Taylor Huff gave Tennessee football one season before rejoining the coaches who pulled her out of high school.
Florida State coach Brian Penske has left Tennessee after Huff’s spectacular freshman season. She earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors in her 2021 Tennessee historic her 20-win season. Huff was a key player in Tennessee’s victory at the SEC Tournament last season, as she recorded 10 goals and her five assists as the Ladyvols’ midfield anchor. The Mansfield, Ohio native has been arguably Tennessee’s most talented player since she set foot on campus in 2021.
On Dec. 16, Florida State University announced that Huff will join the Seminoles following their First Team All-SEC and Third Team All-America seasons this fall.
Huff’s move is a big loss for Tennessee, which lost starting midfielder Abby Burdette to graduation. Without Huff, only Jordan, his Fusco, and Claudia, his Dipapil, remain key players in the midfield for the last two seasons.
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After Penske stepped down in April, Tennessee chose to hire longtime assistant coach Joe Kurt as its new head coach. It’s just lost people, and many expected the same level of success in the first season of karting, and the 6th class recruit class came in.
But the 2022 season was a crushing follow-up to the height of the 2021 season. did. UT lost his 6–1 at home to co-champion South Carolina, but managed to tie the SEC East with his championship.
Tennessee went 11-6-2 and stalled in the first rounds of the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Huff has started in all 18 of his appearances, scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists.
Penske, meanwhile, realized that he needed to find success quickly at Florida State University. The Seminoles won the national title in 2021, led by his two-time winner Jerryn Howell at MAC Harman, but Tallahassee’s standards are high. However, Penske lived up to expectations and led Florida State to the College Cup in his first season.
Huff has two more years of eligibility and could make an immediate impact at Florida State University as a junior next fall. Her move made sense as she was a highly regarded prospect after she graduated from high school. She is her 2020 National Player of the Year and holds the Ohio State record for her 93 assists. She has her ambitions as a professional.
Huff has been called up to national team youth camps, most recently being called up to the U-20 Women’s Youth National Team in May. She trained last summer with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit, where former Florida coach Mark Krikorian is now general manager.
