When linebacker Henry To’o To’o signed with Tennessee in February 2019, it answered the question of where the top-50 national prospect would play college football.
Nobody knew then the question would eventually become whether he would play football.
To’o To’o hails from California prep powerhouse De La Salle in Concord, which is 30 miles from San Francisco and 22 miles from Oakland. It’s right in the heart of Pac-12 Conference country, with Stanford University in Palo Alto an hour away and with the University of California in Berkeley less than a half-hour drive.
The Pac-12 announced earlier this month that it was following the Big Ten’s lead and would be canceling all fall semester sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big Ten and Pac-12 are attempting to play football in the spring.
“A lot of people in the Pac-12 who I know are pretty bummed, to be honest with you,” To’o To’o said. “I have a lot of family in the Pac-12, and being able to talk to them, they also wanted a season and they also wanted to play. That wasn’t their call to make.”