It looks like any hopes of safety Jakobe Thomas returning to Knoxville are dead and gone. Earlier this month, Thomas surprised a lot of us when it was announced that he was entering the transfer portal and leaving the Tennessee Volunteers. Boo Carter hinted Thomas would be back, but that's not going to happen.
After he officially entered the portal, Thomas set up visits with Miami and Florida State. With the Hurricanes looking for a Zaquan Patterson replacement, it looks like some good news is about to come in for Mario Cristobal, but it will sting for Josh Heupel.
On Thursday, On3 insider Pete Nakos put in his official prediction for Thomas to make the move to Coral Gables to suit up for the Hurricanes. He wouldn't do this unless he had some info that strongly made him believe the defensive back would be Miami-bound:
Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas is now expected to sign with Miami football
There's no way to sugarcoat things: this is a bummer for the Vols. While nothing is official just yet, we're now expecting Thomas to make an announcement at any moment following this latest update from Nakos. Thomas was all set to push for a starting spot too in the middle of the secondary for UT.
Instead of playing in a second season with the Vols, however, he's instead getting ready to make the move from the SEC to the ACC. Thomas previously suited up for Middle Tennessee State, but he made the move to Knoxville ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Last season for Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks, the veteran safety appeared in 13 games, posting 22 total tackles and two pass deflections. With him being an in-state product too, it only makes things worse that he's on the verge of leaving.
There are plenty of defensive backs for Heupel to target in the transfer portal, but that won't change the fact that a lot of Vols fans out there are pretty disappointed that Thomas will (likely) be trading in his Tennessee jersey for a Miami one. He could have a last-second change of heart, but all signs are now pointing to him playing for the Canes in 2025.