I don't think UT is in a position to replace Pruitt after this season, but if next season is much the same as this season, and Freeze is still available, it appears the SEC / Sankey is not going to block him from coming back to coach in the SEC.
"With Freeze now a hot coaching candidate, the topic has become relevant again. While you shouldn’t expect Sankey to roll out the red carpet for a Freeze return, the conference office block on an SEC school hiring him is no longer there, multiple sources told AL.com The feeling is that Freeze served his time away from the league and that if a school wanted to hire him as a head coach, it would have the opportunity to do so."
https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/11/could-hugh-freeze-soon-be-back-in-the-sec.html
"With Freeze now a hot coaching candidate, the topic has become relevant again. While you shouldn’t expect Sankey to roll out the red carpet for a Freeze return, the conference office block on an SEC school hiring him is no longer there, multiple sources told AL.com The feeling is that Freeze served his time away from the league and that if a school wanted to hire him as a head coach, it would have the opportunity to do so."
https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/11/could-hugh-freeze-soon-be-back-in-the-sec.html
