KNOXVILLE – When Darrin Kirkland Jr. was going through the recruiting process at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, he emphasized that education was his top priority.
Tennessee football coach Butch Jones, center, talks with linebacker Darrin Kirkland, Jr., right, and wide receiver Brandon Johnson after their Music City Bowl victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Nissan Stadium on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee won 38-24.After graduating from the University of Tennessee this month, the standout linebacker indicated Thursday that he will continue his football career – and his education – elsewhere as a graduate transfer.
Kirkland posted a message to Twitter on Thursday evening with the news, noting that the decision to move on from Tennessee came after much “prayer, thought, and consideration.”
The departure of Kirkland is a blow to Tennessee’s defense. Known for being a bright mind on and off the football field, he seemed poised for a key role as a middle linebacker in the defensive scheme being installed by a new coaching staff.
The 6-foot-1, 238-pound Kirkland came back from a knee injury that forced him to miss the 2017 season to be a partial participant during Tennessee’s final few spring practices last month. He did not play in the Orange and White Game.