Tennessee and Class of 2015 WR Jocquez Bruce Part Ways in Less than Two Months

Written by Ryan Wright

Familiarity can bread contempt and what was once a tight relationship has quickly deteriorated beyond repair. Over the weekend news broke that Class of 2015 Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver recruit Jocquez Bruce was leaving the program.

Bruce was a regular on the Tennessee campus being a standout at South Doyle High School in Knoxville. The 5’10”, 170 pound, receiver/running back enrolled at Tennessee on June 1, but by July 21 Bruce had been suspended from team activities in what was being described as a lack of effort put forth off the field.

Volunteers’ head coach Butch Jones had intended to “blueshirt” Bruce along with Vincent Perry (Nashville, TN) once the 2015 fall camp was completed.

When Bruce was in high school he was utilized as an all-purpose back but was also a standout on special teams as a punt and kick returner. Tennessee and Memphis were the two biggest offers for Bruce but he was also courted by Tennessee State, Western Carolina, Austin Peay, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, and Samford among others.

Blueshirting is the process of recruiting a player as a preferred walk-on but giving said player a scholarship right after fall camp ends. That scholarship counts towards the following recruiting class, thus had Bruce stayed with the team he would have counted against the number of scholarships in 2016. Greyshirting is when a player joins the team after the fall semester.

Photo credit: 247sports.com; No. 6 Jocquez Bruce