Former Tennessee Vols defender who unexpectedly left the program had one of the best performances in college football this week
The Tennessee Vols, like nearly every college football program, lost several players to the NCAA transfer portal this past offseason. Most of the players the Vols lost to the portal were backups who left in search of more playing time, and, as is often the case these days, more NIL money. One player that Tennessee […]
The Tennessee Vols, like nearly every college football program, lost several players to the NCAA transfer portal this past offseason.
Most of the players the Vols lost to the portal were backups who left in search of more playing time, and, as is often the case these days, more NIL money.
One player that Tennessee lost to the transfer portal, however, would have likely played a key role for the Vols in 2025.
Safety Jakobe Thomas, who is from Tennessee, spent the 2024 season with the Vols before entering the transfer portal and eventually landing with the Miami Hurricanes.
Thomas played in all 13 games for the Volunteers last season, totaling 22 tackles and a sack.
The former Vol had a huge performance this week in Miami’s 28-22 win against the Florida State Seminoles.
Thomas recorded five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception against Florida State.
The interception helped seal the win for the Hurricanes. Oddly enough, the pass was intended for Florida State wide receiver Squirrel White, a former Vol, who was teammates with Thomas at Tennessee in 2024.
According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas was Miami’s highest-graded player against the Seminoles.
Why did Jakobe Thomas leave Tennessee for Miami?
With Thomas playing well in Coral Gables this fall, some fans may be wondering why the Tennessee native left the Vols for the Hurricanes.
It was certainly a surprise when Thomas decided to enter the transfer portal in the spring.
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs suggested in April, during an appearance on 99.1 The Sports Animal, that Thomas had “more things available” for him if he transferred.
“He had opportunities to stay here (at Tennessee),” said Hubbs. “I think he had opportunities to stay here and make more money than he was making, but obviously, he felt like there were greener pastures for him, there were more things available for him out there, elsewhere than what he would’ve gotten here.
“But it is surprising,” continued Hubbs. “This is a guy that grew up loving Tennessee, he talked about what a dream it was for him to get to play in Neyland Stadium. You know, you did that for a year, and I guess satisfied that to the point that he was comfortable moving on to look at opportunities elsewhere. So, you know, I think that he just decided that was a better fit for him, somewhere else.”
Tennessee certainly could’ve used Thomas at safety this season. But this is the new world of college football — players get poached, and there’s not much that coaches can do about it. Programs simply can’t match every offer that a player gets.
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