Jakobe Thomas chooses "greener" pastures in transfer decision to Miami

Former Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas is officially leaving Tennessee after announcing his decision to transfer to Miami.

Thomas was expected to be a starter for Tennessee this Fall, especially with the absence of Jermod McCoy to start the season. 

He has totaled over 130 tackles in his career and has become an impact player for the Vols since transferring from MTSU. After just one season at Tennessee, he decides to burn the bridge with his home state and transfer to Miami for his final season of eligibility. 

This was a surprising decision for many Vols fans, as Thomas was one of a few Tennessee players who made it clear they were happy on Rocky Top after Nico Iamaleava's transfer debacle. He even shared a picture on his Instagram with the "VOL" hand sign and "GBO" caption.

Thomas wasn't shy about representing his home state. The Tullahoma native boasted about representing the Volunteer State, which is another reason why this transfer decision has been weird.

In the world of transfers and NIL, someone may be all-in on a program, receive a better NIL offer, and decide to pursue greener pastures. 

I'm not saying that's what happened in Thomas's situation, but if he wanted to be paid like a top defensive back in the country and Tennessee didn't offer that, it is realistic to see him go to Miami for an NIL raise.

We saw how that worked out for some players in the NFL Draft last weekend. Some players chose to take a quick NIL raise, and the result ultimately hurt their draft stock. 

The grass is not always greener, no matter what the portal genies are telling players. It will be interesting to see where Thomas ends up after the 2025 season, and I hope he does well enough that the Miami move doesn't hurt his draft stock in 2026.