Austin Smith – Noteworthy
Coach Jeremy Pruitt told fans during a recruiting celebration on Thursday night in Nashville that offensive lineman Chance Hall will retire from football and go on medical exemption scholarship. With Hall dropping off the roster, he will not count against the 85-scholarship limit. Additionally, Pruitt told reporters that offensive lineman Drew Richmond and linebacker Austin Smith will not be with the team when it begins spring practice next month. Both players entered the NCAA transfer portal and are seeking new schools. Smith, another fifth-year senior, appeared in 23 games during his Tennessee career. His most extensive playing time came as a freshman in 2015, when he played in 13 games and made one start. If he graduates this semester, he can play for another FBS school next fall as a graduate transfer. – Blake Toppmeyer, Knoxville News Sentinel
