Announcement from Tennessee Vols player ends debate that seemingly had no clear answer
For the last couple of weeks, there's been a debate about whether or not Tennessee Vols cornerback Kamal Hadden has any eligibility remaining. Hadden's social media post on Sunday, however, rendered that debate moot. The Michigan native posted a message to social media announcing his intentions to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Hadden thanks Vols […]
For the last couple of weeks, there's been a debate about whether or not Tennessee Vols cornerback Kamal Hadden has any eligibility remaining.
Hadden's social media post on Sunday, however, rendered that debate moot.
The Michigan native posted a message to social media announcing his intentions to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Hadden thanks Vols fans/coaches while writing that it was a "privilege" and an "honor" to play for Tennessee.
The feeling on campus was that Hadden didn't have any eligibility remaining, but it was a confusing topic because he only spent four years on the field between 2019 and 2023.
Hadden, who transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season, played at Independence Community College in 2019. He didn't play at all in 2020 because Independence Community College didn't have a season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With every player from that timeframe receiving an extra year of eligibility due to COVID (which extended to junior colleges), it would seem that Hadden should have another season of eligibility.
Vols defensive lineman Elijah Simmons, for example, took a redshirt year in 2019 and played from 2020 to 2023. He was on the field for four years of action between 2019 and 2023 and he'll get a fifth year of action in 2024 (as a sixth year senior). A similar situation applied to tight end Jacob Warren, who is finishing his career at Tennessee this season as a sixth-year senior.
Additionally, Tennessee center Cooper Mays recently announced his return to Tennessee as a fifth-year senior in 2024 (Mays has never had a redshirt year).
Those are just a couple of examples of how the extra COVID year has worked for some players. It would make sense for Hadden to have another year of eligibility so he could see a fifth year of on-field action. But his announcement on Sunday puts an end to the debate on whether or not he should have that extra year.
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