Veteran Tennessee Cornerback enters transfer portal as graduate transfer
After signing with Tennessee as a member of the 2019 recruiting class, and playing in the secondary over multiple seasons, veteran Tennessee cornerback Warren Burrell has entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer.
Tennessee CB Warren Burrell (@_WB04) has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) November 30, 2023
Burrell has 91 tackles and 1 Int in his career. https://t.co/l6HDDPGq0I pic.twitter.com/tyhw7mqqmi
Burrell becomes the first Vol to enter the portal following the conclusion of the 2023 season. As a graduate transfer, he will be immediately eligible and does not have to wait until the December 4th date to enter his name.
Burrell played in 41 games for the Vols, including 22 starts. He totaled 91 tackles, three tackles for loss, ten pass breakups and an interception over his five year career at Tennessee.
Burrell’s Timeline at Tennessee
2023– Played in 10 games for the Vols, recording 8 tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception.
2022- Only played in two games for the Vols after suffering a season-ending injury against Pitt.
2021- Played in 12 games for the Vols, recording 41 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and seven pass defenses.
2020- Played in eight games for the Vols, recording 17 tackles and a pass breakup.
2019- played in nine games for Vols, recording 13 total tackles as a freshman.
Understanding the portal
The winter transfer portal window opens on December 4th and runs for 30 days. The winter window to enter the portal closes on January 2nd. The spring portal window runs from April 16-30th.
Players don’t have to pick a school they are going to during those specific dates but those are the span of dates on when a player can enter the portal.
Those dates don’t apply to graduate transfers who can enter the portal whenever they wish prior to May 1st. Also, if there’s a head coaching change, players can enter the portal outside of those dates.
Players who enter the portal in the 30 day winter window are trying to be somewhere for the spring semester.
For Tennessee the spring semester starts on January 22nd which is late compared to many schools around the country. Tennessee a year ago started a winter mini-term class that runs the first 3 weeks of January.
With the portal, schools also have to stay at 85 or below in their scholarships numbers, meaning when the spring semester starts they can’t be over 85. In Tennessee’s case, that number is closer to 82 as the Vols balance the scholarship reductions that they received last July when the NCAA ruled on the Jeremy Pruitt case.
