Unexpected Departures
Last season, the Vols had an unexpected junior delcare for the NFL draft when wide receiver Marquez North decided to forgo his senior season and jump to the NFL. North’s decision came out of nowhere, but it wasn’t the first time a Vol has jumped early for the draft seemingly out of the blue. Junior defensive lineman Darrington Sentimore declared early in 2012 despite having a lackluster college campaign.
So will the Vols have another unforeseen departure this offseason?
On the surface, it doesn’t appear as though there are any candidates. But that’s the nature of this category: They’re players who don’t project as draft prospects and declare out of thin air. You can’t really predict them.
Someone like a Brett Kendrick or a Trevor Daniel possibly could declare early, but it’s not likely nor in their best interests to do so.
Probability: Very low
My Take: There are only about three non-seniors who would be draftable prospects on the Vols roster right now. All the rest are better coming back for their senior seasons. If they’re truly unhappy at Tennessee and are able to transfer and play immediately, then that should be their move. Declaring for the draft doesn’t make sense for them.
