Tennessee had a lot of roster movement happen on Monday, highlighted by numerous portal departures. They finally received some good news on Monday evening, as John Campbell Jr. announced that he will return for his final year of eligibility.
Campbell is a current Tennessee offensive tackle and former Miami football transfer. He measures in at around 6-5 and 320 pounds as a sixth-year senior and will be competing during his seventh year as he makes the first announcement regarding returning to the Volunteers.
This is huge for the Tennessee offensive line, as they expect to lose some guys, including Connor Meadows and Addison Nichols, to the transfer portal earlier in the day.
The senior has only been at Tennessee for a single season but made an immediate impact as he was a day-one starter on Rocky Top, and he continued to be a dominant force at tackle.
He was named to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list and received a SEC offensive lineman of the week award following his performance against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Campbell spent five years with the Hurricanes before ultimately deciding to transfer to the Volunteers.
This is a huge sign for the Volunteers, and they are hopeful of bringing back some of the linemen, including Cooper Mays and Javontez Spraggins.
This is a huge start and one less position they will have to worry about when it comes to developing a starter for next season, as the line will already look a bit different, so it will be important to have a veteran presence on the end of the line.