Transfer Cade Mays and the Tennessee football Volunteers are still waiting for an eligibility answer from the NCAA.
While everybody wonders if there will even be a season this fall, another major question surrounding the NCAA is eligibility waivers. Tennessee football is still waiting on a major one after new Georgia Bulldogs quarterback JT Daniels just received one from the NCAA.
Offensive lineman Cade Mays ironically transferred from Georgia to UT this past offseason. Mays is a legacy player whose father, Kevin, played for the Vols in the early 1990s and whose brother, Cooper, just committed there.
However, there appears to be a reason Mays and Tennessee football have not yet received an eligibility waiver from the NCAA. According to at tweet from Jimmy Hyams of WNML, Mays didn’t file the appeal until last week.
The appeal for Tennessee OL transfer Cade Mays to be eligible right away was not filed until last week, a source said. Mays, who is from Knoxville, transferred from Georgia in December. His dad played for UT.
— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) July 14, 2020
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Given how long the NCAA takes on these things, that means it will take some time for Mays to receive an answer. Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle transfer Aubrey Solomon did not receive his waiver to play with the Vols until the week of the opener last year.
Once a five-star recruit, Mays initially committed to Rocky Top. However, the disaster that was Butch Jones’ final season resulted in him decommitting and joining Kirby Smart’s program at UGA. A crazy injury involving his father and a lawsuit with the university, however, remains in the background of his decision to transfer to UT.
Putting all that aside, if Mays is able to go, then there are plenty of reasons to believe the Vols could have the best offensive line in the SEC. After all, Mays would likely play guard along with Trey Smith, who has earned two First-Team All-SEC honors the two full seasons he started at guard. Then there is sixth-year senior Brandon Kennedy, a proven commodity, at center.
On the outside, Wanya Morris received Freshman All-American recognition from many services last year, and Darnell Wright settled in on the other side. Both were true freshmen and have major expectations heading into this year.
Simply put, Mays receiving the eligibility waiver and the season actually happening would be two of the best things for Tennessee football fans. However, given when Mays filed his waiver, it may take some time before he gets an answer.