KNOXVILLE -- One day after Tennessee football coach Butch Jones said two of his wide receivers were looking into leaving the Volunteers, one of the two made up his mind.
Rising sophomore wideout Ryan Jenkins confirmed on his Twitter account Thursday that he will transfer from Tennessee.
"I have made the decision to transfer from Tennessee after spring. I'm appreciative of my time at UT and all of the life lessons learned," Jenkins posted.
TENNESSEE TRANSFERS
Receiver Ryan Jenkins became the 10th player to leave Tennessee since the end of the 2014 season when he announced his decision Thursday afternoon to transfer. Here's a list of the departing players.WR Drae Bowles (R-So.): Transferred to UT-ChattanoogaTE Daniel Helm (Fr.): Transferred to DukeDE Joe Henderson (Fr.): Left due to academic/NCAA eligibility issueDE Dewayne Hendrix (Fr.): Elected to transfer*WR Ryan Jenkins (R-Fr.): Will transfer after spring*DE Jaylen Miller (So.): Elected to transfer*CB D'Andre Payne (Fr.): Transferred to MarylandQB Nathan Peterman (R-So.): Transferred to PittsburghDT Michael Sawyers (Fr.): Dismissed for violating team policyRB Derrell Scott (Fr.): Transferred to East Carolina* Still enrolled at Tennessee, according to the university's student directory
The 5-foot-11, 193-pound Jenkins, the son of former Tennessee defensive back Lee Jenkins, played in all 13 games for the Vols in 2014 and finished with one catch, a 6-yard reception against Missouri in November. His role on offense increased when Tennessee lost multiple receivers to injuries toward the end of the season, and he also played on special teams.
Jenkins redshirted in 2013 due to lingering knee issues that kept him from practicing.
Ryan JenkinsAfter originally committing to Clemson, where his older brother, Martin, is a defensive back, Jenkins flipped his commitment to Tennessee shortly after Jones was hired after the 2012 season and signed with the Vols out of Marietta's Lassiter High School. He was rated as a four-star prospect according to 247Sports and ESPN.
At a Wednesday news conference, Jones confirmed recent speculation that Jenkins and rising sophomore Vic Wharton, the first commitment and a key piece in Tennessee's 2014 class, were looking into transferring.
"They've asked to explore other options, so we have granted them the opportunity to explore other options," he said. "We'll see how that goes."
Though other incoming freshmen such as Vincent Perry or Jocquez Bruce could play in the slot, Tennessee signed just one receiver Wednesday. That was Preston Williams, a 6-4 highly rated prospect who's coming off a significant knee injury.