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Why Jakobe Thomas, Miami star in CFP title game, left Tennessee football
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- Why Jakobe Thomas, Miami star in CFP title game, left Tennessee football
Tennessee football fans will watch Miami safety Jakobe Thomas in the College Football Playoff national title game against Indiana and wonder what might've been.
Thomas played for the Vols in the 2024 season but transferred to Miami at the end of spring practice. In hindsight, they should've done whatever it took to keep him.
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After all, they lacked an elite, hard-hitting, playmaking safety on the 2025 defense. And that's exactly what Thomas has been for the Hurricanes . He has 49 tackles, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and three sacks as an imposing tone-setter for Miami. And he was the defensive MVP in the Fiesta Bowl to get the Hurricanes into the national title game.
No. 10 Miami (13-2) plays No. 1 Indiana (15-0) on Jan. 19 (7:30 p.m. ET), and Thomas will be a key figure in the matchup.
So why did he not play for Tennessee in the 2025 season? Let's explain.
Jakobe Thomas exit took Tennessee football by surprise
Thomas was a Tennessee football fan as a child growing up in Tullahoma. He said he dreamed of playing in Neyland Stadium, and he got his chance when he transferred from MTSU to Tennessee after the 2023 season.
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The Vols thought it was unlikely that he would enter the portal, which was a fair assumption. But that was a miscalculation.
Thomas thought there were better opportunities elsewhere. It's not clear if he sought more NIL money or the guarantee of a starting role or both, but his requests were not met.
Tennessee didn't know Thomas' impact until it was too late
Thomas certainly wanted a bigger role on UT's defense. But the Vols returned Andre Turrentine, a starter on the elite 2024 defense, and Edrees Farooq, a promising young player, at safety.
And UT had not tapped into Thomas' talent yet. In 2024, he had 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and some nasty hits that sometimes drew penalty flags. He was solid but unspectacular.
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UT coaches should have recognized the impact he could've had. Miami has certainly utilized him. Thomas averaged 20 defensive snaps per game in 2024; he averaged 47 defensive snaps per game for Miami in 2025.
UT had tackling issues in 2025, and that included Turrentine and Farooq. If Thomas had remained on the roster, he would've gotten the starting job that he coveted.
Tennessee makes few mistakes in letting players go
UT coaches had good reasons to trust their judgment in letting Thomas go. They had a really good track record in determining a player's value.
Here are a few UT starters who entered the portal in recent years: Quarterback Nico Iamaleava ( UCLA ); offensive tackle Gerald Mincey ( Kentucky ); wide receiver Squirrel White (Florida State); linebacker Juwan Mitchell (Colorado); linebacker Elijah Herring (Memphis); cornerback Warren Burrell ( Georgia Tech ); defensive back Doneiko Slaughter ( Arkansas ); and defensive back Tamarion McDonald ( Louisville ).
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In each instance, the Vols didn't regret letting the player go, and they upgraded at that position.
It's hard to find a player that UT regrets losing to the portal, but Thomas is certainly an exception. And the Vols will feel that regret when Thomas plays for a national championship.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jakobe Thomas: Why Miami star in CFP title game left Tennessee football
