There’s a new figure in the quarterback room on Rocky Top, although he won’t be of immediate help on the field.
It was first reported by 247Sports.com that Kasim Hill had transferred into the Tennessee football program from Maryland. A UT official subsequently confirmed that the redshirt sophomore quarterback is enrolled in classes at the university and will continue his collegiate playing career for the Volunteers.
Even as Hill, who was seen at practice with his new teammates Thursday, comes to the Vols as a walk-on, he’ll have to sit out the 2019 season to satisfy archaic NCAA regulations. He’ll then have at least two years of eligibility he can use starting in 2020.
As a true freshman in 2017, Hill started two of the first three games of the season before going down with a torn ACL. In 2018, he started the first 10 games before going down with a torn ACL in the other knee.
Prior to the second significant knee injury, Hill completed under 50 percent of his 170 passes for nine touchdowns and four interceptions. His passing efficiency rating of 115.7 was 10th in the Big Ten at the time and 100th nationally.
In February of this year, Hill placed his name into the NCAA transfer database.