Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas' cheerleader GF Keegan gets fired up for Week 6 showdown: "See you soon"
Tennessee Volunteers safety Jakobe Thomas has formed the bedrock of coach Josh Heupel's marauding No. 4 ranked team this season. He has recovered from an ejection for targeting during the Vols' 71-0 Week 3 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Thomas put in a stellar performance against the No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners in his team's Week 5, 25-15 win.
Thomas had a little inspiration during his team's Week 4 clash against the Sooners as his cheerleader girlfriend Keegan Ward was in the crowd supporting him.
Ward showed just how fired up she was on Friday, ahead of the Volunteers' trip to Fayetteville to face off against coach Sam Pittman's Arkansas Razorbacks.
Jakobe Thomas' girlfriend posted a series of snaps on Instagram of herself and her fellow cheerleaders ahead of the game. She captioned the post:
"On the road again, see you soon Fayetteville 🤠🧡," Ward wrote.
Jakobe Thomas grew up a Vols fan
Jakobe Thomas joined the Tennessee Volunteers from the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders last year via the transfer portal after playing for the Blue Raiders for three years.
During a recent news conference, Thomas revealed that he was a childhood Vols fan but never had the chance to visit the Neyland Stadium until he started to play for Tennessee.
"I grew up a Tennessee fan, but I never got the chance to come to Neyland," Jakobe Thomas said. "I've always watched the games from the outside in. This will be my first time stepping in with the full crowd and being part of that experience. I've been counting down the days. I'm super excited. They say Vols fans are the craziest."
Thomas was a highly sought-after prospect in the transfer portal, even committing to the Oregon State Beavers at first before reversing his decision after meeting with Tennessee coach Josh Heupel's staff.
"When I came in last winter and I met with Coach Banks, we talked a little bit of defense, but it would be hard for me to say I knew a lot then," Thomas said. "This spring, I was getting familiar with it, and now with fall camp wrapped up, I'm definitely very, very comfortable with the defense. I feel like I know it like the back of my hand."
Jakobe Thomas has registered eight solo tackles and one pass deflection this season for the Volunteers, showing his value for the high-flying SEC team.