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Warren eligible at University of Tennessee

By: Wes Rucker
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Two Tennessee tight end questions were answered Tuesday, and the Volunteers batted .500.

Florida State transfer Brandon Warren’s eligibility waiver was finally granted by the NCAA, but junior Jeff Cottam will miss six to eight weeks following back surgery today in Memphis.

Like UT basketball player Tyler Smith, Warren is returning to his home-state university in a No. 1 jersey. If Warren makes anywhere near the same impact as Smith, the football Vols have significantly boosted their championship chances.

“We’re thrilled,” head coach Phillip Fulmer said.

Tuesday morning’s emotions were tempered before nightfall with the news on Cottam, whose injury-riddled career is becoming eerily similar to his brother Brad’s.

Injuries have kept the 6-foot-8 Cottams from fulfilling their college expectations. Brad was the Kansas City Chiefs’ third-round selection in this year’s NFL draft despite catching just 21 passes in five UT seasons, and Jeff’s main contribution has been blocking for the Vols’ running game. His broken leg from spring practice didn’t heal as quickly as trainers hoped, but the back news is a recent revelation, at least publicly.

“He’s had a back injury for a couple of weeks now,” Fulmer said. “We haven’t talked about it because of (privacy) rules.”

In regard to Warren, though, few Vols coaches and players could hide their happiness. Tight ends coach Jason Michael raved about the 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore’s athleticism, versatility and toughness.

“It was good to hear that news,” Michael said. “Athletically, from his skills perspective, he does a lot of things. It’s also great what he does from a competitive point of view. That’s the stuff you can’t teach.”

First-year offensive coordinator Dave Clawson said he never lost faith in the appeal process — which was undoubtedly slowed by the Atlantic Coast Conference and Florida State, which chose in early 2007 not to release him from his national letter of intent.

“It’s just really exciting,” Clawson said. “We’ve definitely carved out a role for him in the offense. If he wouldn’t have been cleared, we would have moved on, (but) it’s certainly a lot more exciting moving on with him.

“We were just getting ready to work a lot more hours and have a Plan A and a Plan B. We’ll be able to spend a lot more time on Plan A now.”

Warren said Fulmer interrupted the tight ends’ meeting around 9:15 a.m. with the news.

“I’m just happy that it’s over because it’s been a long, stressful process for me and my family,” Warren said. “We’re just happy it’s over and the outcome came out positive.”

Warren, rated by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 24 overall prospect in 2006, was a two-way Alcoa High School star who close FSU over the Vols after a fierce recruiting battle. Warren’s mother had cancer when he committed, and she preferred that he stayed home but gave her blessing to the Seminoles.

Soon after Warren left, though, he claimed to start regretting his decision — despite a Freshman All-America season. His mother’s health kept the family from traveling to Tallahassee, and their last-minute cancellation of a trip to see FSU play Florida was, in his words, “the last straw.”

“It turned out that Mama always knows best,” Warren said before the Vols opened preseason camp. “I shouldn’t have left. I made a mistake, but thanks to Coach Fulmer and everybody here, I got to correct it.”

Warren said Fulmer broke the news to his mother, who was overjoyed.

“My mom, she’s a warrior,” Warren said. “I admire her just for sticking with me throughout this whole thing. My family, too. I definitely owe this to them.”

Fulmer said Warren could possibly play defensive end in some pass-rushing situations. Warren, who was equally dominant on defense at Alcoa, has never objected to playing both ways.

“I love defense,” he said, smiling at Fulmer. “If I can get over there for three or four snaps a game, I’d definitely love that, Coach.”

“Brandon has a great opportunity in front of him now, and he needs to fully take advantage of it in every way,” Fulmer said. “That’s not just on the field. It’s also academically, from a social growth standpoint.

“He really has a chance to impact his life here if he takes advantage of this like we all hope he will.”

Correspondent Will Woodbery contributed to this report from Knoxville.

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