Jauan Jennings has officially found his way back to the Tennessee football team.
On social media in mid-January, Jennings indicated that he will be playing “one last season” with the Volunteers. Thursday, first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt confirmed that Jennings is an active member of his football team.
“Right now, he’s doing everything we’re asking him to do,” Pruitt said according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. “He’s being a good teammate.”
In November of last year, Jennings went off on a profanity-laced social-media tirade aimed at the coaching staff. The day after, he was dismissed by interim head coach Brady Hoke, who made the decision in concert with then-athletic director John Currie.
Jennings subsequently met with Pruitt and new athletic director Phillip Fulmer about a return. “I think (Pruitt has) put some parameters around” a return, Fulmer stated during a January radio interview, “and I guess everybody has got to figure out what those are and if they’re really going to do it.”
In early September, prior to the off-field issue, Jennings suffered what turned out to be a season-ending wrist injury that limited him to three catches for 17 yards in just one game.
Jennings, who originally came to the Vols as a quarterback, was second on the team in 2016 with 580 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. His 40 receptions were tied for second on the team as well.
While the wide receiver is back with the team, he won’t be participating in spring practice as he continues to recover from an offseason surgical procedure.
