Tennessee football’s saga with Darrin Kirkland Jr. continues. Jeremy Pruitt told Chris Low at ESPN that the Volunteers won’t lose him after all.
Well this is an interesting turn of events. Last week, Tennessee football linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. announced on his Twitter page that he is going to finish his final two years of eligibility at another school.
At the time, it was a bit odd. Despite issues with injuries, there never seemed to be any bad blood between Kirkland and the Vols. And Jeremy Pruitt’s system is a perfect fit for a guy like Kirkland.
Well, things have changed since then. Kirkland’s Twitter page now no longer exists. And on Tuesday morning, Chris Low said on Twitter that Jeremy Pruitt told him Kirkland plans to stay with the Vols. Below is what Low quoted Pruitt as saying in an ensuing ESPN report.
"“The injuries have been hard on him, but he wants to be here and we want him here,” Pruitt told ESPN. “He can definitely help us.”"
So Kirkland is back with the Vols, now, but it’s unclear just how happy he is there. Whatever the case is, Tennessee football can use a guy like Kirkland if he’s fully healthy.
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Before injuries hit, Kirkland exploded onto the scene as a playmaker at linebacker his freshman year. He initially split time with Colton Jumper at middle linebacker before stealing the starting spot full-time.
Then, as a sophomore, Kirkland missed half the season due to an injury he suffered in the Battle at Bristol that plagued him throughout the year. Entering his junior year, Kirkland suffered a season-ending injury.
So the guy has not been able to get on the field fully since 2015. But the talent is there. Kirkland is a very athletic player, is very intelligent and has a photographic memory, which is a huge plus for anybody playing football.
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Simply put, if he gets fully healthy, Kirkland is a perfect fit for any team. And as Pruitt tries to rebuild, he’s a potential huge weapon for Tennessee football. As a result, it’s good news for now on Rocky Top that Kirkland isn’t leaving. Given his value, there’s a chance Pruitt made more of an effort to keep him.