Report: Tennessee RB Jabari Small opts out of Citrus Bowl

Jabari Small will not play for Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl, according to Adam Sparks. Small has not announced his plans for 2024, but he has not been participating in bowl practices and did not travel with the team to face Iowa.

Small has played 45 games at Tennessee, notching 24 starts. While with the Volunteers, Small has rushed for 2,122 yards, the 16th-most on UT’s all-time list. His 24 rushing touchdowns rank 12th in program history.

Small took a step back in offensive production this season, tallying 475 rushing yards and two touchdowns. For reference, Small rushed for over 700 yards in his previous two campaigns. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Tennessee will square off against Iowa at 1 p.m. ET on Jan. 1 in the Citrus Bowl. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Josh Heupel discusses the effects of recruiting on program

Jabari Small is only one player on a long list of players head coach Josh Heupel has to worry about. Tennessee is fighting tooth and nail to keep its players in the age of NIL and the transfer portal.

“The dynamics are different in that your roster has an opportunity to leave at the end of the year, as they look for the right place, right time, right fit for themselves,” Heupel said during early signing day. “You look at our ability to retain a majority of our roster. You look at the guys that chose to come back for another year, a lot of veteran guys.

“Some of ’em had opportunities to move on to the next level. And feel like, you know, the culture, the energy, the ability to develop here, that it was right for them to come back for another year, too.”

Just like any Power Five school, Tennessee has lost nearly a dozen players from this season’s roster to the transfer portal alone. This adds an entire extra layer of recruiting on Heupel’s plate than it otherwise would have — and there’s no guarantee he will know where his positional needs will end up being.

“The hardest thing in today’s landscape is the uncertainty of the numbers,” Heupel continued. “That can be with your entire roster. It can be with position groups. Because of the portal, the recruitment of these guys, and I’m talking about the fact the kids will still be going into the portal here [at the] end of January, you’re constantly evaluating your roster.

“You’re looking for athletic traits. At times you feel like you need experience. At times, you feel like those guys that are on campus that you need to develop and get them ready to play by the time you kick off next year.”

On3’s Barkley Truax also contributed to this article.