Tag: Wanya Morris

What Oklahoma is getting in coveted Tennessee transfer OT Wanya Morris

The final puzzle piece for Oklahoma’s 2021 national championship run may have been found. Here is what OU is getting in Wanya Morris.

The final puzzle piece for Oklahoma’s 2021 national championship run may have been found.

The Sooners lost Adrian Ealy to the NFL, who started at right tackle for the last two season. Lincoln Riley rotated true freshman Anton Harrison with Erik Swenson at left tackle to try and find the right groove.

Offensive tackle was a major question mark for Oklahoma with the best roster it has had for a championship run in a long time. The answer, though, was in the heart of Georgia.

As the turmoil at Tennessee ramped up, players have begun to start to exit. One of those was former top recruit Wanya Morris, an offensive tackle who made the SEC All-Freshman team and was a preseason SEC First-Team selection ahead of 2020.

He entered the transfer portal and now he’s heading to Oklahoma, as Morris announced his intentions to transfer to the Sooners on Monday. It’s an absolute game-changer for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.

This should allow Oklahoma to reset its offensive line and move some pieces around. The Sooners get Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson back as well as have some important pieces who got playing time in Chris Murray and Andrew Raym on the interior. Then Anton Harrison and Erik Swenson return with Stacey Wilkins looking to make a leap at the other tackle spot.

Here is what Oklahoma is getting in Wanya Morris:

Tennessee transfer OT Wanya Morris releases top-3, turns into old Big 12 recruiting battle

Nothing like a good ol’ fashioned Big 12 battle. No, not Texas and Texas A&M. It’s Oklahoma and the Aggies for transfer OT Wanya Morris.

Nothing like a good ol’ fashioned Big 12 battle.

No, not Texas and Texas A&M.

Former top offensive tackle recruit Wanya Morris entered the transfer portal. He signed with Tennessee in the 2019 recruiting class before starting in 12 games as a true freshman. In 2020, things didn’t go as smoothly despite being a preseason first-team All-SEC selection.

Prior to Morris entering, Sooners Wire was able to confirm Oklahoma was going to have serious interest in the top transfer. He then released a top-three late Friday that included the Sooners, Texas A&M and USC.

After he entered the portal, there was serious conversation around Morris that Oklahoma was the likely destination, even to the point that multiple people reached out to Sooners Wire from the recruiting world to let us know that the Sooners would be the choice.

The Loganville, Georgia, native was originally committed to Jimbo Fisher at Florida State, which is why the Aggies made his final three. As of Sunday morning, this is now a serious battle between former Big 12 foes in Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

If Morris were to choose the Sooners, Oklahoma would become a sure-fire national championship contender as he would likely enter the starting lineup at tackle and ease some of the concerns the Sooners have there. Oklahoma lost Adrian Ealy to the NFL draft and Lincoln Riley rotated Anton Harrison and Erik Swenson at left tackle.

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Tennessee offensive lineman enters transfer portal

Tennessee offensive lineman enters transfer portal.

Sophomore offensive lineman Wanya Morris has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Morris appeared in 22 games for the Vols.

He started seven games in 2020 — five at left tackle and two as a blocking tight end in a jumbo package.

During the 2019 season, Morris started 12 games at left tackle.

KNOXVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 27, 2020 – Offensive lineman Wanya Morris #64 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound sophomore is from Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. He signed with Tennessee in the Vols’ 2019 recruiting class.

Tennessee is slated to kick off the 2021 season Sept. 4 against Bowling Green at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee football: NCAA transfer portal tracker

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Tennessee OT, former 5-star Wanya Morris enters transfer portal, Oklahoma is interested

One of the more important puzzle pieces of Oklahoma’s 2021 season may have just popped up in the transfer portal.

One of the more important puzzle pieces of Oklahoma’s 2021 season may have just popped up in the transfer portal.

The Sooners offensive line wasn’t up to their normal level again in 2020, making two years since the Oklahoma offensive line has been churning at a high level. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh rotated Erik Swenson and Anton Harrison at left tackle, but the overall group just never hit its stride until the Cotton Bowl.

The reasoning for that is still a little foggy, but with Adrian Ealy’s departure to the NFL, at least one of the tackle spots remains a huge question mark. So, why not a huge person to be the answer?

Former five-star offensive tackle Wanya Morris has entered the transfer portal, and per multiple reports as well as Sooners Wire own confirmation, Oklahoma is going to be involved in this transfer heavily.

Morris, a Loganville, Goergia, native, was a former five-star recruit on 247Sports and a four-star prospect on Rivals. He’s listed at 6 foot 5, 320 pounds on Tennessee’s roster for this season.

If Oklahoma were to land Morris, Harrison could move back to maybe his more natural position at right tackle and the Sooners would pair two bookend tackles that are as athletic as any tackles in the country. The interior offensive line would then become the focus and a battle between Tyrese Robinson, Chris Murray and Andrew Raym for the center and right guard positions.

Now that Morris is officially in the transfer portal, schools can begin to contact him.

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Trey Smith’s final spring practices an opportunity to fulfill left tackle aspiration

2020 Tennessee football.

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee returns to the practice field Tuesday, kicking off spring football.

In January, offensive lineman Trey Smith announced his decision to return to Tennessee for his senior season.

Smith started 12 games at left guard in 2019. He started the first seven games at left tackle in 2018 before being shut down for the rest of the season due to blood clots. As a freshman in 2017, Smith started the first eight games at right guard, three contests at left tackle and the season-finale at left guard.

Trey Smith
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Smith still has an aspiration of starting at left tackle, something he discussed last November during media availability.

“I love playing guard, but I know I’m capable of playing tackle if I need to,” Smith said ahead of playing Missouri last November. “Just a little proper practice of stuff I needed, just getting ready to actually play the position and understand it.

“Also, to play tackle I need to lose a lot of weight. That’s one thing I’m going to do next time.”

Smith’s measurements as a guard last season was 6-foot-6, 325-pounds after being 6-foot-6, 320-pounds in 2018 playing left tackle.

Wanya Morris started alongside Smith on the Vols’ offensive line last season. Morris made 12 starts at left tackle in his freshman campaign, but will miss spring practices due to a hip injury. His absence leaves a door open for Smith to fulfill an aspiration to play left tackle again and receiving reps at the position during spring practices.

Trey Smith
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Grace Christian head coach Rusty Bradley coached Smith at University School of Jackson, serving in the same capacity during the 2016 season.

Bradley discussed his time coaching Smith and his ability to play any position on the offensive line with Vols Wire.

“He played left tackle for us at USJ,” Bradley said of Smith. “When we were running to the left, I put him at left tackle, and if we were doing anything to the right, I put him at right tackle. So everyone kind of knew where the ball was going, but Trey was a dominant player in high school.”

Bradley mentioned that Smith became accustomed with the guard position at the Under Armour All-America Game ahead of enrolling at Tennessee.

“What happened and kind of the way he started playing guard was at the Under Armour All-America Game,” Bradley said of Smith. “They had a kid cancel on the team that he was playing on and they needed someone to move to guard.

“Trey said I’ll try it and fell in love with it. He actually could play all five positions and played three-technique for us defensively, so we kept Trey on the field as much as we could.”

Bradley also discussed Smith’s recruiting process and him being humble in the amount school’s who were interested in him.

“The thing that I was most impressed with, a lot of guys today are about the attention on social media and all of the hype, recruiting and the stars,” Bradley said. “Trey was as low-profile and down-to-earth as a kid that I have ever experienced. He was humble, a team guy and just wanted to be part of the program and did not talk about recruiting. We never really talked about recruiting, but it was definitely a circus.

“There was one day in particular when Butch Jones, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer all came to school on the same day. It was a three-ring circus, but he was just so humble. He worked hard and was a really good player.”

The entire interview with Bradley can listened to here or below on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days.” The Grace Christian Academy head coach discussed his career that included time at Colorado under Gary Barnett.

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A way-too-early preview of Tennessee’s 2020 offensive line

A way-too-early preview of Tennessee’s 2020 offensive line.

After a strong end to the 2019 season, in which Tennessee’s offensive line helped the Vols rush for 552 yards and five touchdowns while only allowing one sack in the final three games, the unit entered the offseason with plenty of momentum.

Even with the outgoing transfers of contributors Ryan Johnson and Marcus Tatum, along with the assumed departure of starting left guard Trey Smith to the NFL Draft, the offensive line was poised to be a strength for Tennessee in 2020.

Then, the unexpected happened. Not only did Smith announce his return for his senior season, but Georgia offensive lineman Cade Mays, a former Tennessee commit and Tennessee legacy, abruptly declared he would transfer from Athens to Knoxville for his junior year.

Pending an immediate eligibility waiver, Mays’ lawyer says he is “highly confident” his client will play next season. With Mays’ immediate eligibility, the Vols could potentially have four former 5-stars and a 4-star starting on the offensive line in 2020.

Suddenly, offensive line coach Will Friend has an embarrassment of riches to develop up front.

Smith will be back at left guard, and could play his way into a first round draft grade in his senior season. Arguably the most talented player on Tennessee’s roster, Smith’s battle with blood clots has been well-documented, and was often cited as a reason why most believed he would declare early for the draft. Tennessee put him on a program that held him out of contact in practice throughout the season, and Smith ended 2019 as a first team All-SEC player. Smith believes another complete season at Tennessee could ease NFL scouts’ concern that his health could terminate his career early, and the Vols will benefit greatly from that decision.

Not only does Tennessee return a complete mauler up front as one of the best offensive linemen in the country, but also a leader in the locker room and a fixture in the Knoxville community.

If Mays is immediately eligible this season, the Vols will have the benefit of an experienced, talented and versatile lineman that would have been a sure-fire starter for the Bulldogs in 2020. It seems as though right guard could be the best fit for Mays in Knoxville, but the rising junior started at four different positions along the Georgia offensive line during his two seasons in Athens.

At center, Tennessee received another boost when Brandon Kennedy announced he was granted a sixth year of eligibility on a medical hardship after missing nearly all of 2018 with a torn ACL. The only offensive lineman to start every game at the same position for Tennessee in 2019, the Alabama transfer and former 4-star prospect will bring a veteran presence at one of the most important positions on the field.

The rising sophomore duo of Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright will also return, and are expected to bookend the left and right tackle spots when the Vols kick off 2020 against Charlotte in Neyland Stadium. Morris started 12 games in 2019 and finished the season strong, earning several freshman All-America honors and being named to the Freshman All-SEC team while showcasing his natural ability, particularly as a pass blocker.

Wright came to campus in the summer, and was not as much of a staple as Morris, making six starts at right tackle all season. The former 5-star did join Morris on the Freshman All-SEC list however, and will be expected to make big strides in the lead-up to 2020 with his 6-foot-6, 330-pound frame.

Rising redshirt junior K’Rojhn Calbert and redshirt senior Jahmir Johnson bring experience and depth at both tackle spots, and are both players Tennessee’s staff will trust to step in. Make no mistake, however, all eyes will be on Wright and Morris to become All-SEC caliber players in 2020.

Rising junior Jerome Carvin started the final seven games for Tennessee in 2019, and could be penciled in as the starter at right guard if Mays is ruled ineligible. Carvin could shift over as a backup at center for Kennedy as well, and the Memphis native will be a key part of this unit’s depth. Riley Locklear is another member of the line with starting experience at different positions playing out his senior season in 2020.

Another legacy in Jackson Lampley, the son of former Vol Brad Lampley, redshirted in 2019 while appearing in two games. The former 4-star Nashville native could be called upon to add depth in 2020, along with Chris Akporoghene, Kingston Harris and Ollie Lane.

Tennessee brings in a crop of newcomers to build for the future, and it remains to be seen how the young players fit into the 2020 rotation, especially after the news of Smith and Mays this offseason.

Cooper Mays, the younger brother of Cade, is the only offensive lineman on campus as an early-enrollee. A 4-star out of Knoxville Catholic, Mays was a key member of Tennessee’s 2020 class. 6-foot-3, 338-pound guard Javontez Spraggins will join Tennessee in the summer, along with 6-foot-4, 323-pound guard James Robinson from Montgomery, Ala.

Tennessee returns all of its running backs in 2020, and has a crowded quarterback room going into spring football to play behind Friend’s unit. For the first time in the Jeremy Pruitt era, the offensive line is arguably the most secure, experienced and talented unit on the offense.

Trio of Vols named to Freshman All-SEC list

Trio of Vols named to Freshman All-SEC list.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright and linebacker Henry To’o To’o have been named to the Freshman All-SEC list.

UT press release:

Tennessee’s freshman trio of offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright and linebacker Henry To’o To’o were recognized on the Freshman All-SEC list, the conference announced Thursday.

Morris started 11 of 12 games for the Vols at left tackle this season and became the first Tennessee true freshman to start on the o-line in a season opener since Trey Smith did so in 2017. They are the only two Vol freshmen to start at left tackle in the last 30 years.

Wright was an anchor on the right side of the o-line for the Vols making seven starts and appearing in 10 games at right tackle. Morris and Wright were key in several notable performances by the Vols offensive line group, including Tennessee’s season-high 526 yards of total offense against Missouri, which entered the game with one of the nation’s top defensive lines and ranked 10th in the nation in total defense and had the SEC’s top pass defense.

Defensively, To’o To’o made an immediate impact for the Vols after tying for a team-high seven tackles in the season opener, becoming the first Vol freshman since 1996 to lead the team in tackles in a season opener. The Sacramento, Calif., native went on to start 11 of 12 games for the Orange and White and finished the 2019 regular season with 64 tackles, the third most on the team. He also added 5.0 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and fumble recovery.

The trio’s selection marks the most freshmen honorees for the Vols since 2014 when they also had three representatives on the list.

The Tennessee football team finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC during the 2019 regular season, tying for its best mark in conference play since 2007. Led by head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a 13-member senior class, the Vols rebounded from a 1-4 start to win six of their final seven games and will take a five-game win streak into the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 against Indiana. Tennessee is undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the nation and collected nine SEC weekly honors during the season, the most since 2004. In addition to the Freshmen All-SEC honors, To’o To’o and Morris were named True Freshman All-Americans by 247Sports, while fellow first-year standouts running back Eric Gray and safety Jaylen McCollough collected National All-Freshmen honorable mention accolades from PFF College.