Tennessee Volunteers Football

It is not a good day to be a quarterback of the Tennessee Volunteers. 

Jarrett Guarantano opened Saturday's game vs. Kentucky at Neyland Stadium as the starting signal-caller and threw a pair of pick-sixes in the first half. 

On the Vols' first drive after the second of those miscues, he was benched in favor of J.T. Shrout, who promptly—yup, you guessed it—threw another interception, which the Wildcats capitalized on with a field goal for a 17-0 lead. So the Volunteers and head coach Jeremy Pruitt, likely as confounded as the rest of us, put Guarantano back in the game. 

So yeah, it's been a rough start to Saturday for the Volunteers.       

The University of Tennessee canceled Saturday's scrimmage because of positive coronavirus tests, contact tracing and injuries. 

Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt told reporters a total of 44 players were unavailable, including 31 on offense. 

From that group, Pruitt noted "seven or eight" were because of positive COVID-19 tests and another 27-28 were undergoing contact tracing. 

Uber driver Omar Baabbad has been charged with the first-degree murder of former Tennessee offensive lineman Jeremy Shadrick after allegedly running him over with his car on June 26. 

Phil Kaplan of the Knoxville News Sentinel reported Baabbad and Shadrick got into an altercation in Baabbah's vehicle in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After Shadrick exited the vehicle, Baabbad allegedly ran him over in a parking lot.

Shadrick was 44.

Baabbad claimed Shadrick threatened him and was in possession of a gun, but police did not find a weapon at the scene.

Shadrick was a backup offensive lineman at Tennessee in the mid-1990s. However, he suffered a kidney injury that limited his playing time in Knoxville. He later received a kidney transplant in 2010.

An unnamed member of the Tennessee men's basketball team has tested positive for COVID-19, per a statement via school sports information director Tom Satkowiak (h/t Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel):

"After testing several domestic members of our men’s and women’s basketball teams, one male student-athlete tested positive for COVID-19. With a plan already in place, our Sports Medicine staff immediately activated isolation and contact-tracing protocol in collaboration with the Knox County Health Department. We are encouraged by this affirmation that our procedures work." 

Per Wilson, the positive test is the first among Tennessee student-athletes since football and men's and women's basketball players returned to campus. Of note, the majority of football players came back on June 8, and no positive results have been reported.

Tennessee has formulated a plan for students who test positive, per Wilson, including notes below on student-athletes in particuar:

"If a test is positive, the student-athlete will be isolated and treated as outlined by CDC guidelines. Isolation will either occur in his/her dorm as directed by University Housing or in off-campus housing as directed by the athletic department. Frequent follow-up of the student-athlete will be done by the sports medicine staff. In addition, other individuals who are determined to be close contacts of the infected student-athlete will also be isolated and monitored for symptoms of COVID-19."

The news comes amid a wave of announcements Friday that various professional and collegiate athletes have recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Clemson reported that 28 student-athletes and athletic staff members have confirmed COVID-19 cases from a group of 318 tests, per The Athletic's Grace Raynor, who reported that twenty-three of the positive tests were from football players.

One unnamed Houston Astros player has tested positive, per a team announcement. The NHL reported tests done on more than 200 players ended with 11 positive results.

The PGA Tour announced that Nick Watney withdrew from the RBC Heritage due to a positive COVID-19 test. Five Philadelphia Phillies tested positive at the team's spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida, forcing the complex to be shut down, per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.

The Toronto Blue Jays' and San Francisco Giants' facilities were also closed due to COVID-19 cases.

Per the World Health Organization, the United States saw 27,921 new cases, which registered the country's one-day high since June 8. Over 2.14 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the United States, and over 117,400 people have died.

Tennessee dismissed running back Tim Jordan from the team, head coach Jeremy Pruitt said Thursday. 

A reporter asked Pruitt about Jordan's status during a conference call, to which Pruitt responded, "He is no longer on our team," per the Associated Press.

Pruitt also commented on the Vols' backfield situation with Jordan out of the picture, per the Knoxville News Sentinel's Mike Wilson:

"We have plenty of guys that are very capable. Start with Ty Chandler, he is a guy that has played a lot of ball here. Eric Gray will be in his second year. Carlin Fils-aime is a guy that was a running back early on in his career, we moved him (to defensive back) and he suffered an injury last year. He is a guy who has experience. Tee Hodge and Jabari Small and Len'Neth Whitehead, guys that we signed that are in here and working."

Police in Lakewood, Florida, arrested Jordan on May 30, and he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanor charges of "possession/use narcotic paraphernalia and cannabis possession not more than 20 grams," according to ESPN.

Wilson reported that police pulled Jordan over for speeding and driving erratically. They smelled cannabis upon stopping the car and conducted a search, upon which they discovered 9.25 grams of marijuana. Jordan said in his back pocket he had a handgun for which he didn't have a concealed cary permit.

Jordan ran for 428 yards—third-most on the team—and one touchdown last season. Through three years with the Volunteers, he had 998 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while catching 25 passes for 228 yards.

He likely entered 2020 as Tennessee's No. 3 option on the ground with Chandler (655 yards) and Gray (539 yards) back after solid 2019 campaigns.

The University of Tennessee is investigating a prospective student who was slated to be on the cheerleading squad after she allegedly used racial slurs on her social media accounts.

"We are aware of reports that some current, prospective or former students have made racist posts online," the university said in a statement Wednesday. "We condemn hate and are working hard to create an inclusive campus culture. When we receive reports, we gather facts and take appropriate action directly with those involved."

The university previously responded to a thread purportedly showing the incoming freshman saying "I can drive n----rs" on Snapchat and using the same slur in a picture, saying it will take "appropriate actions" after a review.

An Instagram post welcoming her to the cheerleading squad, which was originally posted last month, has been deleted.  

College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Majors died Wednesday at age 85.

His wife, Mary Lynn Majors, released a statement on behalf of the family.

"It's with a sad heart that we make this announcement," she said. "John passed away this morning. He spent his last hours doing something he dearly loved: looking out over his cherished Tennessee River."

Majors served as head coach at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee as part of a coaching career that spanned four decades from 1957 through 1996.

The Tennessee native was an All-American halfback for the Volunteers and was named the SEC Player of the Year in both 1955 and 1956.

He spent one year playing professionally with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes before turning his focus to coaching, a journey that began as a graduate assistant with the Vols in 1957.

Majors' first head coaching opportunity came at Iowa State in 1968. He guided the Cyclones to two bowl appearances across five seasons before heading to Pitt in 1973.

The highlight of his coaching career came in 1976, when he led the Panthers to a 12-0 record and the program's first national title since 1937. It remains Pittsburgh's most recent championship.

In 2014, Majors told Mike Griffith of MLive.com that Pitt could still be a title-contending school if given the right level of commitment.

"It's definitely a destination job, and I think it's a job you can win the championship at, without question," he said. "If you have a strong, supportive, loyal president that wants to win at football as well as academics, and a strong A.D. that's loyal and will support you, you can win championships at a place like Pitt."

Majors returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1977. He spent the next 16 seasons with the Vols before going back to Pitt to conclude his career with a second four-year stint.

In all, the 1973 Walter Camp Coach of the Year posted a 185-137-10 record across 29 years as a collegiate head coach. His teams went 9-7 in bowl games and finished inside the Top 15 of the final Associated Press poll on eight occasions.

Majors also spent time at Mississippi State and Arkansas as an assistant. He was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame as part of its 1987 class.

Tennessee running back Tim Jordan was arrested on gun- and marijuana-related charges in Lakeland, Florida, per records obtained by Travis Dorman of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Per Dorman, the charges are "carrying a concealed firearm, possessing narcotic paraphernalia and possessing 20 grams or less of marijuana."

Police spotted a speeding vehicle moving in and out of the bicycle lane, per Dorman. That vehicle was driven by Jordan, who was accompanied by a 17-year-old male in the passenger seat.

After a search, police found a Ruger pistol without a concealed carry permit, 9.25 grams of marijuana, a scale and small bags.

Per Dorman, a Tennessee spokesperson did not provide comment.

Per the Polk County Sheriff's Office, as of Saturday evening, a $2,000 bond has been paid to release Jordan from Polk County jail. Half of that amount was earmarked toward the firearm charge, with the other $1,000 split evenly over the two drug charges.

The 5'11", 203-pound running back is a rising senior who gained 428 rushing yards and scored one touchdown on 104 carries (4.1 YPC) in 2019. He added six catches for 46 yards.

Despite restrictions on visits and an ever-shrinking calendar of summer events, head coach Jeremy Pruitt and the Tennessee Volunteers are thriving on the recruiting trail.

Since late April, the Vols have added 11 verbal pledges to the 2021 class. However, the recent commitments aren't simply players looking to save a place; Tennessee has landed six 4-star prospects and a pair of 5-stars during the last 30 days.

And in the process, Tennessee's class has soared from 17th nationally and now only trails Ohio State.

The rapid ascent started when 5-star defensive end Dylan Brooks committed on April 26. Brooks is currently the top-rated player at his position and No. 21 overall prospect in the class. His commitment propelled the Vols from 17th to 13th.

What happened next, though, is remarkable.

The following day, 4-star safety Kamar Wilcoxson joined the class and boosted Tennessee's ranking six spots. The day after that pledge, 4-star wide receiver Julian Nixon revealed his commitment and lifted the Vols to No. 5 nationally.

Although the streak ended at three straight days with a new commit, the Vols returned with a bang on April 30.

Five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis—the ninth-best overall prospect right now—announced he'd picked Tennessee. Along with a pledge from 3-star junior college running back Tiyon Evans, the suddenly star-studded group edged up to No. 3.

While on Fox Sports Knoxville, per Ryan Callahan of 247Sports, Pruitt credited his players for the recent recruiting success.

"I believe that our players have a vision of where they want this program to go, and nobody can sell it better than them," he said. "And they're doing an outstanding job doing that."

The hot stretch continued with 4-star running back Cody Brown, 3-star safety De'Shawn Rucker and 3-star offensive tackle Colby Smith. They helped Tennessee inch up to No. 2 and preceded yet another impressive surge of talent.

After a couple of days with no commit—unacceptable, for sure—the Vols landed 4-star teammates from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. Defensive tackle KaTron Evans committed on May 9, and linebacker Aaron Willis followed on the 10th.

Also during that two-day period, Tennessee picked up 4-star dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter.

Last season, Salter threw for 2,550 yards and 28 touchdowns to six interceptions. The 6'1", 185-pounder from Cedar Hill, Texas, added 616 yards and 10 scores on the ground.

So ended a sensational 15-day stretch for the Vols.

It's true Tennessee's No. 2 ranking is a bit inflated because of volume. Pruitt and Co. have landed 21 verbal pledges, and no other program has more than 17. In terms of average prospect ranking, the Vols are outside of the top 10. Plus, some players may increase their rating, others will fall. It happens every year.

The larger point, though, is Tennessee hasn't allowed unique circumstances to become an easy excuse. Instead, the program is becoming a major factor on the recruiting trail.

Tennessee's recruiting hot streak continued Sunday with the announcement quarterback Kaidon Salter committed to the program. 

Salter announced his decision to join the Volunteers with a video on Twitter:

Per Matt Zenitz of AL.com, Tennessee is building a potentially special 2021 recruiting class just in the past 15 days:

Salter is the first quarterback commit for Tennessee in 2021, with 247Sports composite rating him as a 4-star prospect and the 10th-ranked dual-threat quarterback overall. 

Recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote for 247Sports that Salter compares to Jordan Love and has the athleticism to hurt opposing defenses with his arm and legs:

"Lean, athletic build with adequate height. Will need to fill out upper body but athletic lower-body build. Natural playmaker with instincts and feel. Good downfield arm strength with above average short-to-intermediate velocity. Great improvisational skills. Dangerous in the scramble drill. Very mobile and throws well on the move. Pass-first QB but definitely athletic enough to hurt defenses with his legs. Encouraging athletic profile. Track and field athlete who competes in 300 hurdles, high jump, long jump, and triple jump."

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff are making their mark in recruiting for next year. The Vols currently own the No. 2 class in 2021 with nine of 21 commits rated as 4-stars or higher.

This marks the second full recruiting cycle for Pruitt, who was hired as Tennessee's head coach in December 2017. He is settling in nicely with the program after having the 10th-ranked class this year. 

After a 5-7 record in Pruitt's first year, the Vols improved to 8-5 in 2019. It marked the program's first eight-win season since 2016. 

Competition in the SEC is fierce with Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Auburn often at or near the top of recruiting rankings every year. Pruitt is doing his best to bring Tennessee back to that level with his recent run on top-level talent.

Recruiting info via 247Sports.com