Tennessee Volunteers starting safety Edrees Farooq suffered a leg injury during Friday's practice and was taken to UT Medical Center, a UT spokesperson told Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel. The severity of his injury is currently unknown.
Farooq started all 13 games for Tennessee last year and was expected to be a key part of the defense as a junior. Last season, he finished third on the team with 76 tackles and second on the team in interceptions with two, one of which he returned for a touchdown. The 6-foot, 202-pounder also recorded five pass breakups and forced four fumbles.
He also played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2024, playing on special teams and cracking the safety rotation. He registered 13 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss.
Farooq had impressed new Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and secondary coach Anthony Poindexter over the offseason, and his missing any time will test their depth at safety.
Tennessee is set to open the 2026 season against the Furman Paladins on Sept. 5 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game is set to start at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be on ESPN+.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Tennessee starting safety Edrees Farooq suffers leg injury at practice