Tennessee offensive tackle Larry Johnson III and defensive back John Slaughter announced their commitments to Colorado on Wednesday afternoon after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. They are among six former Volunteers who entered the portal during the spring transfer period.
Johnson, who transferred to Tennessee from Hutchinson Community College in 2022, appeared in 16 games over the past two seasons. His most significant playing time came during Tennessee’s win over Oklahoma, where he logged a career-high 41 snaps in place of an injured Lance Heard.
Slaughter, a junior from Mississippi, played in 23 games across two seasons, mainly contributing on special teams and recording six tackles.
Additionally, defensive back Christian Charles committed to Virginia earlier in the week. Meanwhile, former Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas has scheduled visits with Florida State and Miami. Thomas, who joined the Vols last season from Middle Tennessee State, tallied 22 tackles in 12 games and retains one year of eligibility following a redshirt season in 2021.
Charles, a redshirt senior, wrapped up his Tennessee career with 71 tackles over 30 games.
Tennessee also saw quarterback Nico Iamaleava and offensive lineman Ayden Bussell enter the portal this spring. Bussell, a former three-star recruit from Mt. Juliet High School, was ranked No. 858 nationally and No. 83 among interior offensive linemen in the 2023 class. He spent the past two years as a reserve lineman with the Vols.
The most high-profile departure was Iamaleava, who transferred to UCLA on April 20 after a sudden and public split with Tennessee. The sophomore quarterback threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions in his lone season as the Vols’ starter.
His exit followed stalled NIL negotiations on April 10 and his absence from practice the next day. Head coach Josh Heupel informed the team on April 12, before the Orange & White Game, that they were moving on from Iamaleava.
In his UCLA commitment post on Instagram, Iamaleava wrote: “My journey at UT has come to an end. 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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