Another transfer that will further wreck the Tennessee football secondary hit the program heading into the weekend. Even as the Vols head into a new era, these transfers make it harder for them to adjust to the changing times.
Patrick Brown of GoVols247 reported Friday that Key Lawrence, who was a freshman with the team this past year, has entered the transfer portal. A 6’2″ 200-pound product of Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn., Lawrence was a four-star across all recruiting services as a member of the program’s 2020 recruiting class.
This past season, Lawrence saw action in all 10 games as a reserve defensive back for Tennessee football. He came away with eight total tackles and a pass deflection on the season and was expected to be a key part of the team’s future.
Despite Lawrence’s limited production, his departure could be a huge loss. The Vols already had a historically bad secondary this past year, and the early departure of cornerback Bryce Thompson, the top producer in the secondary for the program, only makes things worse.
Although Lawrence’s entry into the portal is not the same as the departure of Henry To’o To’o, Wanya Morris or Eric Gray, it’s still a major blow to the program. He could have been a major player in helping the Vols to improve all the struggles in the secondary they had this past year.
To be fair, entering the portal doesn’t mean Lawrence is automatically gone, but his decision is still a concerning one for the program. It just makes things harder on new athletic director Danny White and whoever will take over the program as head coach.
With Thompson gone and Lawrence in the portal, Shawn Shamburger’s withdrawal from the portal is a major saving grace for Tennessee football. Shamburger and Alontae Taylor will be the key players in UT’s secondary in 2021, assuming neither of them leaves.