KNOXVILLE — Kenny O’Neal might someday tap into his vast football potential.

That day never came at the University of Tennessee.

Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer said Tuesday that O’Neal “has decided to transfer” after one season with the program.

O’Neal, who would have been a senior this fall, came to Knoxville last summer as a junior college All-American from City College of San Francisco. He left with just two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette.

“We wish him well,” Fulmer said.

Teammates raved about O’Neal during last summer’s seven-on-seven passing drills, and coaches entered last season hoping that the former high school All-American sprinter would immediately help fill the large void left by Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain and Bret Smith. When the pads came on, though, O’Neal quickly fell down the depth chart and never recovered.

He was academically ineligible for January’s Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin, and he was held from spring practice to focus on schoolwork.

O’Neal left Florida State with similarly untapped potential in 2005, but he claimed shortly after arriving at UT that he had “put the past behind him.”

Attempts to reach O’Neal on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Parker has knee surgery

UT rising senior All-America guard Anthony Parker underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday, according to a statement released by head athletic trainer Jason McVeigh.

Dr. Greg Mathien and Dr. Russell Betcher handled Parker’s procedure at the Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic.

McVeigh said Parker, who played center all spring while Josh McNeil was recovering from knee surgery, would be fully recovered by early June, the start of UT’s offseason conditioning program.

Parker submitted paperwork to the NFL draft advisory committee before opting to stay in school. That solidified the return of UT’s top eight offensive linemen from last season, when the Vols allowed an NCAA-low four quarterback sacks.