Why the Tennessee Vols will feel the impact of the Jeremy Pruitt era later this season
The Tennessee Vols fired Jeremy Pruitt nearly five years ago, but the recruiting scandal that cost him his job on Rocky Top is still impacting UT football.
The Tennessee Vols fired Jeremy Pruitt as the program’s head coach nearly five years ago, but the impact of that era is still being felt on Rocky Top.
Pruitt was fired by Tennessee in early 2021 due to a recruiting scandal that led to major changes for the UT athletics department (the Pruitt recruiting scandal is what led to Tennessee hiring Danny White as the program’s new athletic director).
In 2023, Pruitt was hit with a six-year show cause ban and Tennessee was hit with numerous penalties, including a reduction in scholarships and official/unofficial visits (The NCAA recently approved Jacksonville State’s request to hire Pruitt as an analyst).
Why the Tennessee Vols will feel the impact of the Jeremy Pruitt era later this season
VolQuest’s Austin Price joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Tuesday for his weekly appearance and he explained how the Pruitt era will impact Tennessee later this season.
Price noted that Tennessee’s game against New Mexico State on Saturday is the last home game this season where the Vols will be able to host unofficial visitors.
“I do think there’s a strong chance Tennessee ends up with all of their key skill guys (committed recruits) in town this weekend, like Salesi Moa or Tristen Keys,” said Price. “I can totally see them in town for this game against New Mexico State. It’s the last home game where Tennessee can have unofficial visitors.
“They won’t be able to do that for the Vanderbilt game. Because that’s one of the their self-imposed games for unofficial visitors — not official visitors. You have as many official visitors as you want for the Vanderbilt game. But you can’t have unofficial visitors in for that game from the Jeremy Pruitt penalties. And so getting those players back in here this weekend would be big. And there’s a lot of thought that they’ll be in here this weekend.”
Tennessee’s probation from the Pruitt scandal is set to end on July 13, 2028.
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