It would not be a Summer offseason in college football if there was not roster attrition via transfer. On Thursday night, the Tennessee Volunteers fell victim to said offseason tradition.
Former Tennessee starting linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. will forgo his final two years of eligibility in Knoxville and enter the graduate transfer market, the Indianapolis, Indiana native announced via his Twitter account on Thursday.
Kirkland, a redshirt junior who received his degree in finance after graduating this spring, missed all of last season with a knee injury after starting for much of the 2015 and 2016 seasons under former coach Butch Jones.
During his tenure as a Vol, Kirkland recorded 111 total tackles (73 solo), four sacks and one interception in 21 total games during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
He started in 10 games as a true freshman during the 2015 season, ranking fourth on the team in tackles and second amongst all SEC freshman, trailing only Arkansas’ Dre Greenlaw.
Following a successful freshman campaign, Kirkland re-assumed his starting role as the ninth-ranked Volunteers set out to begin the 2016 season, the most anticipated of the Jones era.
Kirkland would suffer an ankle injury against Virginia Tech during the second week of the season, sidelining him until October 29 against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
He led the team in tackles with eight in his return from injury, but the Vols would fall at home 24-21 as the Gamecocks sent Tennessee to its third consecutive loss following a 5-0 start.
Overall, Kirkland appeared in eight games during the 2016 season, starting in six of them as the Volunteers went on to defeat Nebraska 38-24 in the Music City Bowl.
Following a coaching overhaul that brought former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt to the reigns of Tennessee football, the Vols underwent several strategic changes during spring practice, evidenced in this year’s Orange and White game.
Kirkland missed all but the final week of spring camp and did not participate in the activities at Neyland Stadium for the Orange and White Game on April 21.
Daniel Bituli, Quart’e Sapp, Will Ignont and Solon Page III remain among the top contenders to step in Kirkland’s shoes.
Yet to release a decision on where his football career will continue, Kirkland is expected to choose schools in the coming weeks. He will have two years of eligibility to play at whatever school he chooses to attend.
