Tag: Brent Cimaglia

Former Vol Brent Cimaglia reveals transfer destination

Former Tennessee kicker Brent Cimaglia entered the NCAA transfer portal on Jan. 29.

Former Tennessee kicker Brent Cimaglia entered the NCAA transfer portal on Jan. 29.

He opted out for the remainder of the 2020 season on Dec. 7.

Cimaglia announced his transfer destination on Sunday. He will play for Georgia Tech in 2021.

“Honored and blessed to receive this opportunity,” Cimaglia said on Twitter. “Proud to be a Yellow Jacket, big things to come!”

“The last four years have meant a lot to me. I was able to fulfill a dream of playing in front of the most passionate fan base in the country. I have made lifelong friends and will cherish these memories forever. With the being said, it is time for me to move forward in the best interest of me and my family. I will be entering the transfer portal to finish my last season.

“I want to say thank you for everything, Volnation. You will always be part of my life and as always, Go Big Orange.” –Brent Cimaglia on Jan. 29

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Brent Cimaglia enters transfer portal

Vols’ kicker Brent Cimaglia has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will not return to Tennessee.

Vols’ kicker Brent Cimaglia has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will not return to Tennessee.

Cimaglia opted out for the remainder of the 2020 season on Dec. 7.

“The last four years have meant a lot to me,” Cimaglia said on Twitter. “I was able to fulfill a dream of playing in front of the most passionate fan base in the country. I have made lifelong friends and will cherish these memories forever. With the being said, it is time for me to move forward in the best interest of me and my family. I will be entering the transfer portal to finish my last season.

“I want to say thank you for everything, Volnation. You will always be part of my life and as always, Go Big Orange.”

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Health update on Vols’ kicker Brent Cimaglia

Tennessee plays Florida Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Senior kicker Brent Cimaglia prepares for the final three games of the 2020 regular season.

Cimaglia has connected on five of his nine field goal attempts this season. He is 18-for-18 on extra points in 2020. The senior from Nashville, Tennessee is 46-for-62 in field goal attempts during his career with the Vols.

Nov 7, 2020; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Tennessee Volunteers kicker Brent Cimaglia (42) kicks an extra point in the second wearer against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Ahead of Tennessee’s game against Florida Saturday, UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt provided an update on the health of Cimaglia.

“He’s working to get there,” Pruitt said of Cimaglia being fully healthy. “I don’t know for sure that he is. He came back when we got here in June with a little bit of a knee injury and he’s worked his way through it throughout the season.

“Again, he’s a guy that we believe in. He’s been almost automatic since we’ve been here, and when he’s healthy he’s one of the best players in the country at that position.”

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Tennessee’s specialists unit will be ‘very competitive in each position’

Tennessee’s specialists unit will be very competitive in each position.

KNOXVILLE — Brent Cimaglia returns for his senior season at Tennessee.

Cimaglia has appeared in 29 games for the Vols, totaling 129 points in his career and connecting on 41 field goals and 69 extra points.

Tennessee’s special teams unit provides quality depth with redshirt junior punter Joe Doyle electing to return after entering the transfer portal in January. The unit adds redshirt senior punter and holder Brett Graham. Graham is a graduate transfer from UConn.

KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 03, 2020 – Punter Paxton Brooks #37 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Junior punter and kicker Paxton Brooks also returns after appearing in 25 contests over the last two seasons for Tennessee.

“I think overall the specialist unit, it’s going to be a good year for us,” Cimaglia told reporters on a Zoom call Friday. “We have Paxton Brooks returning – he’s a great punter and kick off specialist. We have Joe who brings a good morale to the group. We also have Brett Graham that transferred in and he’s a good character to have.

“It’s going to be very competitive in each position, even with long snappers. We’re all kind of an older bunch, but with the long snappers, there are a bunch of young guys stepping in and I’m very confident that they’re going to get their job done. I’m excited to what this unit holds for us.”

Freshman long snapper Will Albright joins the Vols’ program after signing with Tennessee in the 2020 recruiting class. Sophomore Matthew Salansky rounds out the long snapper group as a walk-on.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

2020 UT football player card: Brent Cimaglia

2020 UT football player card: Brent Cimaglia

Brent Cimaglia, kicker (No. 42)

Class: Senior

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

High School: Page

Cimaglia announced his return for his senior season this offseason, and is one of the top returning kickers in the SEC in 2020. Last season, Cimaglia knocked through 23 of his 27 field goal attempts with a long of 53 yards, while hitting all 69 of his extra point attempts.

Statistically one of the best kickers in Tennessee history, Cimaglia will provide reliability at placekicker for UT in 2020.

2020 Tennessee football schedule

  • Sept. 5 vs. Charlotte (Knoxville)
  • Sept. 12 at Oklahoma (Norman)
  • Sept. 19 vs. Furman (Knoxville)
  • Sept. 26 vs. Florida (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Missouri (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 10 at South Carolina (Columbia)
  • Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
  • Oct. 24 vs. Alabama (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 31 at Arkansas (Fayetteville)
  • Nov. 7 vs. Kentucky (Knoxville)
  • Nov. 14 at Georgia (Athens)
  • Nov. 21 vs. Troy (Knoxville)
  • Nov. 28 at Vanderbilt (Nashville)

A way-too-early preview of Tennessee’s 2020 special teams unit

2020 Tennessee football.

Throughout the offseason, Vols Wire has looked into every position group’s future in 2020 on Tennessee’s offense and defense.

Last but not least, is the special teams unit. Currently the only position group without a coach, it is still expected to serve as a strength for Tennessee in 2020.

Brent Cimaglia will take over placekicking duties for Tennessee for his senior season, and returns as one of the best kickers in the SEC.

A member of the All-SEC second team, Cimaglia converted on 23 of his 27 field goal attempts with a long of 53, and was perfect on all 35 extra point attempts. A possible candidate for the Lou Groza Award, Tennessee will be confident any time it trots out its kicker for a potential game-winning field goal.

At punter, expect rising junior Paxton Brooks to start with no reason to look over his shoulder after the transfer of Joe Doyle in the offseason. Brooks could help on kickoff duties as well, and was a huge part of Tennessee’s comeback win over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl with a perfectly executed onside kick.

In 2019, Brooks punted 30 times for an average of 42 yards and a long of 59, while pinning teams inside the 20 11 times. For a school such as Tennessee with great tradition at the punter position, this unit is in good hands.

Who Tennessee deploys to return kicks and punts will be the most interesting facet of this position group in 2020. Outgoing wide receiver Marquez Callaway was a staple for Tennessee as a punt returner, and often gave the Vols a spark in that spot with his sure hands. Rising sophomore running back Eric Gray got some looks as a punt returner in 2019, and could very well take over what might be a wide open competition throughout spring and fall camp. Jeremy Pruitt has made it no secret that he prefers to have his best players put in a position to make an impact on special teams.

At kick returner, senior running back Ty Chandler returns with the most experience, although Tennessee did not bring the ball out much in 2019. Chandler has just one career kick returned for a touchdown (2017).

USC transfer Velus Jones Jr. could be a possibility here with his straight-line speed, but it will likely be another position with an open competition before the 2020 opener against Charlotte.

Tennessee kicker Brent Cimaglia to return for senior season

Tennessee kicker Brent Cimaglia to return for senior season.

KNOXVILLE – Right off the heels of Trey Smith’s announcement of his return to Tennessee for 2020, the Vols received more good news on Friday as kicker Brent Cimaglia made his decision clear on his Twitter account.

The junior Nashville native will return for his senior year, postponing his pursuit of being an NFL kicker for one more year.

Cimaglia emerged as one of the best kickers in the SEC in 2019, converting on 23 of his 27 attempts with a long of 53. Cimaglia was a perfect 35 of 35 on extra points and is currently Tennessee’s all-time leader in field goal percentage at 83.3%.

The junior did not handle kickoffs for Tennessee in 2019, a duty that was managed by sophomore Paxton Brooks.

Cimaglia was recruited to Tennessee by Butch Jones as part of the class of 2017, and appeared in five games as a freshman during the Vols’ 4-8 2017 season that saw Jones fired.

The rising senior had the best season of his career in 2019 under special teams coordinator Kevin Sherrer, and will return as one of the top kickers in the SEC in 2020.

Five Tennessee football players earn All-SEC honors

2019 All-Southeastern Conference Coaches’ Football Team.

KNOXVILLE — Five Tennessee football players have earned All-SEC honors.

First team All-SEC honors include Trey Smith, while Nigel Warrior, Daniel Bituli, Marquez Callaway and Brent Cimaglia were named to the second team.

UT press release:

Tennessee had five players named to the All-SEC postseason teams as voted on by the league’s 14 coaches, the conference announced on Tuesday.

Trey Smith earned a spot on the first team while the foursome of Nigel Warrior, Daniel Bituli, Marquez Callaway and Brent Cimaglia were all named to the second team.

The five players honored are the most for the Vols since they also had five on the 2012 All-SEC teams.

A two-time SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, Smith started the last 11 games at left guard and is Tennessee’s highest-graded player on the offensive line with 46 knockdowns. The Jackson, Tenn., native made way for one of the best passing performances in recent history as Jarrett Guarantano recorded 415 passing yards against Missouri’s sixth-ranked pass defense on Nov. 23 to help the Vols gain bowl eligibility.

Smith is also a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist and an Orange Bowl Courage Award nominee. The junior was a first-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press earlier this week, as well. This marks the second season that Smith has earned All-SEC recognition after garnering All-Freshman team and second team honors in 2017.

Tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions, Warrior has commanded UT’s secondary this season. The senior safety is second on the team with 68 tackles and also leads the Vols with seven pass breakups.

The College Park, Ga., native was named to the PFF College SEC Defensive Team of the Week on three occasions and was also a PFF College National Team of the Week honoree for his performance in a 45-0 win over Chattanooga on Sept. 14.

Warrior, who was a Preseason All-SEC third-team selection by the coaches, was also named first team All-SEC by the Associated Press earlier this week. This is Warrior’s second time garnering SEC postseason honors after earning a spot on the All-Freshman team back in 2016.
The quarterback of Tennessee’s defense from his middle linebacker position, Bituli led the Big Orange in tackles for the third consecutive season with 82, making him just the second player in program history to lead the team in tackles for three years in a row. The senior was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice and was a PFF College National Team of the Week selection two times, as well.

Bituli had three games with double-digit tackles, including an incredible 19-tackle effort in a road win at Kentucky on Nov. 9, which was the most tackles by an SEC player in a conference game this season. His 8.2 tackles per game ranks fourth in the conference.

The Nashville native had 4.5 tackles for loss and set a career high with three sacks. He also blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown in UT’s win over South Carolina on Oct. 26. This is the first time Bituli has earned SEC postseason honors in his career.
A dynamic playmaker at receiver and in the return game, Callaway earned All-SEC honors for the first time in his career. The Georgia native earned a spot on the second team as a return specialist after ranking fifth in the league with 150 punt return yards and averaging 15.0 yards per return. Callaway had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Vols’ win over South Carolina, the third of his career, and currently ranks fifth among active players in the FBS in career punt return average (13.8 avg).

The senior wideout also had his best season offensively, setting career highs with 616 receiving yards, six touchdown catches and four 100-yard receiving games. Callaway also leads the SEC in yards per catch at 21.2.

Cimaglia posted one of the best seasons by a Tennessee kicker in program history, going 20-of-24 on field goal attempts while connecting on all 33 of his extra points. He led the conference in field goal percentage (83.3 percent) and ranked second in field goals made per game (1.67).

The Nashville native was an incredible 8-of-10 on kicks of 40-plus yards, including 2-for-2 on attempts of 50 yards or more. Cimaglia drilled a career-long 53-yarder in the Vols’ victory over UAB, which was the longest made field goal by a UT kicker since Jeff Hall hit a 53-yarder against Oklahoma State back in 1995.