Former offensive starter at Tennessee reportedly enters transfer portal
Tennessee TE Austin Pope, who started nine games in 2019, has reportedly entered the transfer portal after he missed this past season with a back injury.
Pope tweeted in July that he needed back surgery again because of a herniated disc, a second surgery but a similar type as he also had surgery two years earlier on a different disc. The transfer portal news was reported by Matt Zenitz of AL.com.
Before his latest setback, Pope was projected to be a starter for the Vols after he was a key contributor in 2019. Pope made 11 starts and played in all 13 games for Tennessee last season. A valuable blocker Pope helped play a major role in the team’s improved running game in 2019.
In 2018, he played in 11 games with two starts.
Pope is 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds and is from Knoxville (Christian Academy of Knoxville). He graduated earlier this month. He was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school, and the No. 16 player in the state of Tennessee in the Class of 2016, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Thank you for everything, Vol Nation🧡 pic.twitter.com/CjhKnPYQ5h
— Austin Pope (@Austin_Pope31) December 21, 2020
Tough times don’t last, tough people do. pic.twitter.com/2ixcqeJYYo
— Austin Pope (@Austin_Pope31) July 16, 2020