Former Tennessee offensive tackle Gerald Mincey isn't going far after going back on his decision to return for the Vols in 2024.

Mincey announced Friday he is transferring to Kentucky football out of the transfer portal. The 6-foot-6, 337-pound lineman originally announced on social media that he would return to play for Tennessee next season, but entered the portal three weeks later. His departure leaves a significant absence for the Vols at tackle.

Mincey shared his new commitment on social media with the caption, "Let's Work #BBN".

He started in seven games in 2023, including Tennessee's 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl in December. Mincey played in 22 games with 14 starts in his two seasons in Knoxville.

He originally announced he was utilizing his COVID-exempt year and thanked the Volunteer Club, the NIL collective for UT athletes. Since that post, the NCAA rule prohibiting undergraduate athletes from transferring multiple times without sitting out for a year changed.

That gives Mincey immediate eligibility with Kentucky, which will be his third school. He began his career at Florida in 2020 and 2021 and has one season of eligibility remaining.

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee football tackle Gerald Mincey transfers to Kentucky