Kamal Hadden out for the rest of 2023 season

Tennessee will be without a key player for the remainder of the 2023 season. Kamal Hadden announced that he will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery this morning.

Hadden has one season of eligibility remaining. However, there’s a decent amount of NFL Draft buzz surrounding his name after a strong start to the year. It’s been quite the turnaround from Hadden, who was at one point obviously booed by the home fans during pregame introductions before the South Carolina game. He responded with a pick six just before halftime.

Hadden was seen leaving the field after lowering his shoulder into an Alabama player last weekend. He would eventually return, but was unable to finish the game.

Doneiko Slaughter returned to the lineup against Alabama and will leaned upon heavily in Hadden’s absence. BYU transfer Gabe Jeudy-Lally will likely get the start opposite of Slaughter. Brandon Turnage, Warren Burrell and Rickey Gibson are likely next in the pecking order at cornerback going forward, based on recent play.

Tennessee’s first test without Hadden comes against Kentucky on Saturday night in Lexington (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).