Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said Monday that the Vols will appeal the NCAA’s decision to deny offensive lineman Cade Mays’ exemption to qualify immediately this season after the transfer of Georgia.
Mays, a junior, started in 18 games during his two seasons in Georgia and was projected to be a mainstay in Tennessee’s offensive line this season. Pruitt expressed frustration that Mays’ initial exemption was denied.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, and I hate it for him and hate it for every young man and woman who wants to transfer,” said Pruitt, who pointed out he was a transfer in the high school. “I’m in favor of the one – time transfer [rule]. My question is: Why should we stand in the way of a young man or woman trying to figure out where the right place is for them? At the moment, that is not the rule, and I hope it will eventually be the rule. “
Mays played high school football in Knoxville, Tennessee. His younger brother, Cooper, is a new offensive lineman in Tennessee.
“I know everyone who has been transferred from our place that I wrote a letter of recommendation for them to the NCAA and asked that they be approved for immediate eligibility,” Pruitt said. “I know it’s frustrating for Cade, and it’s frustrating for our team.”
Mays’ father, Kevin, was an All-SEC offensive lineman in Tennessee in the 1990s. He filed a lawsuit last December against the University of Georgia, the UGA Athletic Association and several other entities. Kevin Mays’ right finger was caught in a folding chair and removed during Cade’s 2017 recruiting trip to Georgia.
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