Former Vol LB Elijah Herring headed to Memphis
Former Vol Elijah Herring is going to remain in state and play for the Memphis Tigers. He announced on Friday night. The powerful inside linebacker just wrapped up his true sophomore season.
He started 11 of 12 games this past season at middle linebacker to lead Tennessee with 80 tackles (four for loss) and 0.5 sacks. He helped the Vols to rank third in the SEC and 23rd in the country this past season in scoring defense. He was a steady playmaker at linebacker as the Vols struggled to stay healthy at the position with Keenan Pili and Arion Carter missing most of if not the entire season.
“I’d like to thank Coach Huepel & the University of Tennessee for the opportunity to play in my home state,” Herring wrote on X, announcing his decision originally to enter the portal. “I appreciate all the support from the entire staff, my teammates, & fans. I have decided to enter the transfer portal & pursue other college opportunities. Love The Vols!”
Herring proved himself immediately as a true freshman in 2022 to carve out a role on special teams and play all 13 games. He was a headhunter on kickoff duties. He ended the year with 11 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and two sacks.
As a recruit, Herring was a three-star prospect coming out of Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He ranked as the No. 749 overall player and No. 59 edge rusher according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Understanding the portal
College football has to transfer portal windows. The first opens in December and last 30 days. The second window opened on Tuesday, April 16th and closes on April 30th. Players don’t have to decide what school they are going to attend in that window, but they do have to enter the portal by April 30th or they are locked into their current team under the end of the 2024 season.
While the NCAA Transfer Portal database is private, the On3 Network has streamlined the reporting process tracking player movement. If you find yourself asking, ‘How can I track transfer portal activity?’ our well-established network of reporters and contacts across college athletics keeps you up to speed in several ways, from articles written about players as they enter and exit the transfer portal or find their new destination, to our social media channels, to the On3 Transfer Portal.
