Tennessee football: Brent Cimaglia opting out of season
Paxton Brooks will replace Brent Cimaglia as the Tennessee football Volunteers’ place kicker.
Another player is opting out of the rest of the Tennessee football season. This departure comes two days after Jeremy Pruitt announced that wide receiver Ramel Keyton would not play anymore this year.
Senior place kicker Brent Cimaglia announced Monday he would not finish the season. Cimaglia mentioned issues within the program and the need to rehab “ongoing injuries” as his reasons for the opt out.
In his Monday press conference, Pruitt confirmed the opt-out and added that punter Paxton Brooks would step in for him. Cimaglia made the announcement on Twitter while Pruitt was in the press conference.
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
Heading into the year, Cimaglia was supposed to be one of the bright spots for the Vols. He had not missed an extra point in his career and nailed 23 of 27 field goals last year, including 9-of-11 from beyond 40 and both attempts from beyond 50. One of those field goals was a 53-yarder, the longest for a Vol since Jeff Hall in 1995. Two of his misses were due to high snaps.
This year, however, Cimaglia has shown a bit of regression. He has only made 5-of-9 attempts, including two misses inside 40 yards. On Saturday against the Florida Gators, he missed his first extra point ever at this level.
Based on his statements, though, it seems like there were some injuries that limited him this year. Jimmy Hyams tweeted out that Cimaglia has been battling a groin issue throughout the year, which could explain some of his regression. Pruitt said he expects Cimaglia back next year, though.
Next. Five takeaways from Vols' 31-19 loss to Florida. dark
Brooks, a junior, has been Tennessee football’s starting punter since the middle of the 2019 season, but he hasn’t yet attempted a field goal in his career. Nobody else on the Vols has at this level. As a result, this is going to be an intriguing ride over the next two weeks, although the season seems like a loss for Vol fans anyway.