Former Tennessee Football offensive lineman Ayden Bussell announced his commitment to West Virginia on Sunday night. He’s one of six former Vols who entered the NCAA Transfer Portal during the spring window and one of two offensive linemen.
“Country Roads take me home!” Bussell wrote on social media while announcing the move. “West Virginia Lets Work!!”
Bussell is a former three-star in-state recruit from Mt. Juliet High School who spent the last two seasons with the Vols. He was ranked No. 858 overall in the 2023 recruiting class. He was the No. 83 interior offensive lineman and the No. 24 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee. The other former Tennessee players that left during the spring were quarterback Nico Iamaleava, offensive linemen Bussell and Larry Johnson III and three defensive backs Jakobe Thomas, John Slaughter and Christian Charles.
Jakobe Thomas committed to Miami on Thursday. Iamaleava committed to UCLA on April 20, Charles committed to Virginia last Monday and Slaughter and Johnson committed to Colorado on Wednesday.
Thomas had 22 tackles in 12 games for Tennessee last season, his first with the Vols after transferring from Middle Tennessee State. He has one year of eligibility remaining after a redshirt season in 2021.
Johnson appeared in 16 Tennessee games over the last two seasons after transferring to the Vols from Hutchinson Community College, where he spent the 2022 season. He played a career-high 41 snaps in Tennessee’s win at Oklahoma in September, filling in for the injured Lance Heard.
Slaughter played in 23 games over the last two seasons at Tennessee, recording six tackles while spending most of his time on special teams.
Charles, a redshirt senior, had 71 tackles in 30 career games with the Vols. Slaughter, a junior from Mississippi, had six tackles in 23 games over the last two seasons.
Nico Iamaleava on leaving Tennessee: ‘This decision was incredibly difficult’
Iamaleava departure was the biggest, most surprising move in college football this spring.
He landed at UCLA on April 20, a little over a week after a messy breakup with Tennessee. He threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions last season, his first and only season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback.
Iamaleava was in contract negotiations for a new NIL contract on April 10, before skipping practice the next day. Josh Heupel told his team before Tennessee’s Orange & White Game on April 12 that the Vols were moving on from Iamaleava.
“My journey at UT has come to an end,” Iamaleava wrote in an Instagram post announcing his UCLA commitment. “This decision was incredibly difficult, and truthfully, not something I expected to make this soon. But I trust God’s timing, and I believe He’s leading me where I need to be. Even though, this chapter is ending, a new chapter has begun and I am committed to UCLA!”
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