VOLS CB FINAL CONCLUSSION ABOUT TRANSFER OF.

Tennessee CB departing says he plans to transfer.

One of the six Tennessee players who have committed to a new program has also entered the NCAA transfer portal or announced plans to do so. Warren Burrell, a cornerback who was the first portal entry for the Vols this cycle, announced his commitment on social media on Sunday night and intends to play his final season of eligibility at Georgia Tech. After spending the previous five seasons as a player at Tennessee, Burrell recovered from an injury that ended his season two games into 2022 to play in ten games this season as a reserve on defense and a contributor on special teams.

Burrell, who played at North Gwinnett High School before moving to Tennessee, is from Suwanee in the Atlanta area, so joining the Yellow Jackets will be a reunion of sorts.

Burrell recorded 91 tackles, three tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, and one interception in 41 games for the Vols.

Under Tennessee’s previous coaching staff, Burrell started the first four games of his freshman season and the final four games of the 2020 campaign. In the 2021 season, he started all 12 of his games, the first of which were under Josh Heupel and the current staff.

In his finest season to date, the 6-foot, 190-pound player recorded 41 tackles and seven pass breakups.

During Tennessee’s victory over Pittsburgh in the previous season, Burrell sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and had to use his redshirt. Before vying for a defensive position during preseason camp, he was absent from the majority of spring practice. In 2023, Burrell primarily played as the Vols’ backup cornerback.

In the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s September victory over UTSA, he recorded his first career interception. A fumble from a mishandled punt was also recovered by Burrell in the victory over Austin Peay two weeks prior. Tennessee’s first point of the game was set up by the turnover.

According to Pro Football Focus, Burrell played the fourth-most snaps (166) of any cornerback for Tennessee this season. In nine games, he took defensive snaps. Against Austin Peay (40), Virginia (26), UTSA (23) and Connecticut (22) he played the most. During SEC play, Burrell recorded two tackles on a season-high 19 defensive snaps against Kentucky. In his final game at Neyland Stadium, he played 18 snaps and had a tackle for loss against Vanderbilt.

Burrell made 10 appearances this season and totaled eight tackles.

Burrell recorded 12 tackles and one pass breakup in two games in 2022. In his entire season as a starter, Burrell broke up passes against Kentucky and Florida, had two PBUs early in the season against Pittsburgh, and finished with three PBUs and eight tackles against Vanderbilt in 2021.

In December 2022, Burrell earned his degree in communication studies, and he was pursuing a master’s degree at Tennessee. On November 30, he signed up for the portal as a graduate transfer. Burrell is still eligible for one more season.