s Shareholders Society in 2022. UT has since removed the announcement of Frerking’s involvement.

His Tennessee football bio page still notes he “pledged (a) philanthropic gift to become the newest member” of the Shareholders Society following the 2022 Orange Bowl, his final game at UT. A minimum pledge of $25,000 over five years is required to be in UT’s Shareholders Society.

He attended Tennessee baseball’s national championship in 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska, and posted pictures on social media showing himself smoking a cigar with football coach Josh Heupel following UT’s win over Alabama in 2024.

Frerking held a birthday party at Neyland Stadium in 2023, according to social media pictures.

Frerking joined the Vols as a walk-on under coach Butch Jones in 2017. He played for Jones, Jeremy Pruitt and Heupel. He was a three-sport athlete at Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, outside Atlanta. He also played basketball and ran track and field.

Mike Wilson andAdam Sparks cover University of Tennessee athletics. Email them at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Follow them on X @ByMikeWilson or @AdamSparks. If you enjoy their coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.