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Tennessee football: Appeal filed in NCAA Cade Mays eligibility ruling

By Caleb Calhoun

ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 19: Cade Mays #77 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates D'Andre Swift"u2019s touchdown run during a game between University of Kentucky Wildcats and University of Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images).
ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 19: Cade Mays #77 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates D'Andre Swift"u2019s touchdown run during a game between University of Kentucky Wildcats and University of Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images). /
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Will the Tennessee football Volunteers offensive lineman be able to play?

Less than three weeks ahead of the start of the season, an appeal has been filed to the NCAA on the eligibility ruling of Tennessee football offensive lineman Cade Mays. A transfer from the Georgia Bulldogs, Mays’ eligibility waiver request was denied back in August.

Earlier in the year, Mays transferred to join the program where his father, Kevin Mays, played offensive line in the 1990s and his brother, Cooper Mays, just committed to play offensive line. His family had been locked in a legal battle with UGA due to an injury Kevin Mays suffered.

May’s transfer to Tennessee football comes after he started for two years with the Dawgs and earned Freshman All-SEC in 2018. News of the appeal in the 6’6″ 320-pound junior’s case was revealed Wednesday night by Knoxville attorney Greg Isaacs on Twitter.

Isaacs began representing Mays in this case back in May, according to Patrick Brown of GoVols247. All they can do now is wait for another ruling on the appeal. Meanwhile, Mays will still practice with the team.

Once a five-star commitment to the Vols back in 2017, Mays backed out after the disastrous season that was occurring under Butch Jones. He then joined the greatest recruiting class in history that Kirby Smart put together.

Upon his transfer, expectations were that he would immediately start at guard opposite Trey Smith, assuming that he was going to receive an eligibility waiver. If he wins the appeal, that is likely to still happen.

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However, if Mays doesn’t win, Tennessee football is likely to turn to Riley Locklear, K’Rojhn Calbert, Jerome Carvin or Jahmir Johnson for its final starting guard spot. In addition to Smith, Brandon Kennedy, Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright are all likely starters as well, with Kennedy set to return for a sixth year of eligibility at center and Morris and Wright locking up the tackle spots.

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