Devastating loss of talent: Media reacts to Tennessee losing 3 top players to transfer portal
The upcoming rebuild on Rocky Top has a drastic new outlook. On Wednesday, Tennessee had four players enter the transfer portal in a matter of minutes. Quavaris Crouch, Eric Gray and Henry To’o To’o made for the headlining trio of the portal entrants. It was a tough blow for a program that has already seen former 5-star OL recruit Wanya Morris transfer to Oklahoma and Ty Chandler, who rushed for over 2,000 yards in his time at Tennessee, transfer to North Carolina. On top of that, Big Kat Bryant deleted his tweet announcing his transfer from Auburn to Tennessee.
Below you can check out how some of the media, both Tennessee and national, is reacting to the big news out of Knoxville. In addition to assessing the mass exodus of top talent, there are some thoughts on where certain transfers may land as well as a few jokes.
Here’s a small sample of the posts on Twitter:
From a pure talent perspective, that Tennessee roster really wasn’t that far away from being OK. Really. It wasn’t.
Not now. This is gonna be a to-the-studs rebuild.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 20, 2021
This is about as close as it gets to a major college football program giving itself the dealth penalty.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 20, 2021
Can’t be overstated how devastating this day has been for Tennessee Football. Any illusion of keeping the ship afloat through this has evaporated.
— Josh Pate (@LateKickJosh) January 20, 2021
Tennessee did this to itself. Think about that for a moment.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) January 20, 2021
Vols writers are about to start reporting which players haven't entered the portal.
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) January 20, 2021
Smokey might be next. https://t.co/DKNemWOj43
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) January 20, 2021
How much longer are folks going to confidently attempt to convince me that Tennessee has “enough talent on the roster to compete immediately” ???
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 20, 2021
To recap the last five minutes for Tennessee in the portal:
Henry To'o To'o
Eric Gray
Quavaris Crouch
Jahmir JohnsonThrow in Wanya Morris from last week, and I don't think any team has had a worse stretch in the portal. Ever.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 20, 2021
Tennessee beat six teams in a row whose combined record was 38-38 and decided to sign Jeremy Pruitt to a contract extension right before the next season began *during a pandemic*, then willingly nuked its program to get out of paying it less than four months later
a masterclass
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) January 20, 2021
Last one out of Knoxville, make sure you throw away the leftover Filet-o-Fish from your dorm fridge. https://t.co/TiFYsWq3SJ
— Heath Cline (@heathradio) January 20, 2021
Bottom of the SEC East could be pretty ugly in 2021. https://t.co/fzc9uNp7yb
— Robbie Weinstein (@rwweinstein) January 20, 2021
Floodgates are opening in Knoxville. Wonder if some will be calling @vincemarrow https://t.co/H3pJFbVw4t
— Vaughts' Views (@vaughtsviews) January 20, 2021
#Gators are expected to make a strong push for the star sophomore linebacker. https://t.co/UWW921q142
— Corey Bender (@Corey_Bender) January 21, 2021
“all to avoid paying out a contract it signed when it was only negotiating against itself
“Tennessee beat six teams in a row whose combined record was 38-38 and decided to sign Jeremy Pruitt to a contract extension right before the next season began *during a pandemic*, then willingly nuked its program to get out of paying it less than four months later
“a masterclass”
Dooley and Butch left us in better shape than this fiasco has left us. Phillip Fulmer is not blameless in this and his “legend” status should be revoked. What a complete disaster.
IF all of this was going on, as it has been reported, you can not tell me Fulmer did not know about it. Also if Pruitt is responsible for the actions of those under him, then so is Fulmer. UT administration can not have it both ways and I am sure that Pruitt’s lawyer will let them know. UT is going to take 5-10 years to get back to where they were last season if all of this is true. One reason is no experienced coach is going to want to get close to the backstabbing toxicity that is now UT athletics. I never thought I would say this, as I would rather beat UT than AU, because of my age and the fact that I had a family member that was the UT AD years ago, but I hate this for the players, fans, and the rivalry.
Bingo. See… this guy gets it!
Letting Fulmer “retire” and firing Pruitt is going to be the downfall. Pruitt’s lawyer will have a field day. His opening statement was already a broadside hit. Fulmer is just as responsible as Pruitt unless they can somehow prove Pruitt was in on it and actively kept it from Fulmer which I doubt, and that is if any of it is true to begin with. Just don’t know what we don’t know.
Fulmer is the Vol’s version of JJ (former Auburn AD). They love the University, but are way in over their head for that type of position. It’s better to have an AD that isn’t clouded by their feelings for the University.
To me outside hires for AD are almost always the best option.
God what a mess
We’re witnessing a death spiral right now… Tennessee could very well be the next Arkansas. At first it was schadenfreude, but now I’m beginning to feel a little sorry for the fans/players involved in this dumpster.
Can we sit out 2021?
Well, you may not be able to tell whether they are or not, once the 2021 season gets underway.
At the current rate, playing the 2021 season may not even be an option.
Oh what a tangled web we weave/when first we practice to deceive.
From, Sir Walter Scott
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
And they’re going to pay Fat Phil, who of course knew NOTHING of anything and not responsible for ANYTHING, over the next three years while their program burns.
They did this to themselves, and Fat Phil led them all the way into this dumpster fire.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
@ Corch ,Your a pitiful excuse of a human being. Piling on and mocking a rival that is going through the worst of time’s.why can’t you show just a bit of class. It’s UGA fan’s like you that is likely one of the reasons UGA hasn’t won a NC in 40 years.
If you can’t laugh at these hillbillies now, you must not have been around during the 90’s.
This is their comeuppance.
This is CFB. This is a rival. You revel in their misfortune or STFU.
Sideshow Corch the clown.Number one village idiot on SDS.
Sorry Dawgtime but that was a stupid comment.
Specifically “It’s UGA fan’s like you that is likely one of the reasons UGA hasn’t won a NC in 40 years”.
I like where his heart is, but if a clown like corch was keeping UGA from a title, bama wouldn’t have sniffed a winning season in a century.
Got nothing to do with fans my friend. Coaching.
SHOW ME. I’d like to see the evidence instead of listening to allegations.
Yelp. I’ve had a little fun poking their fans but as it stands… let’s see the evidence.
No evidence is going to be made public with everything still unfolding, especially since litigation seems very likely.
I’m gonna try and wait to pass judgement until it’s all been laid out officially.
In the mean time, it’s difficult to not see this like a blood bath. I know I’ve been taken aback with some of the goings-on up there.
Tennessee should consider pulling Phil Fulmer’s VolNation card.
Yeah. Aren’t we innocent until proven guilty?
I was referring to his record as Athletic Director.
The Transfer Portal is the new witness protection program.
You are right about Fat Phil. We should not pay his a@# a dime out the door. But, this is UT. They will probably put a statue up of the slob.
As for the players that have left or are in the portal, yes it will hurt. But, we went 3-7 with them. It’s not like any of those guys were Heisman candidates.
And if they are part of the group that got paid? Good riddance.
This tear down has been a long time coming. Hoping for better days but with UT’s administration it is hard to have much confidence.
No coach, no players, no games, no season, no fans, no money. No worry!
Butch Jones wants to know if Tennessee misses him yet. Lane Kirin is eating at McDonalds and lovin it.
Suck it Vols!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Eric Gray received a bag of cash, would he still be eligible to play anywhere?
If he’s willing to testify in exchange for immunity (Leo Lewis style). But that might just be reserved for friends of Emmert.
I wish that I had a Twitter so that I could immediately copy/paste Twitter on to a web page and call myself a journalist.
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t stand Tenn and would love to see them finish is the bottom of the SECE every year, but this is painful to watch. Feel bad for the players, students and fans.