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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Tennessee

Previous 15 Notes

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10/17/20 - Hendon Hooker, rSr/2023, Tennessee + More +

Hendon Hooker ran for a career-high 164 yards and three touchdowns and threw for a score in Virginia Tech's victory over Boston College. Khalil Herbert added 143 yards rushing for the Hokies (3-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). They ran for 350 yards in bouncing back from a road loss to North Carolina. Virginia Tech scored off of four of BC's five turnovers to pull away. The Eagles (3-2, 2-2) turned it over three times in the first half alone, with the most damaging coming when quarterback Phil Jurkovec overthrew an open Jaelen Gill deep in Virginia Tech territory. Devin Taylor intercepted the pass for the Hokies, and Hooker's 29-yard touchdown pass to Herbert made it 17-7. Boston College cut it to 17-14 on a touchdown pass from Jurkovec to Hunter Long with 7:11 left in the third quarter, but the Hokies scored the final 24 points – 17 of those off BC turnovers. - Virginia Tech/AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
News Source: Virginia Tech/AP College Football
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10/17/20 - Joe Milton III, rSr/2024, Tennessee + More +

There's a lot to like about Milton. After reviewing film, he's sold me on his ability to escape the pocket and pick up yards as needed. His big, bulky frame makes him difficult to tackle, giving Michigan an upgrade in that department. But his arm remains the wildcard here. It's stronger than anything Michigan has seen in a long, long time, perhaps ever. Milton can throw the deep ball, but is going to need to take some zip off his short and intermediate throws to avoid turnovers. I can see why folks are so excited about him. To help the make the jump this season, Milton is going to need protection up front and receivers that can get open. He's also lost his primary deep-ball threat in Nico Collins. - Ann Arbor News

rSr/2024

QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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10/17/20 - J.J. Peterson, rJr/2023, Tennessee + More +

Tennessee linebacker J.J. Peterson, the highest-ranked recruit in coach Jeremy Pruitt's first signing class, is taking a few weeks away from the program, and his future with the Vols is unclear. Peterson has not appeared in any games this year, and his development in the program has been slow since signing as a four-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. Peterson has "not been with us for a couple of weeks," Pruitt said. "It's something that J.J. wanted to do, and me and him talked and had a really good talk about it. So, that will be between me and him," Pruitt said Wednesday night. As for whether Peterson will rejoin the Vols as an active member of the squad, Pruitt said, "We'll see." The 6-foot-2, 225-pound sophomore remains on Tennessee's online roster, and Peterson is not in the NCAA transfer portal, a team spokesman confirmed. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rJr/2023

OLB J.J. Peterson, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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10/15/20 - Josh Palmer, Sr/2021, Tennessee + More +

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Tennessee wide receiver made an acrobatic touchdown catch last season to help the Volunteers rally from 13-3 down at halftime to beat Kentucky. A Brampton, Ontario, Canada, product, Palmer (14 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns) caught two TDs in last week's 44-21 loss at Georgia. - Herald Leader

Sr/2021

WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
News Source: Herald Leader
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10/09/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee + More +

Ever since Mays announced his decision to transfer, Bulldog players have seemed to have his back. "You can't shake your head at the kid for wanting to do what he felt was best for himself and his family," senior offensive lineman Ben Cleveland said. "That's what everybody on the team here wants because once you're part of the family, we want what's best for you and what's best for your family. That's what he felt was best for him and his family, so I feel like we stood behind him as his teammates as he went on that journey." That being said, Cleveland and other Bulldogs over recent weeks have said they haven't experienced any kind of toxic environment during their time at Georgia.

Mays wears No. 68 for the Vols. His brother Cooper, also an offensive lineman, wears 63. Whatever Mays felt about his surroundings in the previous two years, he returns to what will surely be a hostile environment come Saturday afternoon. The saga of Mays' transfer, the lawsuit, the severed pinky and the off-then-on waiver will finally come to a head between the hedges. In a league full of blood feuds, the Georgia-Tennessee rivalry just got ratcheted up a notch. - Macon Telegraph

rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Macon Telegraph
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10/07/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee + More +

One of the subplots of Saturday's game will be Vols offensive lineman Cade Mays facing his former team. Mays transferred to Tennessee in January after two seasons with the Bulldogs. Mays made his Vols debut in Saturday's 35-12 victory over Missouri after he received an SEC transfer waiver, granting him immediate eligibility, earlier in the week. Mays previously received an NCAA transfer waiver. "I know Cade is really happy that he's getting a chance to play. He's very thankful for that," Pruitt said. "He went against most of these (Georgia players) every single day. When you're a competitor, on both sides of the ball, it's going to be no different for the kids from Georgia. They're used to going against Cade, and Cade is used to going against them. They'll be real familiar with each other." Mays has not been made available to the media since his transfer. - Athens Daily Banner

rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Athens Daily Banner
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10/03/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee + More +

The Tennessee coach needed to find offensive lineman Cade Mays. He had important news to share. Pruitt circled the Anderson Training Center three times in search of Mays before giving up and calling him. "He was up in the film room studying film," Pruitt said Wednesday on the "Vol Calls" radio show. Mays already had heard the news. He'd received his SEC transfer waiver, making him eligible to play this season. Mays, a transfer from Georgia who can play any spot on the offensive line, is expected to give No. 20 Tennessee (1-0, 1-0 SEC) a boost when it hosts Missouri (0-1, 0-1) on Saturday (noon ET, SEC Network). "When you're sitting there in limbo, there's lots of things that go through your mind," Pruitt said on "Vol Calls." "I'm sure this is absolutely a burden that's off his chest now." Without a waiver, transfers must sit out one season. Mays, a junior with 18 games of starting experience, had previously received an NCAA transfer waiver for immediate eligibility. SEC bylaws require intraconference transfers to also receive a transfer waiver from the conference. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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10/01/20 - Joe Milton III, rSr/2024, Tennessee + More +

Earlier this month, after the Big Ten reversed course and announced a nine-game football season this fall on Sept. 16, redshirt junior quarterback Dylan McCaffrey made the decision to opt out of the season with plans to transfer. That leaves Milton, a redshirt sophomore, and McNamara, who redshirted the 2019 season, as the two most experienced players at the position. Milton, who's appeared in eight games as a backup and packs a strong arm, is considered the frontrunner. "We've been watching them every day in practice, and it's going really well," Harbaugh said. "The leadership - we've had plenty of guys step up in leadership capacities, and definitely Joe Milton has done that. "Cade's a year younger, but he's doing that as well." Last week, Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis called Milton, a Pahokee, Fla., native, one of the most improved players on the team this offseason. While his leadership has stood out, so has Milton's pocket presence, delivery and ability to read a defense. "Every day out there, he makes some type of 'wow' play," Gattis said. "Those 'wow' plays are not just 'wow' plays in college football, but they'd be 'wow' plays on Sundays." - Ann Arbor News

rSr/2024

QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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09/30/20 - Hendon Hooker, rSr/2023, Tennessee + More +

Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker could return to the lineup as early as this week. Hooker missed the season-opener after what coach Justin Fuente described as a "little scare" in relation to some medical testing that was done in recent weeks. Hooker was one of the 23 players who were unavailable to play in the opener. "There was a little bit of cause for alarm for further testing," Fuente said. "He hasn't practiced in a little while, but all that came back really well." Fuente didn't offer any new details about what kept Hooker sidelined on Monday during his weekly press conference and wouldn't say how many weeks of practice Hooker missed. The quarterback did speak to the media on Sept. 9.

According to the ACC Network sideline reporter Katie George, Hooker was in quarantine until Friday, but it wasn't clear if he had tested positive for COVID-19. Student-athlete that test positive for the coronavirus are required to undergo EKG and other tests to assess symptoms of Myocarditis and must receive cardiac clearance from Tech chief medical officer Dr. Mark Rogers. "We haven't had him for a while, so he's had a really good fall camp I've been really pleased with," Fuente said on Monday when asked if Hooker was ready to play against Duke. "So I feel the same that I always have." - Roanoke Times

rSr/2023

QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
News Source: Roanoke Times
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09/24/20 - Joe Milton III, rSr/2024, Tennessee + More +

Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, preparing for his second season calling plays, can't stop gushing about first-year starting quarterback Joe Milton. Gattis spoke of Milton as a "special talent" Wednesday during a Zoom call with reporters and said he has improved in every facet of the game. Whether Milton will have receiver Nico Collins to throw to remains up in the air. But a positive for the Wolverines came last week when right tackle Jalen Mayfield decided to return after opting out following the Big Ten's decision to postpone the season on Aug. 11. Mayfield changed course when the Big Ten announced last week an eight-game season with a plus-one crossover game will begin Oct. 24.

Milton, 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, is known for his rocket arm, but Gattis said he has not only worked on accuracy and touch, but also his leadership skills. He will be backed up by Cade McNamara. Dylan McCaffrey, the backup to Shea Patterson the last two seasons, has decided to opt out and will transfer after he graduates in December. "Joe's got a special talent," Gattis said. "He's a quarterback that's blessed with a tremendous skillset. He has every throw in the bag plus the extra club that you don't necessarily need to carry all the time." - Detroit News

rSr/2024

QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Detroit News
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09/21/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee + More +

The NCAA notified No. 15 Tennessee on Thursday that offensive lineman Cade Mays' appeal for a waiver to play immediately has been approved. Now it's up to the Southeastern Conference and Commissioner Greg Sankey to allow Mays to transfer inside the league after the lineman started his career at Georgia. Pruitt said he hadn't really had a chance to talk to Sankey much about this situation. But he said the commissioner has done a great job of leadership with Sankey's No. 1 area protecting players and putting athletes first. "I have a lot of confidence in the outcome," Pruitt said. Mays is a native of Knoxville whose father, Kevin, was a team captain at Tennessee and an All-Southeastern Conference guard in 1994. Mays announced his decision to transfer in January, and the attorney for Mays' parents accused Georgia of leaking news that the lineman's parents had sued the university in December. The lawsuit filed in Georgia came about two years after an incident in which Kevin Mays lost part of his little finger after it was caught in a folding chair at a dinner for recruits at Sanford Stadium. - AP College Football

rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: AP College Football
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09/16/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee + More +

Trey Smith applauds the way Cade Mays is handling himself as he awaits his NCAA transfer waiver fate. "He's busting his butt. He's going to practice," Smith said of his fellow Tennessee offensive lineman. Smith contrasted that with his image of the NCAA decision makers who hold Mays' fate for the 2020 season in their hands. "The people who are making these decisions are just sitting in a meeting room, just drinking coffee and just looking at paper," Smith said. "You know, so it's really asinine, to say the least, man." The NCAA denied Mays' transfer waiver in August. Tennessee has filed a request that the NCAA reconsider its decision to deny the transfer waiver, and additional information was submitted to the NCAA, Knoxville lawyer Gregory P. Isaacs confirmed to Knox News on Tuesday. Isaacs is representing Mays through the waiver appeal process. "We're optimistic that we're going to hear something in the near future," Isaacs told Knox News when asked for an update on Mays' status. - Knoxville News Sentinel

rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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09/09/20 - Trey Smith, Sr/2021, Tennessee + More +

2021 SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: Trey Smith, Tennessee,...Smith started 12 games at left guard in 2019 en route to All-SEC First Team honors from the coaches and media. He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice this fall. After missing the final five games of the 2018 season and a comeback to football questionable due to complications stemming from blood clots, Smith returned to his dominant ways and spearheaded Tennessee's six-game win streak to end the season. - Tennessee Football

Sr/2021

OG Trey Smith, Tennessee
News Source: Tennessee Football
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09/09/20 - Josh Palmer, Sr/2021, Tennessee + More +

2021 SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: Josh Palmer, Tennessee,...Explosive receiver poised for a promising senior season...Appeared in 37 games with 24 starts...Caught 66 passes for 1,039 yards and three touchdowns...Also has one rushing score to his credit...46 of his 66 catches have gone for a first down...Owns 10 career catches of 25 or more yards. - Tennessee Football

Sr/2021

WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
News Source: Tennessee Football
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08/29/20 - Josh Palmer, Sr/2021, Tennessee + More +

Palmer spent much of his first three seasons in Knoxville as a nice complementary piece to the Callaway-Jennings tandem, racking up 66 career receptions for 1,039 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has 46 receptions that have resulted in first downs and 10 catches that have yielded at least 25-yard gains. This season, Palmer is the veteran leader of Tennessee's receiving group along with fifth-year senior Brandon Johnson, who opted to redshirt four games into last year's run to the Gator Bowl. "Marquez and Jauan taught Brandon and me a lot when they were here," Palmer said. "I was fortunate enough to play with them for three years, and they taught me a lot mentally and physically. With their absence, it has paved the way for the way we're coming in now. We're just taking advantage of the opportunity in the receiver room."

Palmer is entering his final year as a stout believer in fifth-year senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano - "Jarrett's confidence has always been through the roof, no matter what you might see on television," he said - and with stability. For the first time in his college career, Palmer has the same offensive coordinator (Jim Chaney) as the season before. There have been 24 career starts to this point, and Palmer promises he won't be fazed by future starts in front of limited crowds. "Coming from Canada, where I played high school football, you could count on a single hand the number of people who would come to the games," said Palmer, whose hometown is Brampton, Ontario. "I'm used to playing in front of a lot of people, and I'm used to playing in front of close to nothing. Obviously it's going to be different seeing an empty stadium, but it's something I'm used to. - Chattanooga Times Free Press

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