BREAKING: 5-year Vols starter sends heartfelt goodbye to Tennessee
Offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins sent a heartfelt goodbye to Tennessee Vols teammates, coaches, and fans on Tuesday afternoon.
Spraggins is declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft after spending the last five seasons at Tennessee.
“Firstly, I would like to thank God for the life I’ve been given to share with my family,” wrote Spraggins in an Instagram post. “My talents and continued successes are a reflection of the unending love and support from my faith, family, friends, and fans, and for this, I will eternally be grateful. I am blessed for my family who have seen me through it all, and for the family I have that couldn’t be here to see my future blossom; I do this for you.
“To all of my former coaches, I am eternally thankful for that experience and lessons. To Coach Heupel, Coach [Elarbee], and the staff, you have instilled a faith in what VFL means to me and to so many others, and I know that the legacy will continue. Thank you to my teammates. Those who stayed, those who left, those who I am leaving behind for the next journey—you have become a brotherhood for life. Much love. Vol Nation, your love, support, and fanatic creation of everything orange has been at the heart of every block I made, every step I took, and every hit absorbed. Running through the Power ‘T’ and being at Rocky Top has made my years here worthwhile. This place will always be my home. As a departing senior, I ask for your continued support as I take the next steps and declare for the NFL Draft.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Javontez Spraggins 🖤 (@javontez_spraggins)
Spraggins, a former three-star recruit who signed with the Vols during the 2020 recruiting cycle, will go down as one of the most underrated players in program history.
The East Saint Louis native played in 56 career games for the Vols with 48 starts. Spraggins was a constant along Tennessee’s offensive line as the program went through a tough transition from the Jeremy Pruitt era to the Josh Heupel era.
There were several Vols players who stuck around in Knoxville after Pruitt was fired and Spraggins was as important as any of them. Filling his shoes won’t be easy for Heupel and the UT coaching staff.
