Tennessee Football: Three More Vols Newcomers Lose Helmet Stripes

Three Tennessee football newcomers had their Volunteers helmet stripes removed on Tuesday, Aug. 16: Jeff George, Tyler Byrd, and Marcus Tatum.

Last week, cornerback Baylen Buchanan shocked the Tennessee football fanbase by becoming the first Vols newcomer to have his helmet stripe removed. Safety Nigel Warrior followed very soon after that.

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It appeared as if the secondary was boasting all the top talent among the newcomers.

However, on Tuesday, the chips began to fall a little harder, and they were all on offense.

Wide receivers Jeff George, a junior college transfer, and Tyler Byrd, a freshman, both had their stripes removed. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Marcus Tatum had his striped removed as well.

The news broke on the official Tennessee football Twitter page.

George was a four-star wide receiver who stands at 6’6″ and should be a huge target for the Vols all year. Byrd was recruited as a four-star defensive back but has shown amazing speed and abilities on both sides of the ball, so the coaches have moved him to receiver.

Tatum was a three-star offensive lineman out of Florida, joining Buchanan as one of the surprise three-stars to have his helmet stripe removed early. He has drawn praise from the coaches throughout Fall Camp.

This means that five newcomers will be without their helmet stripes when they begin classes Wednesday. Will more come off Thursday?

Also, who will be the first to actually see the field among these newcomers? Other elite guys have expectations too, including five-star defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo.

After all, Jones’s recruiting focus for this class was on guys who could contribute immediately.

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That’s why he took in four junior college players. The clock is ticking on the other two outside of George that are currently with the team.