Tennessee redshirt junior Larry Johnson III, who was battling five-star early enrollee David Sanders Jr. at right tackle this spring, is entering the NCAA transfer portal.
The 6-foot-7, 350-pounder from Savannah, Georgia, played in 12 games last year, which included 41 snaps at left tackle during the 25-15 triumph at Oklahoma after starter Lance Heard went down with an ankle injury. Johnson is Tennessee’s fifth player to enter the portal in this 10-day spring window that opened this past Wednesday, joining quarterback Nico Iamaleava, offensive guard Ayden Bussell, and safeties Christian Charles and John Slaughter.
Iamaleava announced his commitment to UCLA late Sunday afternoon on social media, posting a picture of himself in a Bruins uniform wearing the familiar No. 8 jersey.
Johnson played in 16 total games with Tennessee after transferring from Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College, where he spent the 2022 season. He played in four games during the 2023 season, thus protecting his redshirt year.
With Heard the only returning starter on the offensive line, Johnson was moved to the right side by position coach Glen Elarbee before the Volunteers began spring practice.
“I think he has come an unbelievably long way,” Elarbee said of Johnson during a news conference late last month. “Being honest with him, I expected him to just jump out and have an unbelievable spring. He’s had a very solid one, and I’ve told him, ‘Man, you have the capability to take even another step.’ I think he understands, and he agrees.
“We’ve been trying to be super honest in the O-line room. He’s got that ability, and as far as flipping it, I feel like we can potentially do some of that. I just want him to be comfortable, because he played the majority on the left side last year, and now he’s playing right.”
Also vying at right tackle this spring was redshirt freshman Bennett Warren.
According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson was Tennessee’s highest-graded offensive lineman in the Oklahoma game. He also played on 32 snaps against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 31 against Kent State and 23 against UTEP, with the Vols surpassing 700 total yards versus UTC and Kent State.
Hardy to Auburn
Former McCallie School defensive tackle Jay Hardy is returning to Auburn, where he started his college career and visited this weekend.
Hardy was the nation’s No. 101 overall prospect according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings in the 2020 signing class. He played in one contest for the Tigers as a freshman, the Citrus Bowl loss to Northwestern that followed the firing of coach Gus Malzahn, and transferred to Liberty.
The 6-3, 310-pounder redshirted in 2021 and played in 34 games the past three seasons, so he will have one year of eligibility at Auburn, where he will be reunited with former Liberty coach Hugh Freeze. Hardy played in only seven of 12 games last season for the Flames due to an undisclosed injury.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.