Linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. reportedly staying with Vols after all

Western Carolina's Detrez Newsome tries to evade Tennessee linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. during a 2015 game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
Western Carolina's Detrez Newsome tries to evade Tennessee linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. during a 2015 game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE - A weekend meeting of Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt with linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Kirkland's parents produced a change of heart for the player.

Kirkland, who announced last Thursday that he intended to leave the Volunteers as a graduate transfer, is going to stay at Tennessee, Pruitt told reporters in Destin, Florida, during the first day of the Southeastern Conference's spring meetings Tuesday.

ESPN was first to report Kirkland's decision Tuesday after Gridiron Now reported Monday that Kirkland was likely to stay at Tennessee.

"He can definitely help us," Pruitt told ESPN.

Kirkland's decision to return, if it stands, is a relief for Tennessee on several fronts. Though he has battled injuries throughout his career, he is a proven playmaker and potential leader on a roster that has few of either.

The 6-foot-1 Indianapolis native has two seasons of eligibility remaining after missing the 2017 season with a knee injury. Kirkland was a limited participant late during Tennessee's spring practice session as he continued rehabilitating from the injury.

He is in line to compete with Quart'e Sapp and Daniel Bituli for playing time. Pruitt's willingness to meet with Kirkland and his family appears to indicate that Pruitt and the staff believe Kirkland can have a substantial impact on Tennessee's 2018 team.

"He wants to finish what he started," Pruitt said, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Kirkland posted a message to Twitter on Thursday evening indicating his plans to transfer. The news came largely as a surprise to Tennessee's staff. Kirkland would not have been required to sit out at a season at a new school since he graduated from UT in May. In the announcement, Kirkland noted his now-reversed decision to move on from Tennessee came after much "prayer, thought, and consideration."

His departure would have been a blow to Tennessee's defense. Known for having a bright mind on and off the field, Kirkland seems poised for a key role as a middle linebacker in the 3-4 defensive scheme being installed by the new coaching staff.

"Darrin is a smart guy, and he's been through some tough injuries, and, to me, that's probably the good thing about the grad transfer rule is when a guy does graduate, if he does want to move on, then he has an opportunity to do that," Pruitt told the media in Destin.

But for now, it appears Kirkland is staying put.

Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.

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