Former Tennessee Vols commit selected in top 10 of 2024 NFL Draft

A former Tennessee Vols commit was selected with a top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night. 

The Atlanta Falcons selected Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr with the No. 8 overall pick. 

Penix, who started his college career at Indiana before transferring to Washington, was committed to Tennessee from April 2017 to December 2017. 

The reasoning for Penix's decommitment from Tennessee just before the early signing period in 2017? 

It's because Penix, who initially committed to Butch Jones, was told by Jeremy Pruitt's staff that his offer had been pulled. 

Vols offensive coordinator Tyson Helton, Pruitt's inaugural offensive coordinator after taking over as Tennessee's head coach, preferred JT Shrout over Penix.  

Pruitt also said earlier this year that the staff didn't think Penix was good enough at the time. 

“The truth of the matter is we all watched the tape and, just being completely honest, we didn’t think he was good enough at that point in his career when he was 17 years old," said Pruitt to Dawg Nation. "It’s not a perfect science. But look at him now, he’s two inches taller and 30 pounds heavier, a grown man. I’m happy for him, it has worked out great.”

Penix signed with Indiana, where former Vols graduate assistant Nick Sheridan was serving as quarterbacks coach, shortly after decommitting from Tennessee. He followed Sheridan, who is now the offensive coordinator at Alabama, from Indiana to Washington after the 2021 season.