3rd Saturday in Blogtober

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Wes Rucker has tweeted today that he has confirmed former Middle Tennessee State basketball player and UT walk-on wide receiver DeMario Williams will not be eligible to play for the Vols this year.

Also, I’m sure by now you’ve heard that the NCAA has ramped up its investigation, and according to ESPN’s Joe Schad’s twitter, UT officials expect to receive a Letter of Inquiry in the near future about the investigation concerning potential recruiting violations under Lane Kiffin. We knew the investigation was ongoing, but numerous UT officials have indicated they aren’t worried about any “major violations.” Still, with the reporting of this today, it appears the NCAA is turning up the heat, and it’s something to watch over the course of the next few weeks/months. I don’t know what they’ll find — if anything — but anybody with half a brain knows Kiffin wasn’t clean at UT [or anywhere else for that matter] and the NCAA wants to talk to Eddie Gran and more folks. Already, plenty of coaches, players and athletic officials have been interviewed.

Don’t look for me to make any penalty predictions. I simply don’t know the extent of the damage — if there is any damage. Plus, the NCAA has no rhyme or reason to these things. They do what they feel on that particular day. Hopefully, nothing will come of this, but if so, please for the love of Pete Carroll, get it out of the way right now while we blow. But this is the NCAA. Stay tuned. We’ll give you a breakdown if there’s anything additional to report. Oh, and fire Mike Hamilton, while you’re at it.

No matter how much the Brown family is trying to continue stringing along this soap opera by keeping their son’s name in the media, it appears the Bryce Brown saga is nearly over — at least on Tennessee’s side.

ESPN.com’s Joe Schad reported tonight that UT coach Derek Dooley will not release Brown to another school, in part because Brown did not ask Dooley for a release face-to-face. Dooley wants to go to Kansas State, but it appears he’ll have to do that without UT’s blessing.

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Vols fans were duped by BB

It was March 16, 2009, a day I hammered  the “Refresh” button like a carpenter on crack, waiting, anticipating the impending decision of Bryce Brown. The No. 1 player in the nation according to Rivals.com was going to pick where he would supposedly spend the next four years of his life. A Tennessee hat was on that table, and we needed another top running back in the stable.

I’ll never forget Brown — the talented but tainted running back from Wichita, Kansas — putting on that orange cap, donning the Power T. It was recruiting glory in all its raw euphoria. It was calling my buddies and WOOOOO!ing like some fools do when they sing Rocky Top. It was puffing out our chest and putting in the rear view the frustrating past few years. It was smack-talking with everybody who dared say anything about Lane Kiffin that the man was doing work. It was a sign, that day at least, that the Big Orange was back.

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The Tennessee/Lane Kiffin drama/saga/soap opera/whatever-you-like has really spiked the last couple of days.

Derek Dooley took one of Lane’s defensive ends Monday night.

Then it came out that Dooley was proactive and intentional in trying to get more Trojans to join Malik Jackson in Knoxville.

And today, there’s this: USC – Kiffin specifically – approached Tennessee about playing in the 2011 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game in Atlanta, and the Vols wisely said no.

“We told [USC] we could play ‘em in a few years but we can’t make it work with our schedule next year,” said UT AD Mike Hamilton.

It doesn’t take me to say it, but this was a no-brainer from the orange point of view. If you’re truly trying to distance this clown and his loyal band from his tumultuous time in Knoxville, the last thing you want to do is play the guy.

We’re trying to get away, to forget Lane Kiffin and move on. Right? So let’s not play him.

In addition, we’re playing in that particular game in 2012 (against N.C. State), and starting two straight seasons – rebuilding ones, at that – in the House of Horrors known as the Georgia Dome isn’t smart.

Plus, it’s not like UT has to beef up it’s schedule more. UT goes from West Coast (Cal, UCLA and Oregon) to East Coast (?) with the adding of Cincinnati (home) and North Carolina (road) in 2011. Then there’s SEC road trips to Florida, Alabama and Arkansas that season, and future home-and-homes with Oklahoma, Ohio State and Nebraska.

This shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s Lane being Lane. Doesn’t he have enough to worry about in LA?

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman reported on Twitter than USC defensive end Malik Jackson will transfer to Tennessee.

He’ll immediately become a fan favorite because of his defecting from Lane Kiffin/Ed Orgeron. Jackson, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound upcoming junior, had 3.5 sacks in 13 games as a backup last season.

He was a four-star out of Birmingham High School in California, ranked as the 35th best player in the state and the nation’s 10th best weakside defensive end. He was used primarily in pass rush situations last year, and he brings depth to a spot where the Vols aren’t exactly hurting with Chris Walker and Ben Martin among others.

However, Jackson, who was listed at 240 pounds in his sophomore season, could provide some much-needed depth at defensive tackle.

Per Brent Hubbs on VolQuest, Jackson will be in Knoxville tomorrow (Tuesday). He visited UT around three weeks ago and UT’s new staff impressed him.

Thanks to the NCAA violations levied on USC earlier this summer, Jackson will be able to play right away.

Welcome to Knoxville, Malik Jackson!

For weeks, there have been rumors that the Tennessee Vols may steal a player from Lane Kiffin and the Southern Cal Trojans after the NCAA dropped the ban-hammer down on the cheaters. On Wednesday, that happened — just not the way we expected.

The Vols received a commitment and signed scholarship papers from 6-foot-2, 215-pound Matt Darr of Bakersfield, Calif., who just happens to be 2010′s No. 1-ranked punter in the nation according to Scout. He is also rated the fourth-best specialist in the country according to Rivals.com. Scout’s James Bryant first reported yesterday that Darr was visiting The Hill, and he was also the first to break the news of Darr’s commitment. With Darr’s signing, it gives the Vols the top-ranked punter in the country to go along with the top-ranked kicker in the country (Michael Palardy) according to Scout. Palardy is Rivals’ second-ranked kicker.

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