Trey Smith calls out the decision makers holding back Cade Mays
Trey Smith is one of the most well-respected offensive linemen in the SEC, and he carries a lot of leadership for the Tennessee program. So when he weighed in on the Cade Mays eligibility situation and his teammate’s delay in getting cleared by the NCAA, people listen.
Smith spoke with reporters on Tuesday and described the frustration with the Mays situation and him not getting a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately this season following his transfer from Georgia.
“To think that people sitting there in suits in an air-conditioned room, drinking coffee and pushing papers are saying this guy can or can’t play, I don’t get that,” Smith said, per Wes Rucker of 247Sports. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“To see a decision that shoots down a kid who puts in the work, it’s really asinine,” Smith added. “We’re talking about a season in which a year of eligibility doesn’t matter.”
Mays’ possible addition to an already strong Tennessee offensive line offers Smith something to look forward to this season.
“This is the first line I’ve really seen a large group of guys trying to put guys on their backs,” he said. “I think this line has great potential.”
Tennessee OL Trey Smith on Cade Mays’ waiver denial:
“People making these decisions are sitting in a meeting room drinking coffee and reading the paper.
We’re in a season where you’re not even counting eligibility and you’re not going to clear this kid?”
— David Ubben (@davidubben) September 15, 2020
H/T Rocky Top Insider.
Yeah we are still waiting to hear on WR transfer Jalen Brooks as well… And he transferred from an FCS school he’s supposed to be eligible immediately but we still haven’t heard back we’ll probably get the waiver a day after the Tennessee game week one
Wonder how this makes the other starting lineman feel? Can anyone recall a player, within the same division of their conference, being allowed to transfer/play immediately? Ever?
It’s the ncaa and the SEC suits that are doing this. They lie and say it’s about the players, but it clearly isn’t, nor has it ever been.
When the NCAA takes this long to make a transfer-decision…the final verdict is not usually in the athlete’s favor. Sorry Vol Fans. Tennessee is going to have a strong running game anyway this year, but with Cade up front…it becomes great !
So LSUSMC, are you saying it would be fine with you if J’Marr Chase transferred to Alabama in the offseason and was playing immediately? That would be absurd.