Tennessee running back Len'Neth Whitehead transfers to Georgia, returns to hometown

Tennessee running back Len'Neth Whitehead announced that he's returning to his hometown and transferring to Georgia.

"We headed home mom!" Whitehead, a native of Athens, Georgia, posted on Twitter.

Whitehead, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder, entered the transfer portal on Nov. 30 after missing the 2022 season due to an upper-body injury. He has three years of eligibility remaining because of a COVID-exempt year.

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In 2021, Whitehead rushed for 276 yards on 32 carries, mostly as a powerful short-yardage back and strong pass protector. His best game was against Missouri, when he rushed for 76 yards on nine carries.

Tennessee had already moved on with its plans in the backfield. The trio of Jaylen Wright (875 yards rushing), Jabari Small (734 yards) and Dylan Sampson (397 yards) returns this season.

Freshman Cameron Seldon and DeSean Bishop joined the group in spring practice. And freshman Khalifa Keith, a 6-foot, 235-pounder, will debut in preseason practice as a power back in Whitehead's previous role.

Tennessee led the nation in rushing touchdowns (39) during the regular season. It finished third on that list behind Georgia (44) and Michigan (41) after the College Football Playoff.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.   

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee running back Len'Neth Whitehead transfers to Georgia