Morven Joseph enters transfer portal

‘Tis the season.

Tennessee lost some linebacker depth on Monday morning as Morven Joseph opted to enter his name into the transfer portal. The former four-star prospect announced his intentions with the following tweet.

Joseph committed to Jeremy Pruitt’s staff and fit as a do-it-all, 4-for-4 type player. He spent time on the outside and the inside, learning each position in hopes of becoming a versatile piece of the front seven. He played in all ten games in 2020, but appeared in just two games this season.

At 6-2, 215 pounds, Joseph seemed like a natural pass rusher with some speed off the edge. He used sparingly in that role this year, clearly feeling like he could find more playing time elsewhere with Tyler Baron and Byron Young ahead of him on the depth chart.

Joseph was a former top 150 prospect who initially committed to Florida State. Pruitt and company came in late and added him to a loaded 2020 class — one that has now been cleaned out by exits to the transfer portal. He joins Key Lawrence, Martavius French, Harrison Bailey and Malachi Wideman as top prospects to leave the program from that particular class.

Tennessee remains thin at linebacker, with Jeremy Banks, Aaron Beasley, Solon Page, Kwauze Garland and William Mohan left. Senior Juwan Mitchell has already been lost for the season, but could return for another year in 2022 with the COVID rule.