After struggling to see much meaningful playing time in 2010, and due to some personal issues that hampered him off the field, Chris Mayes has officially decided to leave the Naval Academy and move closer to home.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the defensive tackle has been added to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga’s football roster. Mayes played his high school ball in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
“UTC just felt like the right fit for me,” Mayes said after he committed. “[Navy] just wasn’t right for me, and I really wanted to get closer to home.”
Part of that want to get closer to home stems from his mother, who has been seriously ill.
That illness has also impacted Mayes’ work in the classroom, and academics may keep him off the playing field in 2011. UTC has appealed to the NCAA regarding the player’s eligibility for the upcoming season.
Mayes was a two-star recruit coming out of high school in the Class of 2010, and will have three years of eligibility remaining.