Corey Walker transferring from Tennessee basketball after freshman season

Corey Walker is leaving Tennessee basketball without playing for the Vols.

Walker entered the transfer portal Friday. Walker, one of Tennessee's three 2020 signees, did not play as a freshman.

The 6-foot-8 forward is the third player to transfer from UT since its season ended with a first-round loss to Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament. Forward Drew Pember, a Bearden product, and guard Davonte Gaines announced their transfers on March 26.

Walker missed time because of COVID-19 and battled a November toe injury that sidelined him during the early part of the season.

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"The reality is, he is at the bottom right now on our depth chart," assistant coach Dez Oliver said in January. "He has to work his way into the rotation."

He never did.

Walker was the No. 81 prospect in the 247Sports Composite for the 2020 class. He was ranked No. 31 overall when he committed to UT in March 2019, starting an elite recruiting class.

Five-star guards Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer committed in the following months to give Tennessee the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation. The entire class is now gone after a season. Johnson and Springer entered the NBA Draft.

Barnes indicated after Tennessee's 65-56 win against Cincinnati on Dec. 12 that Walker and Pember would have been potential redshirt candidates in a typical season. But the NCAA granted all winter sport athletes an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.