CBJ's Geographic Recruiting Strategy (Long)

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WhatInVolnation

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#1
I think it is interesting watching CBJ's third class develop and seeing what appears to be his geographic strategy become more clear. From my view, CBJ has the following strategy:

Focus #1: Middle and East Tennessee. I think that CBJ truly wants to "lock down" Tennessee, but I think he really means "lock down" Middle and East Tennessee. West Tennessee is also a point of emphasis but it is harder to recruit because of the distance between Memphis (where most of the West Tennessee recruits are located) when multiple other SEC schools are closer than Knoxville and there are strong connections between other SEC schools and the Memphis area schools. This strategy is effective because Tennessee the quality of high school football, including the number of high level D1 prospects, is increasing every year, particularly in Middle Tennessee. East Tennessee will always be recruited since it is the strongest Vol spot in the state and has a 1-3 SEC caliber players every year. UT currently has 7 recruits from Middle and East Tennessee and 0 from West Tennessee. CBJ isn't even done with this area yet as UT is pursuing, to varying levels, Phillips, Amadi, Jefferson, and McGraw.

Focus #2: West Tennessee/Georgia/North Carolina: UT must continue to recruit West Tennessee in spite of the challenges posed there because of players like Drew Richmond. I think Richmond is CBJ's #1 target for this class, other than potentially Tuttle. Georgia is probably the most talent rich state UT recruits from frequently. UT has made great inroads there and will continue to recruit Georgia hard, which is a necessity for UT to get back on top since Tennessee alone will not provide enough talent. Georgia poses challenges because UGA, Bama, Auburn, and FSU recruit Georgia hard, as well as GT, which is why North Carolina is also essential. North Carolina is talent rich without a dominant program. The proximity to Knoxville coupled with the talent and absence of a dominant program makes North Carolina essential to UT's success. There are a number of programs that recruit North Carolina hard right now but I don't think there is one program that dominates the state right now. UT currently has 0 players committed from West Tennessee but Richmond is probably the #1 target left on the board. UT has 6 players (including Kamara) currently committed from Georgia and I believe CBJ is still recruiting a number of players from the state. UT has 2 players committed from North Carolina but is hotly pursuing Tuttle, Dalton, and Frasier and potentially Mook Reynolds and Love as well. My guess is that CBJ will focus more and more on North Carolina as time goes on, particularly if we have some success there this year as we develop pipelines into the area.

Focus #3: Florida/Texas/Alabama/Virginia: For obvious reasons, Florida, Texas, and Alabama are hard to recruit from for UT. Distance plays a role but mostly the presence of dominant programs in-state. Florida has the big three of FSU, UF, and Miami along with a number of other smaller programs with an upward trajectory. Texas has A&M, Texas, Baylor, and TCU (to a lesser extent) while Alabama has Alabama and Auburn. Alabama players will largely go to either Alabama or Auburn and wasting time in that state is unwise with the deck stacked against UT but we still need to poke around to find studs that are ignored by Bama and Auburn for whatever reason (i.e., Gavin Bryant). Florida and Texas are also very challenging given that every program in the country recruits those states hard. Oklahoma, for one, pulls a large number of recruits from Texas every year. That said, there are so many recruits from Florida and Texas that you cannot ignore the state and ignoring these states would be perilous. Currently, UT has 1 player committed from Virginia and is pursuing DeBerry, Burrell, and Settle, to varying degrees. UT has 2 players committed from Texas and is still recruiting a few other players from the state. UT has 3 players committed from Florida and is still recruiting a few others. UT has 0 players from Alabama and I am not aware of any other players UT is recruiting.

Focus #4: Midwest/California: Of course, CBJ is not going to ignore the rest of the country. What is surprising to me is that this class does not have a single player committed from the Midwest at this time. I, also, am not aware of any significant, realistic targets from this area being recruited. CBJ had 4 players last year--Wolf, Hendrix, Helm, and Henderson--and 2 players in 2013. The four players from the 2014 class are some of the most talented players on our team. I would have thought the Midwest would have remained a target and this is one area that is surprising to me from a strategy perspective. California is, and will be, selectively recruited. This year McKenzie was a gift being a legacy, etc. CBJ will continue to look in that area for players we have a shot with but I doubt it will ever be a point of emphasis.

Focus #5: Other: I doubt CBJ will ignore the other areas. However, I think he knows we have to recruit heavily in the above areas where there are inroads and talent. Thus, other areas are largely a waste of time. That said, he will recruit the Mid-Atlantic (ex., Payne, Creamer, and Harris) when he can. Other geographic areas will be recruited sparingly unless a player has legit interest in UT and is a game breaker.

Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with this strategy. First, I think Middle Tennessee to East Tennessee should be Vol country and the talent is there now. That area should provide a good foundation for the class. Second, UT has to recruit Memphis, Georgia, and North Carolina hard to be a top 10 national team. I think North Carolina will become a pipeline for UT under CBJ. Third, we have to have a presence in the other states discussed because there are players in those areas and we need to sign the best players we can from those states when we can. I believe this footprint will change when UT gets back on top and we will recruit more nationally as geography becomes less important because of UT's national brand. That said, these areas will continue to be our bread and butter since these areas are where most of the talent is anyway.
 
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#2
#2
I think it is interesting watching CBJ's third class develop and seeing what appears to be his geographic strategy become more clear. From my view, CBJ has the following strategy:

Focus #1: Middle and East Tennessee. I think that CBJ truly wants to "lock down" Tennessee, but I think he really means "lock down" Middle and East Tennessee. West Tennessee is also a point of emphasis but it is harder to recruit because of the distance between Memphis (where most of the West Tennessee recruits are located) when multiple other SEC schools are closer than Knoxville and there are strong connections between other SEC schools and the Memphis area schools. This strategy is effective because Tennessee the quality of high school football, including the number of high level D1 prospects, is increasing every year, particularly in Middle Tennessee. East Tennessee will always be recruited since it is the strongest Vol spot in the state and has a 1-3 SEC caliber players every year. UT currently has 7 recruits from Middle and East Tennessee and 0 from West Tennessee. CBJ isn't even done with this area yet as UT is pursuing, to varying levels, Phillips, Amadi, Jefferson, and McGraw.

Focus #2: West Tennessee/Georgia/North Carolina: UT must continue to recruit West Tennessee in spite of the challenges posed there because of players like Drew Richmond. I think Richmond is CBJ's #1 target for this class, other than potentially Tuttle. Georgia is probably the most talent rich state UT recruits from frequently. UT has made great inroads there and will continue to recruit Georgia hard, which is a necessity for UT to get back on top since Tennessee alone will not provide enough talent. Georgia poses challenges because UGA, Bama, Auburn, and FSU recruit Georgia hard, as well as GT, which is why North Carolina is also essential. North Carolina is talent rich without a dominant program. The proximity to Knoxville coupled with the talent and absence of a dominant program makes North Carolina essential to UT's success. There are a number of programs that recruit North Carolina hard right now but I don't think there is one program that dominates the state right now. UT currently has 0 players committed from West Tennessee but Richmond is probably the #1 target left on the board. UT has 6 players (including Kamara) currently committed from Georgia and I believe CBJ is still recruiting a number of players from the state. UT has 2 players committed from North Carolina but is hotly pursuing Tuttle, Dalton, and Frasier and potentially Mook Reynolds and Love as well. My guess is that CBJ will focus more and more on North Carolina as time goes on, particularly if we have some success there this year as we develop pipelines into the area.

Focus #3: Florida/Texas/Alabama/Virginia: For obvious reasons, Florida, Texas, and Alabama are hard to recruit from for UT. Distance plays a role but mostly the presence of dominant programs in-state. Florida has the big three of FSU, UF, and Miami along with a number of other smaller programs with an upward trajectory. Texas has A&M, Texas, Baylor, and TCU (to a lesser extent) while Alabama has Alabama and Auburn. Alabama players will largely go to either Alabama or Auburn and wasting time in that state is unwise with the deck stacked against UT but we still need to poke around to find studs that are ignored by Bama and Auburn for whatever reason (i.e., Gavin Bryant). Florida and Texas are also very challenging given that every program in the country recruits those states hard. Oklahoma, for one, pulls a large number of recruits from Texas every year. That said, there are so many recruits from Florida and Texas that you cannot ignore the state and ignoring these states would be perilous. Currently, UT has 1 player committed from Virginia and is pursuing DeBerry, Burrell, and Settle, to varying degrees. UT has 2 players committed from Texas and is still recruiting a few other players from the state. UT has 3 players committed from Florida and is still recruiting a few others. UT has 0 players from Alabama and I am not aware of any other players UT is recruiting.

Focus #4: Midwest/California: Of course, CBJ is not going to ignore the rest of the country. What is surprising to me is that this class does not have a single player committed from the Midwest at this time. I, also, am not aware of any significant, realistic targets from this area being recruited. CBJ had 4 players last year--Wolf, Hendrix, Helm, and Henderson--and 2 players in 2013. The four players from the 2014 class are some of the most talented players on our team. I would have thought the Midwest would have remained a target and this is one area that is surprising to me from a strategy perspective. California is, and will be, selectively recruited. This year McKenzie was a gift being a legacy, etc. CBJ will continue to look in that area for players we have a shot with but I doubt it will ever be a point of emphasis.

Focus #5: Other: I doubt CBJ will ignore the other areas. However, I think he knows we have to recruit heavily in the above areas where there are inroads and talent. Thus, other areas are largely a waste of time. That said, he will recruit the Mid-Atlantic (ex., Payne, Creamer, and Harris) when he can. Other geographic areas will be recruited sparingly unless a player has legit interest in UT and is a game breaker.

Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with this strategy. First, I think Middle Tennessee to East Tennessee should be Vol country and the talent is there now. That area should provide a good foundation for the class. Second, UT has to recruit Memphis, Georgia, and North Carolina hard to be a top 10 national team. I think North Carolina will become a pipeline for UT under CBJ. Third, we have to have a presence in the other states discussed because there are players in those areas and we need to sign the best players we can from those states when we can. I believe this footprint will change when UT gets back on top and we will recruit more nationally as geography becomes less important because of UT's national brand. That said, these areas will continue to be our bread and butter since these areas are where most of the talent is anyway.

In other words... The whole country
 
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#3
#3
In other words... The whole country

I think CBJ has a clearly delineated list of geographic priorities. The offered list was in descending order of importance. I think CBJ will recruit nationally when he identifies a play maker and the geographic regions approach will not control. Still, I think he knows where his bread and butter is and that is the order of regions outlined.
 
#4
#4
In all honesty:

If we can lock down our borders, hit NC, Atlanta, and DC heavily; we don't need a major presence in TX, FL, or CA.

There's more than enough talent in TN, NC, GA, and DC/VA.
 
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#7
#7
In all honesty:

If we can lock down our borders, hit NC, Atlanta, and DC heavily; we don't need a major presence in TX, FL, or CA.

There's more than enough talent in TN, NC, GA, and DC/VA.

I disagree with you about FLA. There are way too many 4/5 Stars every year to not try to get them.
 
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#9
#9
I think it is interesting watching CBJ's third class develop and seeing what appears to be his geographic strategy become more clear. From my view, CBJ has the following strategy:

Focus #1: Middle and East Tennessee. I think that CBJ truly wants to "lock down" Tennessee, but I think he really means "lock down" Middle and East Tennessee. West Tennessee is also a point of emphasis but it is harder to recruit because of the distance between Memphis (where most of the West Tennessee recruits are located) when multiple other SEC schools are closer than Knoxville and there are strong connections between other SEC schools and the Memphis area schools. This strategy is effective because Tennessee the quality of high school football, including the number of high level D1 prospects, is increasing every year, particularly in Middle Tennessee. East Tennessee will always be recruited since it is the strongest Vol spot in the state and has a 1-3 SEC caliber players every year. UT currently has 7 recruits from Middle and East Tennessee and 0 from West Tennessee. CBJ isn't even done with this area yet as UT is pursuing, to varying levels, Phillips, Amadi, Jefferson, and McGraw.

Focus #2: West Tennessee/Georgia/North Carolina: UT must continue to recruit West Tennessee in spite of the challenges posed there because of players like Drew Richmond. I think Richmond is CBJ's #1 target for this class, other than potentially Tuttle. Georgia is probably the most talent rich state UT recruits from frequently. UT has made great inroads there and will continue to recruit Georgia hard, which is a necessity for UT to get back on top since Tennessee alone will not provide enough talent. Georgia poses challenges because UGA, Bama, Auburn, and FSU recruit Georgia hard, as well as GT, which is why North Carolina is also essential. North Carolina is talent rich without a dominant program. The proximity to Knoxville coupled with the talent and absence of a dominant program makes North Carolina essential to UT's success. There are a number of programs that recruit North Carolina hard right now but I don't think there is one program that dominates the state right now. UT currently has 0 players committed from West Tennessee but Richmond is probably the #1 target left on the board. UT has 6 players (including Kamara) currently committed from Georgia and I believe CBJ is still recruiting a number of players from the state. UT has 2 players committed from North Carolina but is hotly pursuing Tuttle, Dalton, and Frasier and potentially Mook Reynolds and Love as well. My guess is that CBJ will focus more and more on North Carolina as time goes on, particularly if we have some success there this year as we develop pipelines into the area.

Focus #3: Florida/Texas/Alabama/Virginia: For obvious reasons, Florida, Texas, and Alabama are hard to recruit from for UT. Distance plays a role but mostly the presence of dominant programs in-state. Florida has the big three of FSU, UF, and Miami along with a number of other smaller programs with an upward trajectory. Texas has A&M, Texas, Baylor, and TCU (to a lesser extent) while Alabama has Alabama and Auburn. Alabama players will largely go to either Alabama or Auburn and wasting time in that state is unwise with the deck stacked against UT but we still need to poke around to find studs that are ignored by Bama and Auburn for whatever reason (i.e., Gavin Bryant). Florida and Texas are also very challenging given that every program in the country recruits those states hard. Oklahoma, for one, pulls a large number of recruits from Texas every year. That said, there are so many recruits from Florida and Texas that you cannot ignore the state and ignoring these states would be perilous. Currently, UT has 1 player committed from Virginia and is pursuing DeBerry, Burrell, and Settle, to varying degrees. UT has 2 players committed from Texas and is still recruiting a few other players from the state. UT has 3 players committed from Florida and is still recruiting a few others. UT has 0 players from Alabama and I am not aware of any other players UT is recruiting.

Focus #4: Midwest/California: Of course, CBJ is not going to ignore the rest of the country. What is surprising to me is that this class does not have a single player committed from the Midwest at this time. I, also, am not aware of any significant, realistic targets from this area being recruited. CBJ had 4 players last year--Wolf, Hendrix, Helm, and Henderson--and 2 players in 2013. The four players from the 2014 class are some of the most talented players on our team. I would have thought the Midwest would have remained a target and this is one area that is surprising to me from a strategy perspective. California is, and will be, selectively recruited. This year McKenzie was a gift being a legacy, etc. CBJ will continue to look in that area for players we have a shot with but I doubt it will ever be a point of emphasis.

Focus #5: Other: I doubt CBJ will ignore the other areas. However, I think he knows we have to recruit heavily in the above areas where there are inroads and talent. Thus, other areas are largely a waste of time. That said, he will recruit the Mid-Atlantic (ex., Payne, Creamer, and Harris) when he can. Other geographic areas will be recruited sparingly unless a player has legit interest in UT and is a game breaker.

Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with this strategy. First, I think Middle Tennessee to East Tennessee should be Vol country and the talent is there now. That area should provide a good foundation for the class. Second, UT has to recruit Memphis, Georgia, and North Carolina hard to be a top 10 national team. I think North Carolina will become a pipeline for UT under CBJ. Third, we have to have a presence in the other states discussed because there are players in those areas and we need to sign the best players we can from those states when we can. I believe this footprint will change when UT gets back on top and we will recruit more nationally as geography becomes less important because of UT's national brand. That said, these areas will continue to be our bread and butter since these areas are where most of the talent is anyway.



In live in Nashville. and now that Dooley is gone, we usually get the players from this area that we want. However; I have seen several players in this area commit to either Auburn or Vandy.

I recall one going to FSU, one to Navy to be their starting q.b. and one to Notre Dame for the O - line.

Other than that, it is all Vol. I suspect the the one's that went to Vandy or Auburn were the one's that U.T. was luke warm on.
 

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