Tennessee football: Why did Shawn Shamburger withdraw from transfer portal?
Shawn Shamburger reversed course with the Tennessee football Volunteers.
Something doesn’t make sense. Tennessee football defensive back Shawn Shamburger is clearly going to take advantage of the NCAA ruling allowing 2020 to not count against athletes’ eligibilities, and he will play in 2021. The question is if he’ll play on Rocky Top or elsewhere.
Less than 24 hours after news broke that he entered the transfer portal, Shamburger decided to withdraw his name. This quick decision comes against the backdrop of everybody wondering what will happen to Jeremy Pruitt as head coach of the program.
Heading into 2020, Shamburger was Tennessee football’s highest graded returning player by Pro Football Focus. However, he struggled last year, only playing three games and battling COVID and injuries before deciding to take the season off and focus on academics in November. SEC reporter Matt Zenitz of Al.com initially tweeted out the news of Shamburger withdrawing his name.
Now, all of this may mean nothing. However, the reality is that while Shamburger was doing this, the Vols were finalizing a deal to hire former Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator Kevin Steele despite their supposed hiring freeze while the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations by them continues. You have to wonder if the two are connected.
It’s not entirely uncommon for players to enter the transfer portal and then withdraw their name. However, it’s odd for them to do both things within a span of 24 hours. Did Shamburger just change his mind, or are there other factors in play?
What if Shamburger’s decision has everything to do with whether or not Pruitt stays? It could go either way. Maybe he initially thought Pruitt would be gone and decided to go himself but has now decided to return because it looks like Pruitt will return.
The reverse could be true too, though. It’s possible Shamburger doesn’t want to play for Pruitt anymore and was willing to leave but now changed his mind because of the possibility that Pruitt is going to be fired. Tennessee football’s hire of Steele could mean either thing as well, and the hire of Steele may have altered Shamburger’s decision.
Either way, this quick turnaround decision by Shamburger and the hire of Steele that directly contradicts a current university policy all means something. We don’t know what it will lead to, but there’s clearly some sort of development with the investigation and the coaching situation, and everybody deserves answers.
Another colonel of evidence that may not mean anything could go back to Shamburger’s decision to take the season off midway through last year. Remember, he was the Vols’ best nickel last year, and there was no denying that he’d have the job full-time once he got healthy.
Does that lend itself further to the possibility that Shamburger didn’t like playing for Pruitt? It may, but at the same time, given the success Shamburger had in 2019 playing for Pruitt, you would think he at least loved the system. The guy was thriving in it.
Simply put, there are lots of questions surrounding this transfer. Tennessee football is in uncharted territory right now, and we don’t know what it will lead to. The only thing that’s clear is that the Vols will need Shamburger next year no matter what.