As Omega pointed out earlier today, wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers was suspended from Tennessee's football team for an unspecified rules violation. He isn't on the team's updated depth chart, and Derek Dooley doesn't think Rogers will play a down for the Vols in 2012.
Dooley: Our expectation is that he will not be part of our team this season, but there is a process that we have to respect.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 23, 2012
This is just the latest in a string of incidents during Rogers' time at UT. It's no wonder that this suspension appears to be the last straw.
Last year, multiple sources told CBS colleague Bruce Feldman that there were several incidents in which Rogers crossed the line with Vol coaches and staff, including a "complete meltdown" during UT's season-ending loss at Kentucky and another episode in the team weight room. The incidents were so troubling to some staffers that they felt Dooley was risking the locker room dynamic by allowing Rogers to remain in the program. Rumors of his pending dismissal, suspension or transfer have been too numerous to count.
With Rogers out, junior college transfer Cordarrelle Patterson is forced into a more prominent role as the starter alongside Justin Hunter. Patterson was a four-star recruit, but he hasn't played a down of major college football, so the Vols are losing quite a bit in terms of experience. (Among other things.)
Rogers was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2011 and earned first-team All-SEC honors.