Tennessee player who left the Vols for an SEC rival is not expected to start in 2026

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A former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman is not expected to start for his new program after leaving Rocky Top via the transfer portal.

A former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman who left Knoxville via the transfer portal earlier this offseason is not expected to start for his new program this fall.

Offensive lineman William Satterwhite spent the first two seasons of his career at Tennessee before transferring to LSU after the 2025 season.

Satterwhite played 188 snaps for the Volunteers as a redshirt freshman last season while operating as a backup center behind starter Sam Pendleton.

With Pendleton set to return, Satterwhite hit the portal, presumably in search of more playing time.

But he’s not expected to receive that playing time at LSU in 2026.

That’s because senior Braelin Moore, according to LouisianaSports.net, is expected to start for the Tigers this fall.

Moore, who started his career at Virginia Tech, played 623 snaps for LSU last season after winning the starting job.

If Satterwhite isn’t going to start at LSU — which apparently doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone in Baton Rouge since Moore is returning — it has some Vols fans wondering why he left Tennessee in the first place.

That could be because Tennessee’s coaching staff really likes redshirt freshman Nic Moore, who played just 18 snaps as a true freshman last season.

"Nic [is] super talented," said Vols offensive line coach Glen Elarbee in March. "He's done a great job. So much more consistent. Again, everything's just slowed down for him. He's powerful. In the run game, he can create movement. He can anchor. He's done a great job. He's had to take a few more reps this spring, but he's done a good job with it."

Satterwhite will return to Neyland Stadium in November when the Tigers take on the Vols, but he likely won’t see much action unless there’s an injury between now and then.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Tennessee player who left the Vols for an SEC rival is not expected to start in 2026

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