What Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said about Tiyon Evans' decision to transfer

Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
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Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel didn't have much to say Saturday about Tiyon Evans' decision to enter the transfer portal.

“Wish him nothing but the best," Heupel said after Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 45-21 in its regular-season finale at Neyland Stadium.

Evans entered the transfer portal on Friday.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Evans had three games with at least 100 yards rushing in UT's first six games. He had 156 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries against Missouri on Oct. 2. He rushed for a 92-yard touchdown against the Tigers.

“I just trying to be there for Tiyon for anything and everything," sophomore running back Jabari Small said. "I am happy for him and supporting him, but hate to see him go.”

Evans ran for 119 yards on 16 carries against South Carolina on Oct. 9, but suffered an ankle injury in the second half. He did not play against Ole Miss on Oct. 16. He played sparingly at Alabama the following week and had one carry for 9 yards at Kentucky on Nov. 6.

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He limped off the field in the second quarter against the Wildcats and hasn't played since.

Evans signed with Tennessee in the 2021 class out of Hutchinson Community College. He was ranked as the No. 1 junior-college running back in the 247Sports Composite. He committed to Tennessee in April, then decommitted. He committed again in November despite not having visited Knoxville.

Evans, a Hartsville, South Carolina native, picked Tennessee overs offers from Maryland, Oklahoma State and South Carolina among others.

Tennessee's possible returning running backs are Small, Jaylen Wright, Len'Neth Whitehead and Dee Beckwith. UT has a commitment from three-star running back Dylan Sampson for the 2022 class.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Josh Heupel on Tiyon Evans' decision to transfer