Prior to Wednesday the only good news from the Tennessee athletic department this summer had come on those too rare occasions there had been no news.
The Big Orange brass was forced to meet with the NCAA Committee on Infractions. In a closely related event, Mike Hamilton stepped down as athletic director. In a vaguely related event, basketball players Scotty Hopson and Tobias Harris both jumped to the NBA. Immature defensive lineman Montori Hughes was dismissed.
Yet as bad as those foul four moments were, all of them combined may not match in negativity what the Wednesday return of defensive back Janzen Jackson means to the Vols in positive vibes.
With Jackson back in fold, UT’s defense is officially dangerous. With Jackson on the field, the Vols have the closest thing to former UT All-American Eric Berry’s ability to totally disrupt and alter opposing offenses.
With Jackson in the lineup, the Big Orange is back in the bowl hunt, which might have been a stretch without him.