The 2019 fate of one of Tennessee’s two Power Five additions this offseason, while the SEC school awaits a decision on the other.
When Deangelo Gibbs left Georgia for Tennessee in January of this year, it was widely thought that the highly-touted 2017 signee would be forced to sit out the 2019 campaign to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. Thursday, after exhausting the appeals process, UT confirmed that Gibbs will be forced to sit out the upcoming season as the NCAA denied a waiver that would’ve granted the player immediate eligibility.
“Deangelo knew that [having to sit out the 2019 season was a very real possibility] when he came here, and he [still] came here, because he believed in the coaching staff and his future development,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
A four-star member of UGA’s 2017 recruiting class, Gibbs was rated as the No. 4 safety in the country; the No. 6 player at any position in the state of Georgia; and the No. 49 recruit overall on 247Sports.com‘s composite board.
After playing in six games as a true freshman, Gibbs missed most of the last half of the 2017 regular season as well as UGA’s run to the national championship game because of unspecified issues. He also didn’t participate in spring practice last year as he wasn’t enrolled in classes, although he returned to the university in mid-May and enrolled in summer classes.
This past season, Gibbs, the cousin of current Vols safety Nigel Warrior, played in seven games for the Bulldogs.
During spring practice this year, Gibbs split time between the defensive secondary and wide receiver. According to Pruitt, his football staff will use this season to determine on which side of the ball Gibbs will line up next year.
As for the other Power Five transfer, Aubrey Solomon, Gibbs stated that the program is still awaiting a decision on an eligibility waiver. Not long after transferring from Michigan, the defensive lineman landed at Tennessee in late December of last year.