SBNation.com - DeAnthony Arnett Eligible To Play Right Away At Michigan State

DeAnthony Arnett Eligible To Play For Michigan State Football In 2012

2012-05-10T15:46:13Z

Former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett will be eligible to play in 2012 due to a residence waiver, the Michigan St. Spartans announced. Arnett left the Vols to be closer to his ailing father in Michigan. There was a brief controversy regarding whether or not Derek Dooley would allow Arnett to transfer to a non-MAC school, but decency prevailed.

With Michigan State's top four wide receivers all outgoing seniors, Arnett could make a mark right away. Bennie Fowler, Juwan Caesar and converted cornerback Tony Lippett are among those Arnett will be competing with for catches.

Arnett was a top-15 wide receiver recruit in the 2011 class and almost chose the Spartans over the Volunteers before he decided to head to the South. Arnett hauled in 24 catches for 242 yards and touchdowns in 2011.

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DeAnthony Arnett Will Transfer To Michigan State, According To Report

2012-01-05T01:21:11Z

DeAnthony Arnett has chosen to transfer to the Michigan St. Spartans after Tennessee Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley allowed the receiver to transfer close to home and be with his ailing father. Arnett made the decision on Wednesday after visiting the East Lansing campus and meeting with head coach Mark Dantonio, reports Scout.com's Allen Trieu. The Michigan Wolverines were another option for Arnett after he was granted his release.

Arnett was a top-15 wide receiver recruit in the 2011 class and almost chose the Spartans over the Volunteers before he decided to head to the South. Now that he has chosen Michigan State, Arnett will either need to redshirt for a year, sitting out his true sophomore year, or apply for an NCAA hardship waiver to play this coming fall, as ESPN's Joe Schad reports.

Arnett hauled in 24 catches for 242 yards and touchdowns in 2011.

For more on this situation, visit Michigan State blog The Only Colors and TTennessee blog Rocky Top Talk. For more college football news, check out SB Nation NCAA Football

DeAnthony Arnett May Now Be Able To Transfer To Michigan, Michigan State

2012-01-03T15:29:32Z

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett, who hopes to transfer to a top-level program in the state of Michigan in order to be near his ailing father, may be able to do just that, coach Derek Dooley said Tuesday. It's an apparent reverse course, as Arnett had previously complained the program would only release him to MAC schools, but not the Michigan Wolverines or Michigan St. Spartans who recruiting him hard out of high school.

@Josh_Ward Derek Dooley plans to grant DeAnthony Arnett a release closer to home. Dooley said that includes Michigan & Michigan State.

UT higher-ups were reportedly set to meet about the situation Tuesday-ish, with prospects low for Arnett receiving good news. But it sounds like the former four-star recruit may be able to move closer to his family and without giving up his hopes of playing at the highest level.

For more on the situation as it develops, visit SB Nation's Tennessee blog Rocky Top Talk.

DeAnthony Arnett's Transfer Hangups Include NCAA Eligibility Rule

2011-12-30T15:20:04Z

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett is looking to transfer to either play for the Michigan Wolverines or Michigan St. Spartans in order to be closer to his ailing father, who lives in Michigan. Both schools recruited him hard out of high school, but UT would apparently prefer to only let him transfer to a MAC school*.

Not only does Arnett have to get Tennessee's approval, he's also going to need a NCAA hardship waiver to enable him to play right away. But that may not be easy to obtain, as GoVolsXtra breaks down:

Because Arnett signed a National Letter of Intent in February, he is subject to eligibility ramifications if he does not complete a full year at UT. It could, perhaps, be in his best interest to go through spring semester and spring football at UT before signing elsewhere.

`You'd hate to see an athlete have to choose between spending a couple months away from a sick parent or delaying his career by a year. The choice shouldn't be that hard, as his family appears to be priority No. 1, but it's still not one he really should have to make.

* There are plenty of MAC schools in the state of Michigan, but the move would ding Arnett's chances of playing pro football. Many schools enforce transfer restrictions on players to avoid giving a rival an advantage, but it's hard to say on what level Tennessee competes with any school in Michigan for anything.

For more on the situation as it develops, visit SB Nation's Tennessee blog Rocky Top Talk.

Tennessee WR DeAnthony Arnett Seeks Transfer, Options Limited By School

2011-12-29T23:58:15Z

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett announced Thursday in an open letter to various news outlets that he would like to be released from his scholarship so he can transfer to be closer to his ill father in Saginaw, MI.

Arnett had 24 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns in his freshman season this year and was considered one of the top recruits in Derek Dooley's 2011 class.

"I want to play football but I NEED to be here for my Dad and with my family...Coach Dooley, myself or anybody doesn't know what the future holds for my father. I feel that I represented the University of Tennessee the best way I can on and off the field and I feel I have earned the right to be released unconditional to all schools in Michigan."

Tennessee has responded to the request by granting Arnett his opportunity to transfer but with limitations that would preclude him from playing for the major football programs in the state of Michigan. According to Arnett, he would be allowed to transfer to a MAC program but not the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans or any other BCS schools.

Arnett nearly committed to Michigan State.before committing to Tennessee and expressed a desire to transger to UM or MSU in his request.

Arnett even posted a photo of his ailing father on Twitter to prove the authenticity of the situation.

For more on the situation as it develops, visit SB Nation's Tennessee blog Rocky Top Talk.