As one of his Tennessee teammates did earlier this week, Marcus Tatum on Wednesday addressed his decision to put his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

The offensive lineman revealed via Twitter on Wednesday that he plans to leave the Vols and play his final season of eligibility elsewhere as a graduate transfer.

Tatum has been a part-time starter at offensive tackle in each of the past three seasons, starting the final five games of the 2018 season at left tackle in replacing Trey Smith and getting the nod for three starts this season, in the first two games against Georgia State and BYU and in last month's win against UAB.

In a note accompanying a tweet on Wednesday, Tatum thanked Tennessee's current coaching staff and stated his desire to pursue "different opportunities" in the final year of his collegiate career.

Here's what Tatum wrote in his note:

“I appreciate all the support and love that I have always received at this great institution xxx through the ups and downs, during the days when I was 260 lbs. and battling #1 teams in the country, and in great moments like the whooping of Kentucky in Neyland. I never felt anything but love and support, and I would like to thank you all. I would like to thank the current staff for coming in and truly helping us become not just better players but also better men. I will always be a VFL, but it is time for me to move on in my career and pursue different opportunities for myself as a person and as a player as a graduate transfer. There is no bad blood, and nothing bad between me and the coaches. It has been a mutual situation, and they have been great in helping me every step of the way. They want what is best for me just as much as I do. I love this o-line, I love this team, and I love all the fans. So, I will once again say thank you.” #68 Marcus Tatum

Tennessee has had three players enter the NCAA transfer portal this week, two of them offensive linemen in Tatum and Ryan Johnson. Freshman wide receiver Jerrod Means joined Johnson in going into the portal on Monday, and he is no longer listed on the team's roster on Tennessee's official website. Johnson addressed his decision on Monday and revealed he also plans to be a graduate transfer and play his final season elsewhere.

Tatum's decision is surely motivated by playing time. The Vols played four different players at offensive tackle in Saturday's win against Vanderbilt, and all four of Wanya Morris, Darnell Wright, K'Rojhn Calbert and Jahmir Johnson are set to return next season. Tennessee primarily has gone with freshman Wright and Calbert, a third-year sophomore with a lot of promise, as its starting right tackles even after Tatum opened the season as the starter there.

A 6-foot-6, 316-pounder, Tatum arrived on campus weighing around 260 pounds and was in the 265-pound range when injuries prompted the Vols to burn his redshirt when he made his debut against Alabama midway through the 2016 season. Tatum has put in immeasurable work to add strength and bulk to his frame during his career. Despite the Vols signing a pair of five-star offensive tackle prospects in their 2019 class in Morris and Wright, Tatum won a starting job to open this season.

Tatum was rated a three-star prospect and ranked the No. 449 overall player and No. 44 offensive tackle prospect in the 247Sports Composite for the 2016 class when he signed with Tennessee out of Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla.