KNOXVILLE – Attrition was expected from the Tennessee football roster this offseason, as coach Jeremy Pruitt tries to build the most competitive team for 2019 and beyond.
Jauan Jennings won’t be one of those players departing.
After testing the NFL waters, the 6-foot-3, 221-pound receiver posted on his Instagram account Monday evening that he will be back in Knoxville for his senior season. Jennings wasn’t officially enrolled in classes as of Monday, but it appears that he will be in school by Wednesday, the last day to enroll.
Jennings has 87 catches for 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns during his Volunteers career. His most famous grab, a 43-yard Hail Mary, defeated Georgia 34-31 in Athens in 2016, helping the Vols to a 9-4 season and a win in the Music City Bowl, the program’s last bowl game and postseason victory.
He had 438 yards and three touchdowns on 30 catches in 2018, but his biggest contribution for 2019 – even larger than his big body and playmaking ability – will be his experience, as the Vols are expected to field a young roster in 2019. Pruitt has made no secret that he’s expecting some of the signing class to play immediately.
Jennings’ return gives the Vols no fewer than 10 players who started in 2018 and new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney an extra option to work with.
There are players who won’t be around. Offensive lineman Drew Richmond, tight end Eli Wolf and receiver Latrell Williams recently entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer portal, which allows other programs to contact them. It’s not a guarantee those players leave – the Vols’ Jordan Allen put his name in and took it out of the portal recently – but it gives them the chance to look around.
Richmond has started 25 of his 28 games during his three-year Vols career – including all 12 games in 2018 – and would be Tennessee’s most experienced returning lineman, while Wolf, a former walk-on, had 30 yards on five catches in 2018, including a 5-yard touchdown against South Carolina.
The Vols have stocked up on recruits at each of those players’ positions. Four offensive linemen have signed with Tennessee, which also has been considered the favorite for five-star prospect Darnell Wright, the top tackle in the country. Tennessee also added a pair of receivers and tight ends during the early signing period.
The Vols previously lost quarterback Will McBride and defensive back Marquill Osborne, who transferred to Lamar and Charlotte, respectively.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.