Tennessee may have damaged a recruiting relationship with a top South Carolina high school after the way it treated a star football player who signed with the Volunteers.
Jabo Lee, a running back from Dillon High School, signed with Tennessee last February but was told last week he would not be admitted.
“I think they just left him out to dry,’’ Dillon coach Jackie Hayes told govolsextra.com’s Mike Strange.
Lee graduated early from Dillon last December, and was lured to Tennessee by running backs coach Jay Graham, who was hired away by Florida State shortly after signing day. Lee finally made his test score recently but was told he wouldn’t be admitted to Tennessee.
“I don’t think this is a good way of doing business,’’ Hayes told the website. “They told him the whole time all he had to do is make the test score.
“Last Wednesday they called him and said he can’t get through admissions. He graduated from high school in December. They’ve had his transcript since January. Looks like they’d know whether he could get through admissions.’’
What really upsets Hayes and others is the lack of communication from head coach Butch Jones or Tennessee’s new running backs coach. Hayes said the only person he heard from was an administrator in Tennessee’s football office.
“Don’t you think it would be better if the head coach or running backs coach called me up and said, ‘We’ve got a problem here?’” Hayes told govolsextra.com.
You can read more the story HERE. Lee, who also found out in May he'll undergo knee surgery, was granted a release from his letter-of-intent by Tennessee. He was helped by the Volunteers (which Hayes was thankful for) to find a new spot at Temple.
What really happened between Lee and Tennessee? “I think what happened is they got some (higher rated) recruits for 2014," Hayes opined.
The Volunteers the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class for 2014 so far, according to Rivals.com. They beat out UGA for the state's No. 1 safety, Locust Grove High School's Cortez McDowell.
Tennessee’s handling of the situation may come back to haunt the Volunteers. They (and other colleges) have already offered 2016 Dillon QB Avery McCall, but Hayes said, “There wouldn’t be no use for (Tennessee recruiters) to come back to Dillon.”
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