Tennessee’s secondary took a significant hit this weekend. Jourdan Thomas will not play in 2024, according to a report.

Per Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Thomas suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s practice and was not a Sunday’s participant. A program spokesperson confirmed to Sparks that Thomas is out for the year.

Josh Heupel’s squad is set to have a new-look defensive backfield in 2024 after numerous departures since the end of last season. Thomas would have provided some continuity, having played in 25 games over the past two seasons.

In 2022, Thomas made 13 appearances as a freshman. He contributed primarily on special teams and as a reserve defender. He finished the year with 10 tackles.

Last season, Thomas stepped into a bigger role. He logged 219 total defensive snaps over 12 games, including his first career start in the Georgia game.

Thomas logged a career-high in snaps against Mizzou and finished with 7 tackles, also a career-high. He finished his sophomore season with 18 tackles, including 2 for loss. Thomas also continued to play on special teams, blocking a punt against UTSA.

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Thomas was expected to play a significant role in the 2024 secondary, potentially as the starter at nickel.

Tennessee begins the 2024 season by hosting Chattanooga at home on Aug. 31 (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Vols get their first big test in Week 2 when they travel to Charlotte to face NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.

NC State posted a 9-4 record in 2023, finishing with a final ranking of No. 21 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. The Wolfpack were recently voted fourth in the ACC preseason poll, behind Florida State, Clemson and Miami. Dave Doeren’s squad received 8 first-place votes from the 170-member media panel that participated in the poll.