Another day, another bit of transfer portal news. This time it’s Aaron Willis entering his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal, the latest to do so coming out of spring practices.
Willis announced the news on Friday morning.
I have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal‼️3 years of eligibility left pic.twitter.com/uyvqoVxl7W
— Aaron Willis (@44crzy) April 29, 2022
A former four-star prospect, Willis was set to enter his sophomore season this fall for Tennessee, likely filling out a depth role at inside linebacker. The 6-1, 225 pounder out of Maryland was a top 200 prospect in the class of 2021.
As Willis notes, he will have three years of eligibility remaining wherever he lands. He appeared in eight games for the Volunteers last season, playing mostly on special teams.
The news is a bit of a blow to Tennessee’s linebacker depth, which has been an issue for the last 12 months. Jeremy Banks and Aaron Beasley will return this season, while Juwan Mitchell is hoping for a healthier second season in the program. Veteran Solon Page is back with Kwauze Garland, and true freshman Elijah Herring will also enter the picture. Preferred walk-on Jackson Hannah was also added to the roster this spring.
Tennessee now has four seniors sitting atop the inside linebacker depth chart, obviously creating a massive need one year from now. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see the Vols add a younger linebacker out of the portal this offseason, while working hard on the position in the class of 2023.