By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
No Power 5 football program has been hit harder by the transfer portal than the University of Tennessee.
Counting transfers to FBS schools and 2021 NLI releases on current rosters, you could see 27 different former University of Tennessee football players on college fields playing for other FBS programs this season. That is incredible. The full list with jersey numbers is down below.
Watching college football, it jumps out how often you see former UT players, whether you root for them or not. If not, I get that too. I’m just listing the names.
Here’s the breakdown of the numbers.
Since the start of the 2020 football season, 32 scholarship players have hit the transfer portal. 29 went in the transfer portal after the 2020 season concluded.
Among the 32 scholarship players that went in the transfer portal, 26 have enrolled at new schools, 20 of those players are at FBS schools, 6 are at FCS programs and 6 have not found new homes.
Of the 20 at FBS schools, 12 are at Power 5 programs. Oklahoma has the most ex-Vols with 3.
There have also been 7 walk-ons listed in the transfer portal database since the start of the 2020 season, with 6 of them finding new spots to play college football.
UT also let 4 players out of their signed national letter of intent after Josh Heupel was hired as head coach. The 2 that are on current FBS rosters are listed below. 1 other went to an FBS school but was ruled medically ineligible. Another went to an FCS school.
Below is the list of one-time University of Tennessee players on other FBS teams (20) this season, if you choose, as well as 5 more players that transferred in 2019 and 2020 while at UT under Jeremy Pruitt that are currently on college football rosters. Jersey numbers are included to spot them when watching. You’ll also see depth chart positions based on their first games, official depth charts or projected depth charts entering Week 1. Those are fluid.
Check back on my “Vince’s View” blog page for future posts including weekly SEC football and NFL game predictions. Bookmark my blog page and check back often.
________________________________________
Former University of Tennessee on FBS Rosters (27)
10 – LB Henry To’o To’o – Alabama (starting MLB)
0 – RB Eric Gray – Oklahoma (starting RB)
64 – RT Wanya Morris – Oklahoma (2nd team RT)
12 – S Key Lawrence – Oklahoma (2nd team SS)
19 – RB Ty Chandler – North Carolina (starting RB)
6 – LB Quavaris Crouch – Michigan State (starting LB)
58 – OT Jahmir Johnson – Texas A&M (co-starting LT)
13 – DE Deandre Johnson – Miami (2nd team DE)
24 – RB Cody Brown – Miami (not on depth chart) *released from 2021 Class NLI
42 – PK Brent Cimaglia – Georgia Tech (starting PK)
70 – OL Ryan Johnson – Georgia Tech (starting RG) *transferred before 2020 season
99 – DL Darel Middleton – West Virginia (not on depth chart)
7 – QB JT Shrout – Colorado (injured, out for the year)
18 – QB Jarrett Guarantano – Washington State (starting QB)
39 – EDGE Dylan Brooks – Auburn (not on depth chart) *released from 2021 Class NLI
91 – DL Greg Emerson – Memphis (not on depth chart)
17 – P Joe Doyle – Memphis (starting P)
3 – WR Brandon Johnson – UCF (starting WR)
68 – OL Marcus Tatum – UCF (starting LT) *transferred before 2020
5 – CB Kenney Solomon – Tulsa (3rd team CB)
18 – QB Kaidon Salter – Liberty (not on depth chart)
0 – CB Baylen Buchanan – Louisiana Tech (starting CB)
15 – WR Jerrod “Bub” Means – Louisiana Tech (3rd team WR) *transferred before 2020 season
23 – LB Will Ignont – Western Kentucky (starting LB) *transferred before 2020 season
8 – WR Latrell Williams – USF (starting WR) *transferred before 2020 season
0 – DL John Mincey – Arkansas State (2nd team DT)
5 – DE Kivon Bennett – Arkansas State (starting DE) *dismissed from UT before going in portal
________________________________________
Find more of my broadcasting work at VinceSports.net
