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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

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Macon Telegraph
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10/07/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-5, 311 (DS#24 OT) + 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

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Athens Daily Banner
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10/03/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-5, 311 (DS#24 OT) + 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

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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10/01/20 - Joe Milton III, rSr/2024, Tennessee, 6-5, 235 (DS#9 QB) + 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

(DS#9 QB) rSr/2024

QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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09/30/20 - Hendon Hooker, rSr/2023, Tennessee, 6-3, 217 (DS#5 QB) + 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

(DS#5 QB) rSr/2023

QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
News Source: Roanoke Times
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09/24/20 - Joe Milton III, rSr/2024, Tennessee, 6-5, 235 (DS#9 QB) + 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

(DS#9 QB) rSr/2024

QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
News Source: Detroit News
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09/21/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-5, 311 (DS#24 OT) + 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

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: AP College Football
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09/16/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-5, 311 (DS#24 OT) + 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

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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09/09/20 - Trey Smith, Sr/2021, Tennessee, 6-6, 321 (DS#4 OG) + 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

(DS#4 OG) Sr/2021

OG Trey Smith, Tennessee
News Source: Tennessee Football
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09/09/20 - Josh Palmer, Sr/2021, Tennessee, 6-1, 210 (DS#51 WR) + 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

(DS#51 WR) Sr/2021

WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
News Source: Tennessee Football
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08/29/20 - Josh Palmer, Sr/2021, Tennessee, 6-1, 210 (DS#51 WR) + 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

(DS#51 WR) Sr/2021

WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
News Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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08/25/20 - Paxton Brooks, rSr/2023, Tennessee, 6-5, 201 (DS#8 P) + More +

2020 PRESEASON RAY GUY AWARD WATCH LIST: Paxton Brooks, Tennessee,...Third-year punter and kickoff specialist who has played in 25 career games...Averages 41.7 yards per punt and 61.6 yards per kickoff...69 of his 116 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks (59.5)...Two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll...Through his leadership efforts, selected to the 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy. - Tennessee Football

(DS#8 P) rSr/2023

P Paxton Brooks, Tennessee
News Source: Tennessee Football
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08/22/20 - Austin Pope, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-4, 235 (DS#999 TE) + More +

Tennessee tight end Austin Pope is progressing toward being ready for the Sept. 26 season opener against South Carolina after he had offseason back surgery on a herniated disc. Pope has practiced this week. "He continues to improve," Pruitt said. "If he continues to improve like he has the last five weeks, he should be ready to play for the opener." The Christian Academy of Knoxville graduate is the most experienced of Tennessee's tight ends. He has played in 33 career games in his career, including 14 starts. Although not heavily involved in the passing game, Pope played an important role last season as a run blocker and in pass protection. - Knoxville News Sentinel

(DS#999 TE) rSr/2022

TE Austin Pope, Tennessee
News Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
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08/21/20 - Brandon Kennedy, rSr/2021, Tennessee, 6-2, 286 (DS#12 C) + More +

Brandon Kennedy had plenty of reasons to opt out of college football even as the Southeastern Conference prepares for its league-only season. He already has earned a master's degree in sports psychology and will graduate in December with his second in agriculture leadership. The Tennessee center didn't have to take advantage of the rare sixth year of eligibility to graduate after a torn ACL wiped out his 2018 season. Even anud a pandemic, Kennedy just wants to play. "I'm ready to play," Kennedy said Thursday. "I feel like I've worked hard for this senior year and coming back for this sixth year. I'm all in. We know the risks and the challenges, but I feel like we've been educated and they do a great job of helping us."

Kennedy was the only offensive lineman to start all 13 games last season as the Volunteers turned around a disastrous start by winning their final six games, capped by a comeback victory at the Gator Bowl for an 8-5 season. Matching those wins will be a major challenge if the SEC is able to pull off its planned 10-game schedule. The pull of football was just too much for the lineman from Wetumpka, Alabama, to pass up in a career that started at Alabama before he switched schools as a graduate transfer. "Just being able to come back, play another year, get more film on tape and also help the team be successful, I think that's what went into it," Kennedy said of his decision. "Also to be able to get another degree. I will be graduating in December...I'm excited and glad I did. I'm not looking back." - AP College Football

(DS#12 C) rSr/2021

C Brandon Kennedy, Tennessee
News Source: AP College Football
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08/19/20 - Cade Mays, rSr/2022, Tennessee, 6-5, 311 (DS#24 OT) + More +

Former Vols coach Lane Kiffin, who is in his first season as coach of Ole Miss, took to Twitter on Wednesday to join others advocating for offensive lineman Cade Mays to play this season. The Georgia transfer from Knoxville was denied a waiver for immediate eligibility. "Free Cade Mays! Feel for you Cade," Kiffin wrote, posting a link to a petition that Tennessee fans created for Mays. Tennessee sophomore offensive lineman Wanya Morris also posted a link to the petition. Former UT basketball player Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics also showed his support of Mays. UT is appealing the decision. Mays transferred to Tennessee from Georgia in January shortly after starting at left tackle for the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. The former Catholic standout started 18 games in his two seasons in Athens, taking snaps at all five positions along the offensive line. Mays, a junior, was projected as a starter for the Vols this year and is a potential first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. - The Clarion Ledger

(DS#24 OT) rSr/2022

OT Cade Mays, Tennessee
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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