Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Jakobe Thomas could be in line to start as a rookie in the NFL this fall.

But it all depends on what decision a (potential) future Hall of Famer from Knoxville makes.

Thomas, who finished his college career at Miami, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He was immediately pointed out by ESPN as a rookie who could make an instant impact in the NFL.

Whether or not Thomas starts for the Vikings in 2026 will likely hinge on the decision that safety Harrison Smith makes.

And that decision may not come until sometime in August.

Smith, a former Notre Dame star who went to high school at Knoxville Catholic, turned 37 in February. The six-time Pro Bowler is considering retirement, but he’s still a productive NFL player (54 tackles and two interceptions last season in 12 starts), and he could still choose to return for another season.

“Third-round pick Jakobe Thomas should be in the mix for the safety job that will open if veteran Harrison Smith follows through on plans for retirement,” noted ESPN’s Kevin Seifert this week.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis speculated earlier this summer that Smith’s decision could drag out until after training camp.

“I think this thing could play out into training camp and potentially even the early part of the season for Harrison Smith to evaluate where his body is, where his mind is in terms of how much he really wants to give this thing another go,” said Lewis.

Regardless of Smith’s decision for 2026, Thomas is clearly a player the Vikings are counting on to be a big part of their secondary moving forward.

Why did Jakobe Thomas leave Tennessee for Miami?

Thomas is certainly a player the Vols could’ve used last season, but he transferred away from the school he grew up rooting for in order to get more playing time.

“Just being comfortable in who I am again,” said Thomas after he was 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 time.

“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.”

Tennessee essentially decided to keep Boo Carter over Thomas following the 2024 season. At the time, it was a decision that most fans were on board with, but it turned out to be the wrong call by Tennessee as Carter was dismissed from the team late last season while Thomas thrived at Miami.