The numbers, as they always seem to do, appear to have worked themselves out for the Tennessee football team.
After missing the first session of summer semester, Memphis athlete Tino Thomas is enrolled for classes and working out with the team, the News Sentinel confirmed Friday. Meanwhile, safety Eddrick Loften, who has been attempting to qualify and play at UT since last August, is not in school and is all but out of chances to play for the Vols in 2011.
With that, 27 of the Vols’ 28 2011 signees are enrolled in classes and with the program. NCAA bylaws allow just 25 to be on scholarship for the upcoming season, but UT is able to have 26 because it was able to back-count one spot from the 2010 class.
Freshman defensive back Geraldo Orta, who has been enrolled since the first session of summer semester, underwent surgery Friday for his second shoulder surgery since December.
If the surgery renders Orta incapable of playing in 2011, the Vols will have two fewer additions than anticipated for their rebuilding secondary, but could now have an easier decision to make with whom to grayshirt.
Coach Derek Dooley has not announced any plans to grayshirt any members of his 2011 class, but if all 27 remain qualified and eligible when fall semester begins, one player will have to fully separate himself from the team until January.
In May, Orta told GVX247.com that he would probably redshirt the 2011 season because of a surgery he had in December.
“I hit someone on the sideline, and my arm was up at a 90-degree angle, and it popped out,” Orta told GVX247. “I stayed in the game. I played the whole season. I never really thought about coming out.
“They told me that if it happened again, just go ahead and have surgery or whatever, but they had confidence that therapy (during the season) would help it a lot.”
Loften, who is from Irving, Texas, originally signed with the Vols in 2010, but was unable to qualify. He did not enroll at a prep school or junior college, instead hoping to join the Vols in time for spring practice. Though he wasn’t able to qualify in time for spring semester, he was still included in the 28-man signing class.
In a June e-mail to the News Sentinel, Loften said he had acquired whatever test scores he was lacking and was just waiting to be OK’d by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Thomas, a three-star prospect out of Melrose High, will be in the mix for playing time at cornerback and in the team’s nickel and dime packages. He also could be in the running for the Vols’ vacancy at punt returner.
Andrew Gribble may be reached at 865-342-6327. Follow him at http://twitter.com/Andrew_Gribble and http://blogs.knoxnews.com/gribble
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Comments » 58
voloffaith writes:
Filler article for the most part,but I have to admit it is about UT. Ewe ask what I mean. Well not Alabub RB, Flrda transfer...Miss St lb. You name it the majority of articles about futbol appear to be SEC than UT. Anyway welcome Tito and Eddrick....we'll see if he wins the Clearinghouse sweepstakes...
Biggie writes:
After all that griping you still didn't read the artcile....LOften is NOT in school.
lomas98 writes:
Not sure what you want them to write about. Maybe what some players did on the way to class today? Or what they had to eat for breakfast? Or who won the most recent game on playstation? There is just not a whole lot to write about right now. Until SEC media days and then the start of fall practice, there is not a whole lot that goes on unless someone transfers, commits, or gets arrested. Since TN plays in the SEC I don't mind reading about other schools and what they have going on. It's not like its full of articles on those schools during the season. Maybe KNS will not publish any other football scores during the season except TN to make you happy.
dvhill100 writes:
Enjoy your post season this year.
springtx_vol writes:
Time to cull this one out, KNS guys.
mountainbrook writes:
Only Lane Kiffin could take the 13-0 talent left to him by Carroll and turn it into 8-5. Enjoy those 30 scholarships you no longer have. LOSE ON!
clvolfan writes:
How many chances does he get? Write him off and maybe he can get in Bama or Fla.
FearlessFreep writes:
Loften will never suit up. Some kids just aren't meant for college. that's OK, maybe he's just one of them.
FearTheVols1252 writes:
ALL the UT boys??? According to my math, only 1 didn't qualify from this class. Perhaps you're unable to count that high. I take it you didn't qualify either. FAIL ON!!
bUTchVFL writes:
What bowl game is usc going to this year?
civilianvol_formerly_marinevol writes:
Fulmer has been gone for almost 3 years now. You guys really need to get over it. Pretending to be fans of rival schools so you can trash UT is beginning to look pretty foolish.
hcjournals#206623 writes:
Lane.....Please don't hurt any small animals today....You seem to be headed that way....Just saying....
Theo writes:
Speaking of trolls - where o' where is our little buckeye gnome? Can you say vacate? That ship must be taking on water pretty fast given the bailing going on. Couldn't happen to a nicer group. Calling all hogs - congratulations on the Sugar Bowl victory.
voloffaith writes:
WOW you guys go off quickly! I wasn't really saying KNS was bad . Just said it appeared they were mostly SEC. Yes I want to know what other SEC schools are experiencing. Ease off the roids as you went a little over the top on this one. Look at my body of postings and you won't find an anti SEC article in me. Of course, most of us don't really like anything about the chompers or elephants for the most part. So all of you who jumped and didn't think I read the article(Eddrick not even in school) relax. I said maybe he would win the Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. That meant he might get cleared by nC2a. So my sentence structure appeared to be welcoming both young men when in reality I was welcoming Tito and hoping Loften might win etc. Sharks in the poster water couldn't help themselves thinking they saw blood and went for it. Sorry not playing. Go back to the kiffinator and if you can't help yourself follow that troll in the abyss as it would delight him for all to really let him/her get under your skin. Goodday y'all.
Maverickman writes:
July 8th 2011. Tennessee is being out recruited by VANDY. July8th 2012. Tennessee's NEW HEAD COACH, announces Tennessee will be switching to a 3-4 D and polishing up There NEW SPREAD OFFENCE. Sorry but TENNESSEE NEVER LOSES TO VANDY ON THE FIELD OR OFF...NOT IN FOOTBALL NOT AGAIN..BYE BYE DOOOLEY GLAD YOU COULD STOP BY
BamaVol writes:
If he can't get in at Tennessee, he can always go to USC, Kiffin can play with his grades.
spvol writes:
Need to buy yourself a new joke book, Bubba. I'm surprised that one is still in print; it was kinda popular when I was in junior high.
orangecountyvols writes:
Orange A
Thank you friend. The one accurate and only intelligent post here on this topic. It really can work.........realizing who the idiot trolls are such as one of the kids, Kiffinish .......
and simply ignoring him/them. Eventually, noone but his kind will reply.
pingkr62 writes:
Nice to see only one player failed to qualify. I had a bad feeling when I saw E.L's name come up as part of our last class. I think that scholarship should have gone to the kicker from Maryville.
RashaadSalabeb writes:
Thomas is in....that's good news and more depth.
Go Vols!
thetrollhunter writes:
This guy isn't a USC fan. He's way to stupid to get into college. He's probably some 11 year old prepubescent kid, or a 40 year old desperate to get noticed by someone so he can validate his existance. Well, really either way he's desperate for attention.
I realize now that people like this don't post here because they enjoy laughing at the responses, they do it because nobody in the real world would accept them for their horrible personality, so they find boards like this to create some sort of false validation in their mind that what they say matters. It probably stems from lack of attention from their parents.
Either way, using rationale or reason with this person is useless, they don't care what you respond with, just the fact that you respond validates them. Learn from this, understand that they don't know what they are talking about, and are here to cause problems because they are making up for problems of their own.
volinlouisiana writes:
Hey Kimbrow! Get away from that keyboard. I could tell it was you by the way you spelled, "spread offence." Go Comedores bby!
BillsBrother writes:
Eric Berry
Thorpe Award
2009
chrisw2967 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
volinlouisiana writes:
What scholarship? If Loften would have qualified, we would have been oversigned by 2. As it is, someone is still going to have to grey shirt.
voloffaith writes:
You must be one of the "Wiggles" since ewe tried to wiggle out of that one! You asked who was the last Vol to win a trophy. So they told ew and you tried to change up once someone showed you out....
pingkr62 writes:
Looks a lot like more of last year. Yes, we are VERY young. If we can stay healthy, and thats a big if, It will be fun to watch the team grow as 2 units and one team. The coming year will tell us a lot. G.B.O.
usnavyvol writes:
the orignal comment was for the "last award a UT player won", so not only is that accurate, but he also won teh Jack Tatum Award as well......
when the small bus stops....stay on
Voluvr writes:
I'm ready for a good old fashioned Derek Dooley press conference over on www.utsports.tv
AllforTenn writes:
I would rather have 4 who came in second in polling than one winner! How many other programs have had 4 players finish in second place for the regional and political Heisman?
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
nobody ignores them. we will suffer through this forever. just try not to read their posts. i know its hard.
SEC1 writes:
ut just got spurned by jody fuller ..... picks cocky
VOLliven2it writes:
We are on the way and making progress. So we have to be patient. This year should be a step forward and I hope a big step forward. As for all other issues, they are absolutely meaningless. So let's go on with life and look forward to the coming season.
10ac_vol writes:
From everything that I've heard and read, Loften is academically eligible for the NCAA standards just not the schools. This isn't uncommon and you can petition the students to get in to the school. From what I've read CDD's staff has tried their best to get this kid in. It's Jimmy Cheek and UT Provost Susan Martin that won't ok it. Like I said it's not uncommon for a school to get two or three petitioned kids into school, and some of these kids actually make the Dean's List. It's my understanding from everything that I've heard that Cheek and Martin are not going to allow any of that to happen anymore at UT, they want to make UT the "Harvard of the south". I"m sorry guys but if they get their way we can kiss being competitive in the SEC goodbye. Just ask Vandy how having strict academic standards are working out for their football program.
OrangePsyched writes:
lanekiffenfan...you're just stupid. If you wanted to talk smack while talking football..ok. You just come on here with stupid stuff. Maybe I can use my resources and find where you live. We'll discuss your stupidity in person.Oh and then we'll FIGHT ON!
trollhunter writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
trollhunter writes:
Soon, a TROLL-FREE site just for you
jcherrie#219531 (Inactive) writes:
Fair enough - but they have a good conditioning program there. That's unlike 'Bamer in which a team with top talent collapses 3 times in the 2nd half. Bama has great football players in terrible shape.
trollhunter writes:
Forget it bro, he just does not have a brain. Just get your orange belt ready with the hard buckle.
TIME FOR A WHOOPING!!!
trollhunter writes:
HEY TROLLBOY, GTFL. After me and my twin are done with Lamer, you're next!!!
trollhunter writes:
LEAVE...........................NOW!!!!!!!!!
DancingOutlaw writes:
I wonder what deep psychological issues are present in our troll population that cause them to seek attention by denigrating themselves? I imagine they were the children that weren't asked to play cops and robbers so they threw rocks at the other kids to "show them who's boss". I suspect there's probably some daddy issues in there as well.
If they spent half the time they waste plotting trolling comments on something useful they would actually improve society.
RatherBeDrivingaTitleist writes:
I just read on ESPN that WR Corey Smith decommited.
utvols420 writes:
so corey smith isn't coming to Tennessee. I know Dooley takes his time in recruiting but this is getting bad.
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor have to agree, guys with little man complex make it hard to ignore them with all their passive aggressive behavior.
Witch Doctor say see above; facts.
Bones never lie.
SEC1 writes:
win championships? yea right... the vols are on their way to losing the state championship to vandy. dooley just lost a 4* to the gamecocks while corey smith decommits from ut leaving the vols with only 2 commits... that's how you win championships lol
RatherBeDrivingaTitleist writes:
I don't keep up with the troll status so refresh my memory. Are you Gator or Tide? Either way you lost your last reg. season game to in state rival, so tell me who is not the state champion?
trollhunter writes:
The only fact you'll be getting is that you're going to get BANNED sooner than later.
orangecountyvols writes:
What did that mean? Are you for them or against them?
dvols writes:
signing day is not until Feb. 2012.......plenty of time for money to change hands before then!
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