The whirlwind last five days are over and Jacques Smith is back where he wanted to be all along. The former Ooltewah High School All America defensive end reconfirmed his commitment to the University of Tennessee and will be back at the school, attending class, by Tuesday.
"I felt like I was going to wind up back at UT but I wanted to talk with Coach (Derek) Dooley to make sure that's where I belonged," Smith said in an exclusive interview with the Times Free Press. "He started the conversation by trying to talk me into coming back and before he got very far I told him I would be back. I didn't want to waste any more of his time because we have a lot of other guys that he needs to be working on.
"I wanted to let him know real quick that I am still the guy who wants to play for Tennessee more than anybody."
Smith had been scheduled to begin classes last Wednesday morning, but after Lane Kiffin bolted UT for the USC job, Smith instead returned home to discuss his options with his family. He did not attend class the next two days either and although he never decommitted from the Vols, his future seemed uncertain.
For more on Smith's decision to play football at Tennessee, see Monday's Times Free Press.