In not that big of a shock former Miami and Vanderbilt defensive back Jadais Richard is heading back to The Volunteer State to play for ... the Tennessee Volunteers. Richard spent the last three seasons in Coral Gables after initially enrolling at Vanderbilt in 2022. While he had been a vibrant part of the Hurricanes' secondary in 2024, a slew of injuries prevented him from doing very much this pst year.
Rivals/On3's Hayes Fawcett was on the news of Richard transferring to Tennessee over the weekend.
BREAKING: Miami transfer DB Jadais Richard has Committed to Tennessee, he tells @On3
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 25, 2026
He’s totaled 52 tackles, 5 PD, 1 INT, 1 FF, and 1.5 sacks in his college career thus far https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/E1TvU4G1QP
Over the course of his four-year college football career up to this point, Richard has 52 total tackles, five passes defended, one interception, one forced fumbled, and 1.5 sacks. With one year of eligibility left, Richard is hoping to make the very best of it playing for new Volunteers defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. This will be Knowles' third team in as many years after having thrived over in the Big Ten.
A change of scenery seems to have been expected for Richard on the way out of South Florida here.
Miami Hurricanes lose Jadais Richard to Tennessee Volunteers in portal
Look. Any college defensive player worth his weight in salt should be thrilled about the opportunity to play in a Jim Knowles scheme on a Power Four stage. Whether it has been at Penn State, Ohio State, or Oklahoma State previously, or the idea of what it could be coming up at Tennessee, the guy gets results. Of course, Richard will be leaving Mario Cristobal and Corey Hetherman behind for Rocky Top.
It may not fit like hand in glove, but Hetherman looking more and more like he will be in Coral Gables for the long haul may signify that some incongruent pieces might need to go. This is not to say that Richard did not fit what Hetherman wanted to do, or could ever fit what he wanted to do. It is all about finding the right place for Richard to accentuate his fading NFL Draft stock with time running out fast.
Overall, Richard may be downgrading in terms of his new team's overall standing in the college football hierarchy upon leaving Miami. However, Knowles knows how to coach up players at all levels of his defense. After a halfway decent, but frustrating season in Knoxville, look for Tennessee to make the necessary strides in all three phases to potentially challenge for a College Football Playoff berth.
For now, Miami fans should be grateful for the three years Richard was able to provide for the Canes.