Kirby Smart comments on former Vols player who transferred to Georgia during the offseason
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was asked on Monday about a former Tennessee Vols player who left Knoxville for Athens earlier this offseason. Former Vols running back Len'neth Whitehead, who signed with UT during the Jeremy Pruitt era, entered the NCAA transfer portal shortly after Tennessee's final regular season game last fall. Whitehead, who […]
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was asked on Monday about a former Tennessee Vols player who left Knoxville for Athens earlier this offseason.
Former Vols running back Len'neth Whitehead, who signed with UT during the Jeremy Pruitt era, entered the NCAA transfer portal shortly after Tennessee's final regular season game last fall.
Whitehead, who is an Athens native, stayed in the portal through spring practices before eventually landing with Georgia as a walk-on.
"Len'neth, he's dealt with a little bit of a knee injury during camp," said Smart on Monday. "It was bothering him, but he's battled back from that. He's trying to learn our offensive system still and pick up on things and kind of find his fit, where he fits in this running back group. He's done a good job, gave us a great look. Continue to work and get opportunities — there's certainly a lot of opportunities at the running back position for guys to get carries and show us what they can do."
The former four-star recruit missed all of last season while dealing with an injury. In 2021, Whitehead rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns while sharing carries in Tennessee's backfield.
It seems unlikely that Whitehead will see much playing time for the Bulldogs in 2023. But he gives UGA some added depth. He could also provide some valuable intel on the Vols after spending two years in Josh Heupel's system. Ultimately, it was probably an easy decision for Smart to bring in a former four-star recruit who played for the program that's one of the biggest threats to Georgia.
Whether or not there will be a payoff (with the intel on the Vols) for the Bulldogs remains to be seen, but it was a shrewd move by a coach who knows the Vols are the one SEC East team that could be a threat to the Bulldogs' budding dynasty.
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Featured image via Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
