How Jourdan Thomas’ injury throws a wrench into an already uncertain DB room

An injury from a most inconvenient place

Tennessee didn’t make it out of the fourth practice in fall camp without losing a presumptive starter in a position group that was already full of question marks. It was announced Saturday that Jourdan Thomas, the likely starter at the Star or Nickel position, will miss the remainder of camp and the season with a knee injury. .

Thomas, going into his third year in the program, spent two seasons waiting his turn in the defensive backfield, when other players saw plenty of playing time. That’s not an indictment on any recent DBs — it just seems Willie Martinez and Tim Banks find the guys they trust and play them, a lot.

Thomas played in all 13 games as a freshman, typically on special teams and as a reserve safety, which is usually a good sign for younger players. The coaches want to get them on the field and see if they can make plays. In 25 games in 2022-2023, Thomas played 219 snaps, made 25 total stops and added two TFLs in 2023 along with a blocked punt against UTSA. But he’s been injured before, and so hopefully the staff has a contingency plan in place. Regardless, it doesn’t make the situation any easier.

This season, with Tennessee losing starters and contributors Jaylen McCollough, Kamal Hadden, Gabe Geudy-Lally, Tamarrion McDonald, Wesley Walker and Doneiko Slaughter, the Vols were already in full-reset mode in the defensive backfield.

Thomas was set to likely start the year as the starter at the Nickel/Star spot, to fill in for McDonald, and that’s now out the window like the AC when your mom asks if you’re trying to cool the whole neighborhood.

So where does that leave the DB room?

The Vols brought in four-star Boo Carter last class, who from most accounts has a knack for making plays, three-star Marcus Goree, Jr., thee-star Edrees Farouq from the HS ranks and then added three-star CB Jalen McMurray, four-star S Jermod McCoy and three-star S Jakobe Thomas from the portal. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see Goree, Jr., or Farouq getting much burn outside of special teams’ situations.

2023 3-star recruit Rickey Gibson seems to have locked down one of the CB spots, while four-star Jordan Matthews is also lurking in the mix. Three-stars Christian Conyer and John Slaughter also came with the ‘23 cycle, but will the staff try to get the young guys some playing time or will they go with older guys, guys they can feel like they can trust, to log most of the snaps?

I’m obviously not a coach, but getting the younger guys reps seems important given the transfer portal is just a decision away. But again, McDonald was the starting Nickel and bolted for more NIL money. Rock meets hard place.

Safeties Andre Turrentine and Will Brooks have started so far this fall and could slide to Nickel, or Christian Harrison, a RS-SO, could factor in as well.

Boo Carter seems to be the answer, but UT is another injury or two from being pretty tight in the secondary. The team’s had pretty good injury luck over the last couple seasons from its most important players, and let’s hope that holds true.

The DB room is certainly a place that the team hoped to upgrade from last year, but it remains to be seen what the coaches want to do back there and if they’re willing to let some younger, possibly more athletic players get involved over the trust they have in the players with several years in the system. Either way, Thomas was a big blow to the defensive backs, and it will be exciting to see how the spots get divvied out come the opener against Chattanooga on August 31st.