Former Vols receiver Jauan Jennings meets with Phillip Fulmer, seeks reinstation to team

By Trey Wallace

Former University of Tennessee wide receiver Jauan Jennings met with new AD Phillip Fulmer early Monday morning to discuss a possible return to the Vols football program, sources tell The Read Optional.

Jeremy Pruitt will meet with Jennings once the new coach returns to Knoxville.

Jennings was dismissed from the football team after a profanity-laced tirade against the ex-Vols coaching staff during the final week of the regular season. Sources tell The Read Optional that Jennings had been promised a featured role in a “Wildcat” package upon return from a wrist injury sustained in the team’s season opener vs. Georgia Tech.

Jennings was upset that when he returned to practice the agreement with the staff was not upheld, per sources.

The school considers Jennings in “good standing” academically. The decision to remove him from the team was taken by interim coach Brady Hoke — no longer with the school — and since fired athletic director John Currie, who is in the midst of standoff with the school over his buyout. Tennessee is seeking to fire Currie with cause.

A “report” earlier this month stated that Jennings was “stoned” prior to a team practice leading up to the team’s season opener. The reckless, innuendo-laden “report” was little more than an opinion-based hit-piece, neatly in keeping with the narrative laid out by the out-going Jones staff.

Sources tell The Read Optional that Jennings missed practice prior to the season opener due to a “family matter”, which was later conveyed to the coaching staff.

Jennings started the Georgia Tech game. He was suspended later in the season for a failed drug test against LSU, but the suspension was not made public, team sources confirmed to The Read Optional. The staff welcomed him back to practice for the Vanderbilt game the following week.