Grant Frerking, the former Tennessee football player who rose to fame as a teenage CEO of his own company, is accused of being involved in multiple financial scams, according to a report Thursday by KnoxNews.com.
The 26-year-old Frerking, a walk-on wide receiver for the Volunteers from 2017-22, has been evicted from two Nashville apartments after failing to pay more than $16,000 he owed for rent. He is also reportedly accused of pretending to work for Metro Straw, the Atlanta area lawn supply company he founded when he was still a teenager but has not formally been associated with for nearly four years, while still collecting payments but not delivering products as promised.
In addition, Frerking has allegedly begun to borrow money from former Tennessee teammates without paying it back. One former customer of Frerking’s described him as a “phony” who “needs to be exposed.”
“Grant Frerking is a lying unscrupulous SOB,” Georgia resident Doug Proctor told KnoxNews. “All the time he bills himself as a star football player at Tennessee as well as a gifted businessman. What a phony! He needs to be exposed.”
Frerking’s alleged financial misdealings have cost him his job at On3, where he worked in the media company’s NIL space as Director of Athlete Network Development. On3 CEO Shannon Terry announced Wednesday (without mentioning Frerking’s name) that Frerking no longer worked there due to “blatant violations of [On3’s] internal standards and values.”
Frerking played in a total of 13 games in six years with the Volunteers, catching three passes for 12 yards. He joined the team under coach Butch Jones in 2017, and also played for Jeremy Pruitt and Josh Heupel.
After the NCAA allowed players to cash in on their Name, Image and Likeness beginning in 2021, Frerking became a frequent talk show guest due to his burgeoning business career. He made numerous appearances on the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum Show to discuss Tennessee football and/or the impact of NIL on college athletics.
Frerking has also been frequently spotted on the sideline at Tennessee home games and has been photographed celebrating major Volunteers victories alongside players and coaches (such as the 2024 College World Series and the 2024 victory over Alabama) since his playing career ended in 2022, though he is not employed by the school. KnoxNews reported that he is regarded as a Tennessee booster who has made undisclosed financial donations to the athletic department and also served on the board of one of the school’s early NIL organizations.
All the while, Frerking allegedly continued to solicit payments for Metro Straw, though he apparently left the company in 2021. Various online reviews of Frerking label him as “the most unscrupulous liar” and accuse him of “theft.”
You can read the full KnoxNews report HERE.