Darrin Kirkland Jr. dropped some surprising news on Thursday evening with his plans to transfer from the Tennessee football program.
There was starting to be a positive trend around the Tennessee football program lately. The Vols were gaining four and five-star recruits every week it seemed. And, boom, just like that the positive vibes are gone.
Linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. plans to transfer from the University of Tennessee. He has two seasons of eligibility left and plans to play the next two seasons as a graduate transfer.
During his team at Tennessee, Kirkland battled nagging injuries. However, when healthy, Kirkland proved he is an SEC caliber linebacker.
It was not a for sure deal, but odds were Kirkland would have been starting at linebacker in the first game of the season against West Virginia.
Kirkland took to Twitter to announce his decision. Check it out below, Kirkland said, “Tennessee will always hold a special place in my heart.”
In 2016, Kirkland tied his career-high in tackles with nine in the season opener against Appalachian State and later on in the season against South Carolina.
The only interception of his career came in the 2015 season in a 52-21 win against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kirkland when healthy was more than a solid player for the Vols, and in a rebuilding stage, he could have stepped up as a team leader.
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However, that will not be the case. He has not said where he would finish his career, but we will continue to keep an eye on this story.