KNOXVILLE, Tenn – Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt announced on Wednesday that junior defensive lineman Aubrey Solomon has been granted immediate eligibility for the 2019 football season.
He will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning this fall.
“I’m beyond excited to be playing football this season,” Solomon said. “I can’t wait to suit up with my brothers. I want to thank my mom, Coach Pruitt, Coach (Tracy) Rocker and the Tennessee administration and compliance staff for helping me throughout this process. I’m ready to roll. Go Vols.”
Solomon transferred to UT in December after spending two seasons at Michigan.
“We found out yesterday that Aubrey Solomon will be eligible to play for us this year,” Pruitt said. “I’m excited for Aubrey and his family. He’s a great person. I know this has been tough for him kind of waiting on this the last six or seven months here. He’s stayed the course, done really well in school. I’m glad he’s getting an opportunity to play.”
The 6-3, 299-pounder had a standout prep career at Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga., where he was rated a five-star recruit and a consensus top five defensive tackle product in the 2017 class.
He appeared in 18 games at Michigan, totaling 24 tackles and two TFLs. He had 18 tackles and two TFLs while appearing in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2017 before being limited by injury in 2018.
Solomon tallied 77 tackles, 16 TFLs, 12 sacks and 18 quarterback hurries as a senior at Lee County in 2016, leading his prep team to the Georgia Class AAAAAA playoffs. He collected All-USA Georgia First Team honors as a senior and was recognized as the Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2016 in addition to first-team All-America honors from MaxPreps.
Solomon played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was ranked as the nation’s No. 23 overall recruit, No. 2 defensive tackle prospect and No. 2 player in Georgia in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Solomon and the Vols open the 2019 season when they host Georgia State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Neyland Stadium.
Tickets are available at AllVols.com.
-UT Athletics
