Vols Land First Transfer of Cycle in Miles Jones

Tennessee lands their first transfer of the recruiting cycle in Miles Jones. Jones, a former four-star athlete, is transferring from Nebraska to play receiver for the Vols.

As the recruiting cycle rolls on, many around the Tennessee program have suspected that the Vols would be hitting the transfer portal to add depth to a few positions. Today, Tennessee has secured their first transfer of the cycle in former Nebraska wide receiver Miles Jones. Jones, originally a 4-star prospect from American Heritage High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, signed with the Huskers in the 2018 signing class. After a pair of seasons in Lincoln, Jones has decided to transfer to Knoxville to continue his football career.

A source was able to confirm with Jones's mother that the 5’ 9” 180 pound receiver will be transferring to Tennessee. Jones will arrive at Tennessee as a redshirt Sophomore, though he should have a strong case for a sixth year of eligibility should he choose to pursue it. As a true freshman in 2018, Jones played in one game for the Huskers before suffering a season ending injury. Returning from injury, Jones appeared in four games in the 2019 season for Nebraska, but he recorded no statistics. Since he appeared in only four games, Jones was eligible to use his redshirt for the 2019 season. Should he choose to do so, Jones should have a strong case to seek a sixth year of eligibility with a medical Redshirt for his 2018 true freshman season. As far as when Tennessee could expect to have Jones ruled eligible to participate in games, that, as ever with the NCAA, is anyone's guess. The fact that Jones has already redshirted last season for the Huskers, and that Tennessee and Nebraska do not play in the upcoming seasons could give Jones a solid chance to pursue immediate eligibility.

Tennessee has now seen Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway, and Tyler Byrd play their final games in Orange and White. Josh Palmer and Brandon Johnson are both seniors in 2020, and the Vols needed to add depth at wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class. Currently, Tennessee has signed 4-star wide receiver Jalin Hyatt and 4-star athlete Jimmy Calloway, both expected to play receiver for Tennessee, Hyatt looking to figure into the mix immediately. Though he signed with Tennessee as a quarterback, 3-star athlete Jimmy Holiday could also get a look at receiver for the Vols going forward. With the potential for Holiday to stay under center and the Vols looking to add more receivers by National Signing Day, wide receiver was an obvious target for Tennessee on the transfer market. It is interesting to note that in 2018, Jones did not have an offer from the Vols, though there were multiple factors that could have contributed to that. Jones unofficially visited Tennessee on November 30 when the Vols defeated Vanderbilt in Neyland Stadium.

Miles Jones appears to fit what Jeremy Pruitt and Tee Martin are looking for at the moment. He provides depth in the receiver room coming from another Power Five program, he has a fair chance to contribute in the receiver rotation early, and he fits the mold of receiver that Tennessee has targeted this cycle. The Vols have been pursuing smaller receivers, more slightly built, but that bring excellent speed and quickness. As a receiver from Florida, Jones checks the boxes for speed, but that isn't all. Jones was viewed as an athlete coming out of high school because he could play wide receiver as well as running back. The toughness and ability to break tackles as a running back will give him added value for Tennessee as a receiver, making him harder to bring down than his slight frame would indicate. The Vols and Jones feel like a good match for each other now. Jones gets a fresh start after having his early career not go as he had hoped at Nebraska, and Tennessee gets a player they feel they can develop into a valuable contributor at receiver. It is unclear on when or in what capacity that Jones will visit the team. However, it is worth noting that Tennessee did host him for a visit during November, and could pursue a couple of different options with him including the walk-on route.

Original Image Courtesy of Omaha World Herald. Link to original image: https://www.omaha.com/sports/college/huskers/recruiting/husker-recruit-miles-jones-comes-to-nebraska-confident-he-ll/article_ac69507f-fe09-5a04-9a95-7b82ae5630e4.amp.html