Tennessee football: Vols LB Shanon Reid, WR Jacquez Jones enter transfer portal
Tennessee football junior linebacker Shanon Reid and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jacquez Jones entered the transfer portal. The Volunteers are 1-3.
Is Tennessee football beginning to feel the effects of such a brutal start? Or is this just par for the course with guys who have spent years in the system and have realized they are not going to play much for the Vols?
We can’t say for sure since it has now been four games, which is the mark for players before they want to redshirt. But what is clear is that two Vols have entered the NCAA transfer portal heading into their open date after a very disappointing start to Jeremy Pruitt’s second season.
Junior linebacker Shanon Reid and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jacquez Jones both entered the transfer portal, according to reports from Patrick Brown of GoVols247. Both have seen action on the year, but neither were at practice Tuesday.
Reid, who was in competition to start at inside linebacker throughout the offseason, compiled four tackles against the Georgia State Panthers and seven against the Chattanooga Mocs. However, he did not accrue any stats against the BYU Cougars or Florida Gators.
More from Vols Football
- How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
- Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
- Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
- Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
- Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay
Meanwhile, Jones has appeared in three games this year, and he appeared in five games last year. However, he only has one touch to his career, and it’s a nine-yard run on an end-around that came against BYU.
So neither player has really seen the actin they would want to see. Jones’s transfer, though, is more alarming because despite his few touches and 5’10” 171-pound frame, the Vols lose four seniors at receiver after this year. That he is the second receiver being involved with transferring since the year began, joining Jordan Murphy, is also alarming.
On the other hand, Reid is not going to see the action he wants to. Henry To’oTo’o has clearly locked up that other inside linebacker spot as a true freshman alongside Daniel Bituli. When you look at the young guys like Quavaris Crouch and J.J. Peterson along with To’oTo’o, there’s just not much room for Reid to play even after Bituli leaves.
While this could be a concerning sign, we can’t go there yet given all the information. Whatever decisions other players make during this open date will help bring a little more clarity to the situation. This isn’t much ado about nothing, but it shouldn’t add to the panic that is already hitting everybody involved with Tennessee football.