Indiana quarterback and former Tennessee commit Michael Penix Jr. announced plans to enter the transfer portal Sunday night.
“I’ve officially decided to enter the transfer portal,” Penix said on an Instagram post. “I feel blessed to have been able to represent Indiana University. I appreciate the opportunity that was afforded to me by coach Allen and I’m grateful for his belief in me.”
Penix threw for 4,197 yards, 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in four years at Indiana. The left-handed quarterback’s helped take the Hoosiers’ program to new heights in 2019 and 2020.
In 2019, Penix threw for 1,394 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season and the Gator Bowl matchup against Tennessee.
In the COVID-19 shortened season, Penix threw for 1,645 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
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However, Penix struggled this season. The senior threw for just 939 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions before suffering a season ending shoulder surgery the first weekend of October.
The Tampa, Florida native committed to Tennessee in April of 2017 before decommitting in December shortly after Jeremy Pruitt was hired as head coach.
Penix is the second former Tennessee quarterback commit to enter the transfer portal. While Penix was committed to Tennessee, the Vols also held a commitment from four-star quarterback Adrian Martinez.
Martinez ended up at Nebraska and started for Scott Frost and the Cornhuskers for four years.
Tennessee’s quarterback situation is up in the air following the 2021 season. Josh Heupel and his staff would love for Hendon Hooker to return for his final season of eligibility, but even if he does the Vols would like to add another quarterback.
Kaidon Salter was dismissed from the team last summer and Brian Maurer and Harrison Bailey have entered the transfer portal since.
The Vols currently have just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster and one quarterback committed in the class of 2022.
