Omari Thomas: Tennessee sanctions provide 'no distractions'

Sanctions from the Jeremy Pruitt era came down on Tennessee recently, punishing the program for recruiting violations. The big penalty was one the Volunteers missed, not receiving a postseason ban from the NCAA. Head coach Josh Heupel felt relief when that particular decision came in, meaning there would not be too much of an effect on the 2023 season.

Multiple players from the Pruitt days still remain in Knoxville, with one of them being defensive lineman Omari Thomas. He was asked if the sanctions are going to provide any kind of distraction to this season’s team. Thomas was quick to dismiss the idea, saying Tennessee is just focused on what they need to do on the field.

“It’s no distractions,” Thomas said. “We have our goal of winning the SEC East. We allow that to be beyond us. That’s not something we worry about, not something we can control. We believe in controlling what we can control, and that’s us going out on the field, do what we do, continue to grow as people on the field and off the field.”

Thomas is not the only one at Tennessee wanting to win the SEC East. Heupel laid out the same goal before arriving in Nashville for SEC Media Days, saying the program should be playing for championships of some kind.

Had there been a postseason ban, the Volunteers could not compete for titles. Even if they won their division, there would be no trip to Atlanta. An undefeated record would not have slotted them into the College Football Playoff. It would have been a tough pill to swallow.

Instead, Tennessee will have an $8 million fine to pay and will be placed on probation for five years. Loss of official visits, scholarship reductions, and other recruiting limits will be enforced by the NCAA. While those will still hurt the program over a five-year period, it will have no real impact on results produced on the field.

Thomas is entering his fourth season of college football and is ready to compete. Tennessee broke out last season, winning double-digit games for the first time since the penultimate year of Phillip Fulmer. A signature win against Alabama will be talked about for years to come.

Now, Thomas is looking to take a step forward and add a championship to his resume. Thankfully, NCAA sanctions will not be getting in his way anytime soon.