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.