KNOXVILLE — Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope underwent back surgery on July 16.
Third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt addressed Pope’s status in playing this season during his weekly radio appearance on “Vol Calls.”
“Austin Pope is not going to be ready to play and probably won’t play this year,” Pruitt said on “Vol Calls.” “He’s still rehabbing and we’ll see where that goes beyond this year.”
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end has totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career at Tennessee.
Tennessee will play at South Carolina Saturday. Kick off is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST and the contest will be televised by SEC Network.