Tennessee wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett, citing family concerns, has reportedly asked for a release from his scholarship. You might remember Arnett as the guy who teased Wolverine and Spartan fans during the recruiting process and won our hearts by saying that he'd have gone elsewhere if Lane Kiffin was still in orange. You might also remember him as Tennessee's third receiver, the guy who had 24 catches for 242 yards, which was more important and almost as fun.
Arnett's father is apparently having health issues, so that's probably the reason for Arnett saying "the Tennessee program isn't the right fit for me or my family." This certainly isn't good news for Vol fans, but you can't fault a kid for wanting to be closer to an ailing parent. He's filing for a hardship waiver to play immediately somewhere else, and he's looking at Michigan State, Michigan, and Notre Dame. It will likely be the Spartans, as they were his runner-up before signing with the Vols, and the news comes via 247's SpartanTailgate.
So where does that leave Tennessee? Well, we're still hoping for the return of a healthy Justin Hunter and a consistent and mature Da'Rick Rogers. We also have four WRs committed for 2012, including Pig Howard, Drae Bowles, Jason Croom, and Keithon Redding. Plus, we're still pursuing Cordarrelle Patterson and we still have some other guys currently on the roster who could contribute. Basically, we hate to see Arnett go, but it's not a terrible blow. Best of luck to Arnett and his family.