While friends and family were already aware, TJ Osborne took the brave step this week to come out publicly and say that he’s gay.
In an Instagram video TJ shared, “I want to take a second and talk about an article that I just recently did, that I’m very proud of…if you haven’t read it, it’s kind of important that you do, otherwise this message is out of context…and it’s quite frankly just random. So, anyhow, I just wanted to say that I’m very proud to put this out there, I want to let you all know that have gotten to know me over the years that, the person you know is me! And now you just know more about me. I think that’s so important in so many ways. I know it’s going to help my relationship with my fans, with my family, and honestly it will help my relationship with myself, and I just wanted to thank everyone for support and love y’all.”
Friends, fans and fellow country music stars all took to social media to show support, which led to the Brothers Osborne posting, “Words can’t describe the immense amount of love we feel today. This world, as imperfect as it may be, is beautiful at its core and our collective open minds/hearts are what make anything possible. Wishing the best that love has to offer to each and every one of you.”
TJ posted, “This story always seemed too mountainous to tell but now that it’s been told I am at a loss for words as to how clear the path was all along. Thanks to all of the pillars of people I have in my life.”
He also made an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres‘ talk show to discuss the announcement.
It’s still weird when the calendar flips to February and college football fans start gearing up for National Signing Day. Nothing wrong with it, as several top-prospects around the country do sign their National Letters of Intent on the day, but it’s just not the same.
At least not at the Power 5 level.
Since the implantation of the early period in December of 2017 for the Class of 2018, most of the country’s top recruits sign on to their next team. It makes sense, as a lot of these guys plan to enroll to school early for the spring semester.
I always thought it was weird when guys would enroll early and then have to wait and have a signing day celebration two months after already being on campus.
Nonetheless, the Early Signing Period has changed the game. Take Tennessee for example as the Vols only added two names on Wednesday.
And following a 3-7 season that proceeded a months-long investigation into the football program that resulted in the firing of head coach Jeremy Pruitt – Tennessee was saved by the Early Signing Period.
Recruiting isn’t for everyone. I was never a recruiting guy. Never followed it and never really cared for it growing up.
It wasn’t until I was presented with an opportunity to cover recruiting that I really got into it. And it took a while – not going to lie, but I’ve grown to love the work and how rewarding it can be to tell a kid’s story.
Credit: UT Athletics
But with recruiting comes the highs and the lows. The commitments and decommitments. The flips and the teases on Twitter. I understand why some people wouldn’t want to get emotionally involved in a decision made by a 17 or 18-year-old.
I do think, however, every Tennessee fan should be thankful for the Early Signing Period this year – regardless of their level of interest on recruiting in general.
I mentioned the two new additions the Vols reeled in on Wednesday on the traditional Signing Day. Junior college offensive lineman Jeremiah Crawford and graduate transfer kicker from USC, Chase McGrath.
The Vols brought in two from the transfer portal following the early signing period in Virginia Tech graduate transfer quarterback Hendon Hooker and junior college receiver Andison Coby. But the bulk of the class was signed in December when Tennessee inked 19 players.
You feel for those kids who have been recruited by a staff for years, pledged their allegiance to them, signed to them and then watched as the staff was sent away just weeks later. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how that would have rocked my world at that age.
Still, it’s a business and it helped Tennessee in this case. Yes, these kids could ask out of their National Letters of Intent, and two already have expressed interest on social media in doing just that (Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown), but that’s a detailed process that takes time.
If the coaching change came before the end of the season, things could have been totally different for this Volunteers signing class. And all things considered, a top-20 national class that is positioned in the top-half of the SEC – not too shabby for the mess that is Knoxville right now.
However you may feel about recruiting – or even if you’re an older timer who isn’t bought into the Early Signing Period yet – I think all Vol fans can agree they are thankful for it this year.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel announced the addition of junior college offensive lineman Jeremiah Crawford and Southern Cal graduate transfer kicker Chase McGrath to the football program on Wednesday.
Wednesday marked the first day of the regular signing period. Crawford comes to Knoxville from Butler Community College in Goddard, Kansas, while McGrath spent the last four years at USC.
Jeremiah Crawford, OL, 6-5, 300, Goddard, Kansas (Butler CC)
Solid offensive line prospect bringing one season of junior college experience … A three-star recruit by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Ranked the No. 3 junior college offensive tackle in the nation, the No. 12 player in the state of Kansas, and the No. 40 JUCO player in the nation by 247Sports.com Composite … Started 10 games for the Butler CC Grizzlies in 2019 and will play the 2021 spring junior college season … Played both offensive and defensive tackle … Twitter handle is @54jeremiah54.
Chase McGrath / Credit: UT Athletics
Chase McGrath, PK, 6-0, 190, Newport Beach, Calif. (USC/Mater Dei)
Proven place kicker with three seasons of playing experience at Southern Cal … Graduate transfer who will participate in spring practice … Has hit 32-of-42 field goals with a long of 52 yards and is 118-of-119 on PATs in his career … Also has one tackle and a fumble recovery to his name … Appeared in 30 career games … Earned 2019 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 third team accolades as a junior after connecting on 14-of-17 field goals and a perfect 54-of-54 on PATs … Selected as the 2019 USC Special Teams Player of the Year … As a sophomore at USC in 2018, converted 6-of-8 field goals and all six of his PATs … Tied the USC single-game record with five field goals and added four PATs against UNLV to earn Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors in 2018 … Awarded a scholarship after the 2017 season in which he won USC’s Joe Collins Walk-On Award … Prepped at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, where he hit 90-of-93 PATs and 3-of-5 field goals with a long of 51 yards … Earned a degree in communications from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in December 2020 … Twitter handle is @ChaseMcGrath.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced on Wednesday the Top 10 candidates for the 2021 Cheryl Miller Award, and Tennessee’s Rennia Davis has made the cut for the third consecutive season.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year, the annual award in its fourth year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the intensity, grit and scoring savvy of Class of 1995 Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Davis, a 6-foot-2 senior guard/forward from Jacksonville, Fla., is averaging 14.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 78.9 percent from the free-throw line. In SEC play, Davis is putting up 17.1 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 81.0 from the charity stripe. Versus four ranked foes, Davis is even better, averaging a double-double of 17.8 ppg. and 13.8 rpg. while hitting 50.8 percent and 83.3 percent, respectively.
Davis is well on her way to becoming one of only five players who rank in the top 10 in both career scoring and rebounding average at UT, standing 10th (14.8) and sixth (8.0), respectively. The others are Patricia Roberts, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings. Davis also is on her way to becoming only the 13th UT woman to average double figures in scoring all four years of her career.
Through 15 games this season, Davis leads the team with six double-doubles and has 35 for her career to tie for fifth all-time at Tennessee. She has scored 20+ points on three occasions as a senior, tallying 16 such games during her career to stack up seventh in program annals. Davis also pulled down 20 rebounds vs. No. 12/12 Kentucky on Jan. 24, becoming only the eighth Lady Vol to do that and tying for the fifth-highest total in UT history.
Davis has led No. 18/19 Tennessee to a 12-3 overall record this season with three victories over teams ranked in the top 15. The Lady Vols currently stand one game out of the lead in the SEC standings at 6-1.
The winner of the 2021 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be presented April 9, 2021, along with the four other members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five. College basketball fans can support their favorite players by participating in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies.
Previous winners of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award include Satou Sabally, Oregon (2020), Bridget Carleton, Iowa State (2019) and Gabby Williams, Connecticut (2018).
For more information on the 2021 Cheryl Miller Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.comand follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, February 5 at 1 p.m. EST on HoophallAwards.com.
2021 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates*
Grace Berger, Indiana
Ashley Joens, Iowa
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Haley Jones, Stanford
Mia Davis, Temple Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Vivian Gray, Texas Tech
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA
Ivana Raca, Wake Forest
*Playerscanplaytheirwayontoandoffthelistatanypointinthe 2020-21 season
About Cheryl Miller:
Cheryl Miller took women’s basketball to a new level, literally and figuratively. With her tremendous leaping ability, athletic dexterity and grace, Miller established a legacy throughout her high school and college career that is unparalleled. Playing for Riverside Polytechnic High School (CA), in 1982, Miller set the single game scoring record of 105 points. As a collegiate forward at the University of Southern California from 1982 to 1986, Miller helped bring women’s basketball to the forefront of American sports. In 1984, she led the Olympic team to gold averaging more than 16 points per game. Her superior athletic ability and engaging persona placed her among the elite in the world of college and professional athletics. In 1986, Sports Illustrated named Miller as the best male or female player in college basketball. In a spectacular career, Miller scored 3,018 total career points and was a four-time All-America. Miller was named Naismith Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy once. Miller was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010. Since retiring from professional play, Miller has had a very successful career as a WNBA GM, professional and collegiate coach, and sportscaster for TNT, ESPN and NBC for the 1996 Olympics.
DALLAS – The Tennessee baseball team has earned its third preseason ranking of the year, coming in at No. 20 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Poll.
UT is also ranked 19th in the D1Baseball.com and Baseball America preseason polls. This year marks the first time that the Vols have been ranked in the preseason since 2007, when they entered the season ranked as high as No. 11.
As usual, the SEC led the way with 12 teams ranked in NCBWA’s 35-team preseason poll, including five teams in the top 10. View the NCBWA’s complete rankings by clicking HERE.
Tennessee was ranked as high as No. 11 last year before the season was halted and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vols were off to a 15-2 start and ranked among the nation’s leaders in a number of statistical categories.
UT led the country in runs (180) and ranked second in home runs (31) while batting .320 as a team (fifth nationally). The pitching staff was equally as impressive, ranking fifth nationally in ERA (2.00) and second in WHIP (0.94).
Tennessee returns the vast majority of its production from last season. Returning players accounted for 74% of the team’s hits and 69% of the team’s runs batted in. From a pitching standpoint, UT returns 81% of its total innings pitched and 79% of its strikeouts from last year. The Vols also boast four preseason All-Americans in Max Ferguson, Connor Pavolony, Jake Rucker and Jackson Leath.
The Big Orange are set to open their season on Feb. 19 when they travel to Statesboro, Georgia for a weekend series against Georgia Southern. UT’s home opener is currently slated for Tuesday, Feb. 23 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 4:30 p.m. The full 2021 schedule can be found HERE.
There are a limited number of season tickets available for this season, which fans can purchase by visiting AllVols.com or calling the Tennessee Ticket Office at 865-656-1200. For more info on season tickets for the 2021 season, click HERE.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee women’s basketball program has paused team activities following one positive COVID-19 test result and subsequent contact tracing among its Tier 1 personnel, which consists of coaches, student-athletes, team managers and support staff.
The Lady Vol basketball program is following SEC, local and university public health guidelines to prioritize the health and safety of all student-athletes and staff as well as the campus and local community.
SEC Statement
Due to a combination of a positive test, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Tennessee women’s basketball program, Thursday’s Tennessee at Mississippi State game and the rescheduled Tennessee at Texas A&M game on Sunday have been postponed, consistent with Southeastern Conference COVID-19 management requirements.
The SEC’s COVID-19 management requirements, as developed by the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, are available on SECsports.com (PDF).
Jeremiah Crawford OL – 6’5, 300 Goddard, KS (Butler CC in KS) 3-star on 247Sports Composite/Rivals/ESPN
Josh Ward’s Analysis: Crawford helps fill a very important need on Tennessee’s offensive line, which has to replace several key contributors who departed following the 2020 season. Crawford was evaluated by new Tennessee coach Josh Heupel while he was at UCF and will compete for playing time immediately in Knoxville.
Eric Cain’s Analysis: With losses to Jahmir Johnson and Wanya Morris, Crawford’s signing should apply depth to the offensive tackle position. He has good size and plans to play spring football this season for Butler Community College. He held offers from Ole Miss, Iowa State, Baylor and others – including Heupel’s UCF staff.
Crawford’s Highlights
Bio: Solid offensive line prospect bringing one season of junior college experience … A three-star recruit by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Ranked the No. 3 junior college offensive tackle in the nation, the No. 12 player in the state of Kansas, and the No. 40 JUCO player in the nation by 247Sports.com Composite … Started 10 games for the Butler CC Grizzlies in 2019 and will play the 2021 spring junior college season … Played both offensive and defensive tackle … Twitter handle is @54jeremiah54.
