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Tennessee football RB coach Jay Graham receives show-cause penalty

By Caleb Calhoun

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 23: The entrance to the NCAA's headquarters is seen following an announcement of sanctions against Penn State University's football program on July 23, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The sanctions are a result of a report that the university concealed allegations of child sexual abuse made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts related to sexual abuse of boys over a 15-year period. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 23: The entrance to the NCAA's headquarters is seen following an announcement of sanctions against Penn State University's football program on July 23, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The sanctions are a result of a report that the university concealed allegations of child sexual abuse made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts related to sexual abuse of boys over a 15-year period. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NCAA recruiting violations with the Texas A&M Aggies under Jimbo Fisher hurt the Tennessee football Volunteers assistant.

Despite its recruiting momentum over the past two-plus months, Tennessee football will have to sideline one of its top and new assistants for a little while. Running backs coach Jay Graham has received a six-month show-cause for recruiting violations from his time with the Texas A&M Aggies under Jimbo Fisher.

According to the NCAA, these violations occurred between January, 2018 and February, 2019. Fisher took over the A&M job on Dec. 1, 2017, so these violations began a month later. Graham and Fisher were found to have unauthorized contact with a recruit. Although neither were mentioned by name, the “head coach” and “assistant coach” phrases clearly referred to them.

The Tennessee football assistant, who left A&M to join Jeremy Pruitt’s staff earlier this year, will be barred from off-campus recruiting for the rest of 2020. According to reports on Twitter, UT released a statement on the matter.

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In the summer of 2018, A&M was also found to have “unintentionally caused student-athletes to exceed activity time limits by approximately seven hours.” For this, Texas A&M, Fisher and Graham have all received penalties.

Fisher also received a six-month show-cause, and A&M has received a one-year probation, a $5,000 fine and a ban on recruiting any prospects from their high school for the academic years of 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22. That could actually prove to be a bit devastating.

Graham had been with Fisher for seven years before arriving on Rocky Top, dating back to when he and Pruitt both served as assistants on the Florida State Seminoles national championship team in 2013. Before that, he had served as Tennessee football running backs coach once before, in 2012 under Derek Dooley and Jim Chaney.

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From 1993 to 1996, Graham played running back for Rocky Top. He was the starter his final two years, playing with Peyton Manning, and set the single-season rushing yardage record in 1995, later broken by Travis Stephens in 2001.

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