By Mark Nagi
Tennessee’s Class of 2018 has taken more than a few hits over the past couple of months. 6 players have publicly announced that they have de-committed from the class since early October. The cornerstone of that group, Knoxville Catholic’s Cade Mays, announced on November 7th that he was looking elsewhere, only 5 days before Vols head coach Butch Jones was fired.
One player that it doesn’t appear the Vols will have to worry about is Farragut tight end Jacob Warren, who has been committed to Tennessee since last May.
“My focus is on Tennessee, going and making a difference there, and getting ready to play,” said Warren. “It is the realization of a dream. Because that has been my goal… to follow in my father’s footsteps… to get there and play and perform and be successful at the University of Tennessee.”
Jacob’s Dad, James Warren, is a former Vols offensive lineman.
“He’s a quality young man, He’s a great leader,” said Farragut head coach Eddie Courtney. “We all know he is a great football player. We are excited about him going… his dream has been to play at the University of Tennessee. He’s gonna accomplish that dream. He did a lot of great things for us and we appreciate all that.”
Warren was a member of a senior class at Farragut that went 37-12 in four years. That includes the Class 5A state championship back in 2016, the first state championship in program history.
On November 10th, Warren’s high school career came to an end when Farragut lost 38-6 to Maryville in Tennessee’s Class 6A quarterfinals. He had a few catches in the contest, but it was a tough way for Warren to complete his highly successful high school football career.
It’s been difficult for Warren to watch what has been happening at Tennessee this season as well.
“It is definitely hard but I have faith just like I have faith in this team,” said Warren. “I know that we can do great things when we put it all together. We just have to put it together and come together and pull it out.”
Warren hasn’t given up hope that Cade Mays will change his mind and still become a Vol.
“Cade is my buddy, and I want the best for him. I told him wherever you end up, I want you to be happy,” said Warren. “And I want that to be Tennessee because I love hanging out with him and being friends with him and we will be friends no matter where he goes. The best thing for him is the biggest thing.”
In the days to come, Warren will be paying close attention to the decisions that Tennessee athletic director John Currie, and UT administration, and the major boosters make with regards to the future of the Vols football program. Those decisions will have a direct impact on his future.
