Former Vol gets drafted and then hints at the reason he transferred away from Tennessee and it’s a tough look for the Volunteers
A former Vols defender was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and hinted at the reason why he transferred away from Tennessee. And it’s a tough look for Josh Heupel and the Volunteers.
A former Tennessee Vols defensive back who left the program after the 2024 season was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and immediately hinted at the reason why he left Rocky Top.
And it’s not the best look for Josh Heupel and the Vols.
Former Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas drafted by the Minnesota Vikings
Former Vols safety Jakobe Thomas was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft (No. 98 overall).
Thomas, who started his career at Middle Tennessee State, spent one season at Tennessee before transferring to Miami for the 2025 season.
The former Vol proved to be a key player for the Hurricanes last season, earning All-ACC second team honors while helping Miami reach the national championship game.
Thomas, who totaled 45 tackles, two forced fumbles, and five interceptions for the Hurricanes, referenced being a backup player at his “previous school” while speaking with reporters after getting drafted by the Vikings.
“[I want to thank] all my teammates at Miami, Coach (Mario) Cristobal, Coach (Will) Harris, Coach (Zac) Etheridge for taking a chance on a guy that was a backup and took him to Miami and now he’s in Minnesota,” said Thomas. “I can’t be more grateful than this moment right here.”
Thomas told reporters that he had a “rough time” with his confidence at Tennessee.
“Just being comfortable in who I am again,” said Thomas when asked about his growth at Miami. “I had a rough time at my previous stop. I had a lot of confidence issues.”
“I had a long talk with my mom,” added Thomas when asked about the decision to transfer from Tennessee to Miami. “I ended up entering the transfer portal, not really expecting much, and Coach Mario Cristobal called me, and Coach Harris called me. And they didn’t sell me a dream. That was the biggest thing for me, because recruiting, it’s all smoke and mirrors a lot of the times.
“They took a chance on a kid that was four years into college, had a year left, and didn’t really play at his last school. So I don’t know what was going on in their head. I don’t know what they saw and what they thought was so good about me, but that’s just credibility to great coaching and great eyes for football.”
Jakobe Thomas grew up a Tennessee Vols fan
Thomas, who grew up rooting for the Vols, didn’t start any games for Tennessee during his lone season in Knoxville. He recorded just 22 tackles while playing in a backup role for the Volunteers.
During the 2024 season, Thomas notably played nearly 300 fewer snaps than former walk-on Vols safety Will Brooks. Thomas also played almost 300 fewer snaps than Andre Turrentine, and he played just 23 more snaps than Christian Charles (Charles transferred to Virginia after the 2024 season).
So how did Josh Heupel and the Vols let a future Day 2 draft pick who grew up a Tennessee fan leave via the transfer portal?
One reason is because the Vols chose to retain defensive back Boo Carter, who was dismissed from the team late in the 2025 season, over Thomas.
Carter is the more talented player, but Thomas was clearly the more reliable player.
At the time, most fans and media analysts viewed Carter as a bigger priority than Thomas. But Carter’s heart was always at Colorado (which is where he transferred after getting kicked off Tennessee’s team). It was a situation that Tennessee’s coaching staff and personnel staff clearly didn’t read well. And considering the Vols’ issues at safety last season, it was a mistake that undoubtedly hurt Tennessee.
Thomas, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem to hold any ill will toward Tennessee.
He said earlier this offseason that he “loves that place”.
“I ended up transferring here (to Miami),” said Thomas last fall. “And I haven’t looked back. But at the same time, that was a harder moment for me — because I love that place (Tennessee). That place was a dream come true for me. But everybody’s story is different, and I think I needed a different opportunity somewhere else, and this opportunity is working out for me well. But that was a hard decision. That was a tough one.”
Thomas also talked about his transfer decision at the NFL scouting combine earlier this offseason.
“I just had to do what’s best for me,” said Thomas. “It obviously wasn’t an easy decision. I love that place with everything in me. I grew up a Tennessee kid, so I always dreamed of wearing the orange and white. But I just had to do what was best for me, and put myself [in position] to be here (at the combine preparing for the NFL Draft).”
“I’ll tell you, when I [moved] to Tennessee when I was about seven, all you see is Vols everywhere,” added Thomas. “And that’s all you see is that checkerboard. That was one that when it happened, I had to go. And I’m so blessed. I’m so thankful that I get the chance to tell my kids that I played in Neyland Stadium. That was an end goal for me.”
No one bats 1.000 when it comes to roster decisions — especially in the NIL era. But letting Thomas leave Knoxville last year instead of Carter was clearly a big mistake by the Vols.
And while it wasn’t a mistake that was obvious to fans and media at the time, the staff that spent hundreds of hours a month around the players should’ve recognized that Thomas, a player who bled orange, was a better player to keep than Carter, someone who was bleeding Colorado black and gold while playing for the Vols.
Talent isn’t everything. Fit matters. And Thomas obviously fit better at Tennessee than Carter.
There’s no doubt that Heupel and the Vols made a mistake with Thomas, but what’s done is done. The important thing for Tennessee is that they learn from that mistake moving forward.