KNOXVILLE - When three players who three months later would be voted captains of Tennessee's 2016 football team announced their decisions to pass on the NFL draft, what was confirmed Saturday became a very real possibility.
For the first time in program history, Tennessee was shut out of back-to-back drafts when no former Volunteers were selected as the final four rounds came and went.
The decisions of linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, cornerback Cameron Sutton and running back Alvin Kamara to return to Tennessee after submitting paperwork for NFL evaluations in December left the Vols with a group of fringe draft prospects headlined by wide receiver Marquez North, a projected sixth-round pick according to two mock drafts.
The Vols will be happier that those three difference-makers returned to contribute to a potential run at an SEC championship in 2016 than they are upset at another empty draft.
"My love for this university and for this team (and) the direction this team is going and where we're going to go played a big factor in why I came back," Sutton said of his decision after one spring practice in March.
The Vols, the only SEC team without a player drafted in 2016, had a 51-year streak snapped when they were shut out in 2015 - then it was college football's sixth-longest streak, trailing only Michigan, Southern California, Michigan State, Florida and Nebraska - and it was just the third time ever the draft did not include a Tennessee player.
THREE MORE VOLS LAND MINI-CAMP INVITES
Three former Tennessee players accepted invitations to NFL rookie mini-camps, where they'll have the chance to impress teams and earn a contract. Offensive linemen Kyler Kerbyson will attend the camps of the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints. Linebacker Chris Weatherd also landed a mini-camp invite from the Saints. Defensive tackle Owen Williams received an camp invitation from the Atlanta Falcons.
The players who hoped to start a new streak this year instead will chase their NFL dreams as undrafted free agents or training-camp invitees.
North and safety Brian Randolph signed with the Los Angeles Rams, and defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Tight end Alex Ellis, who began his Tennessee career as a walk-on, finalized a deal with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
North elected to leave Tennessee after a disappointing junior season marred by injuries and a disconnect with his coaches, and he missed six games and caught just six passes for 58 yards in 2015.
The season was "mentally draining for me and frustrating," North said after Tennessee's pro day in March, and it prompted him to make what he called the "right decision" for himself.
It was a gamble as the former four-star recruit hoped his combination of size, speed and ability to high-point fade passes and jump balls would outweigh his injury history and limited action from last season.
The 6-foot-3, 227-pounder had impressive showings at both the NFL scouting combine in February and Tennessee's pro day in March, when he clocked sub-4.5-second times in the 40-yard dash.
By that point he'd already had a private workout with the Dallas Cowboys, and he reportedly had workouts this month with the Colts, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots.
The reliable Randolph started 47 of his program-record 53 games and totaled 310 tackles and eight interceptions. In the past three seasons he was second, third and second on the team in tackles after returning from a knee injury that ended his 2012 season after three games.
Randolph had an impressive pro day, running the 40 in the 4.4-second range and bench-pressing 225 pounds an absurd 31 times - eight more than any defensive back at the NFL's scouting combine.
He announced on his Twitter account his signing with the Rams within 15 minutes of the draft's conclusion.
"They were interested since day one," he told the Knoxville News Sentinel. "They showed loyalty to me, so I'm going to show loyalty to them. They say I fit their mold very well."
The two-year run on empty drafts for the Vols figures to end in 2017, when they could have at least five or six players picked, presuming some juniors decide to leave early and enter the draft.
Given the talent currently on the roster, Tennessee won't have to wait long to add to its 337 all-time draft picks and 45 first-round selections.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com