Linebacker Henry To’o To’o, a former SEC All-Freshman roster who has started 22 games in the past two seasons, and three other Tennessee players entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.
Walking back Eric Gray, linebacker Quavaris Crouch and offensive lineman Jahmir Johnson also entered the portal.
This comes two days after head coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired amid an investigation into what UT Chancellor Donde Plowman said were “serious NCAA rules violations.”
Assistant coaches Brian Niedermeyer and Shelton Felton were also fired, along with four members of the campus football recruiting staff, the director and assistant director of football players’ staff, and a football analyst / quality control coach.
Kevin Steele, who was hired as an assistant coach on January 12, was appointed interim coach following Pruitt’s resignation.
To’o To’o, a sophomore, started all 10 games last season, leading the team with 76 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He was a former California four-star prospectus who signed with Tennessee over Alabama, Utah, USC and Washington in 2019.
Crouch, a sophomore from North Carolina, started every game last season, finishing third on the team in tackles last season with 57.
Gray, a sophomore from Memphis, emerged as one of Tennessee’s top backs in 2020 and was ranked sixth in the SEC in lightning-fast yards per game (85.8) and sixth in yards from scrimmage per game (114, 0).
Johnson is a senior redshirt, but can take advantage of the NCAA’s decision to allow fall and winter athletes to qualify for an additional year.