Breaking: Tennessee Volunteers Lose Potential Starter for Entire 2024 College Football Season
The Tennessee Volunteers will be without a key piece of their secondary for the entire 2024 season. According to a report from Austin Price at Volquest, Thomas suffered a knee injury on Saturday and will require surgery, ending his season before it even started.
Thomas was expected to be the starting STAR (nickel) in Tennessee’s revamped secondary. He played significantly during the second half of last season, stepping in after a couple of injuries. With several starters and depth pieces entering the transfer portal or exhausting their eligibility, Thomas was the natural choice to step up.
BREAKING: Tennessee defensive back Jourdan Thomas to miss 2024 season with knee injury. ⤵️⤵️⤵️https://t.co/RcFPxkampY
— Austin Price (@AustinPriceless) August 4, 2024
As a junior, Thomas is a member of the team’s leadership council. He will now undergo a lengthy rehab process but should still have two years of eligibility once he returns.
In his absence, true freshman Boo Carter is the favorite to take over the STAR position. Although it’s a significant responsibility for a true freshman, the former four-star prospect has impressed in camp since the spring. Building depth behind Carter will be crucial with Thomas out. Players like Will Brooks, Christian Harrison, Christian Charles, and John Slaughter may now see some cross-training at the position. It will be interesting to see how Tim Banks and Willie Martinez manage to build that depth.