KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s freshman trio of offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright and linebacker Henry To’o To’o were recognized on the Freshman All-SEC list, the conference announced Thursday.
Morris started 11 of 12 games for the Vols at left tackle this season and became the first Tennessee true freshman to start on the o-line in a season opener since Trey Smith did so in 2017. They are the only two Vol freshmen to start at left tackle in the last 30 years.
Wright was an anchor on the right side of the o-line for the Vols making seven starts and appearing in 10 games at right tackle. Morris and Wright were key in several notable performances by the Vols offensive line group, including Tennessee’s season-high 526 yards of total offense against Missouri, which entered the game with one of the nation’s top defensive lines and ranked 10th in the nation in total defense and had the SEC’s top pass defense.
Defensively, To’o To’o made an immediate impact for the Vols after tying for a team-high seven tackles in the season opener, becoming the first Vol freshman since 1996 to lead the team in tackles in a season opener. The Sacramento, Calif., native went on to start 11 of 12 games for the Orange and White and finished the 2019 regular season with 64 tackles, the third most on the team. He also added 5.0 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and fumble recovery.
The trio’s selection marks the most freshmen honorees for the Vols since 2014 when they also had three representatives on the list.
The Tennessee football team finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC during the 2019 regular season, tying for its best mark in conference play since 2007. Led by head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a 13-member senior class, the Vols rebounded from a 1-4 start to win six of their final seven games and will take a five-game win streak into the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 against Indiana. Tennessee is undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the nation and collected nine SEC weekly honors during the season, the most since 2004. In addition to the Freshmen All-SEC honors, To’o To’o and Morris were named True Freshman All-Americans by 247Sports, while fellow first-year standouts running back Eric Gray and safety Jaylen McCollough collected National All-Freshmen honorable mention accolades from PFF College.
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