KNOXVILLE – Whatever Marquez North’s future holds, it likely does not include the Tennessee Volunteers.
The wide receiver no longer is listed in the university’s campus directory and is not enrolled for spring semester classes.
At this point North’s plans are unclear. According to multiple reports, he’s hired an agent with the idea of entering the NFL draft, but he could transfer to another program. He has not made his intentions public, and Tennessee officials are unsure of his plans.
The past two seasons have been frustrating for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound North, a four-star recruit who earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2013, when he caught 38 passes for 496 yards and a touchdown. He memorably made three crucial catches in Tennessee’s upset of South Carolina that season.
In 2014, North missed the final three games after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and was slowed in two other games due to foot and back injuries. In 10 games, he caught 30 passes for 320 yards and four scores.
This season North played in only six games because of a lingering back problem that began when he took a big hit late in the first half of the Vols’ loss at Florida. After missing six games – he warmed up for multiple games but did not play – he caught one pass in the Outback Bowl and finished with six catches for 58 yards for the season.
The Vols lose seniors Von Pearson and Johnathon Johnson from this season’s receiving corps. Junior college transfer Jeff George enrolled earlier this week, and Corey Henderson and Brandon Johnson are current verbal commitments. The Vols would like to add two more receivers to their 2016 class.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for early entry into the NFL draft is Monday.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com