Former Vol who transferred away from Tennessee named by ESPN as a Day 2 draft pick who can make an instant impact in the NFL in 2026
A former Tennessee Volunteers defensive back who transferred away from Rocky Top for his final college season was named by ESPN this week as a Day 2 draft pick who could make an instant impact in 2026.
Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Jakobe Thomas was named this week by ESPN as a Day 2 draft pick who could make an instant impact in the NFL this fall.
Thomas, who started his career at Middle Tennessee State, transferred to Miami after spending the 2024 season with the Vols. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round (No. 98 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“The exact impact Thomas will make on the Vikings’ defense is difficult to forecast, but that’s a testament to defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ creativity,” wrote ESPN’s Field Yates. “Thomas has excellent size for a safety (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and plays with an ultra-physical mentality. His on-ball production last season spoke for itself, as he had five interceptions and 3.5 sacks. Minnesota is in the process of reshaping its secondary, and Thomas will be a key part of that transition.”
Why did Jakobe Thomas transfer away from Tennessee?
Thomas grew up rooting for the Vols, but he spent just one season at Tennessee before transferring to Miami.
That may seem like an odd decision, but it was a choice that Thomas felt he had to make because he wasn’t being properly utilized at Tennessee.
“Just being comfortable in who I am again,” said Thomas after getting drafted 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.”
Thomas never started any games for the Vols. He totaled just 22 tackles during his lone season on Rocky Top (Thomas had 76 tackles and five interceptions at Miami in 2025).
Tennessee has done a good job in the transfer portal for the most part during the Josh Heupel era, but no coaching staff bats 1.000 when it comes to talent evaluation.