KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- With the Vols already thin on defense, the latest news isn't encouraging.

Defensive tackle John Brown, a junior college transfer, and Marcques Dixon, a high school signee, are both academically ineligible for the 2010 football Derek Dooley announced after Monday's practice.

Dooley said neither player will be at Tennessee this fall. He also said both players will weigh their options before deciding what to do next.

Dooley wasn't surprised by the ineligibility, calling the pair academic "high risks" to begin with.