2024 Recruiting Thread

#2,101
#2,101
Voltopia said:
lol, hold on, keep that flag waving, and I'll wave an orange one and we can take them to games. No executions today. I got a little feisty with those replies. I think we view the portal's value and impact in different lights, but I will meet you in the middle. It's a tool that can be used to keep a roster competitive, and transfers today are not the same situation as transfers of a decade ago (well, except for Marciniak, that one was the best transfer ever).

And the portal did save Tennessee's bacon this year, no doubt. I just it's not a good sign if we're living there too often or too much. I think there's value to having players with years of experience in your system and your program, value in consistency and familiarity, which is harder to maintain if the portal is where you're living. I think that's where this all started, someone threw a little shade at people being "negative," and I just think - eh, I mean, there's reason to be concerned. I don't view that as hating Tennessee, at least, not to me. I want them to succeed. Win the SEC, beat UConn - succeed. So I hope they figure things out with recruiting targets. With South Carolina doing that weird "birdy" stuff on the reg, and Mulkey sharpening her claws in Baton Rouge, it would be nice to see Tennessee win some of those heavyweight recruiting fights upfront.

Regardless, if I really did sound like the sky is falling - hey, it's not. This year is set. Jackson and Horston are a real pair. Seeing the team against LSU and UConn is gonna be interesting. But there are some clouds on the horizon, and I hope the sun breaks through soon. And the sun will say "WHERE DO YOU WANT THESE TOP FIVE RECRUITS" and I'll say "OVER THERE, SUN" and the sun will say "ON TOP OF THE ARENA?" and I'll say "NO, AT THE FRONT DOORS ARE FINE." That's all in caps because we'd both be shouting; the sun is very far away.
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I agree, living off the portal can be fools gold..
 
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#2,102
#2,102
Memvol44 said:
Good summation since she has already named her top 5...
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I do wonder if there are any 2024 players that we feel good about. I don't know of any. I know we are recruiting some very hard but always hear they like someone else. So when does someone want to play at Tennessee? It is getting rather concerning no matter how much you like the coaches and team.
 
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#2,103
#2,103
Volfan2012 said:
I do wonder if there are any 2024 players that we feel good about. I don't know of any. I know we are recruiting some very hard but always hear they like someone else. So when does someone want to play at Tennessee? It is getting rather concerning no matter how much you like the coaches and team.
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It's mystifying..... our tradition, arena,reputation. Recruits act as if we offer nothing. Did get Puckett and Striplin. Not convinced we're hanging on to Sara. The only conclusion I can come up with is our NIL game is weak.
 
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#2,104
#2,104
Memvol44 said:
It's mystifying..... our tradition, arena,reputation. Recruits act as if we offer nothing. Did get Puckett and Striplin. Not convinced we're hanging on to Sara. The only conclusion I can come up with is our NIL game is weak.
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Not saying it is weak but we don't go right out there and offer the money like some of them are doing. I've heard recruits have asked about NIL and our answer is something about you certainly have the opportunity here. Some other schools say we got you 50 grand if you want to play here. I know LSU did it. Sc got up 25 grand for everybody that is on the roster. I think this is where Kellie is being left behind. I don't think she is comfortable with it at all. We do have a NIL director now hasn't seemed to help yet. The next couple of months has to yield something for 2024 high school recruiting. It needs to be strong elite players not just filling vacancies. For next season it is again portal and it has to be a huge might need as many as five players and they will need to be elite.
 
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#2,105
#2,105
Volfan2012 said:
Not saying it is weak but we don't go right out there and offer the money like some of them are doing. I've heard recruits have asked about NIL and our answer is something about you certainly have the opportunity here. Some other schools say we got you 50 grand if you want to play here. I know LSU did it. Sc got up 25 grand for everybody that is on the roster. I think this is where Kellie is being left behind. I don't think she is comfortable with it at all. We do have a NIL director now hasn't seemed to help yet. The next couple of months has to yield something for 2024 high school recruiting. It needs to be strong elite players not just filling vacancies. For next season it is again portal and it has to be a huge might need as many as five players and they will need to be elite.
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Uconn as well. That's how we lost Shade. Kellie can't compete if she is held back by lack of funds.....
 
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#2,106
#2,106
Volfan2012 said:
Not saying it is weak but we don't go right out there and offer the money like some of them are doing. I've heard recruits have asked about NIL and our answer is something about you certainly have the opportunity here. Some other schools say we got you 50 grand if you want to play here. I know LSU did it. Sc got up 25 grand for everybody that is on the roster. I think this is where Kellie is being left behind. I don't think she is comfortable with it at all. We do have a NIL director now hasn't seemed to help yet. The next couple of months has to yield something for 2024 high school recruiting. It needs to be strong elite players not just filling vacancies. For next season it is again portal and it has to be a huge might need as many as five players and they will need to be elite.
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there are NIL opportunities here,,,can't be afraid of them
 
#2,107
#2,107
Memvol44 said:
It's mystifying..... our tradition, arena,reputation. Recruits act as if we offer nothing. Did get Puckett and Striplin. Not convinced we're hanging on to Sara. The only conclusion I can come up with is our NIL game is weak.
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"our tradition".... sadly todays kids being recruited were not born yet or in pre-k. Everyone has nice arenas/buildings and more have built a reputation. We are now one of many, as opposed to one of a few.
 
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#2,112
#2,112
Volfan2012 said:
There are but a bird in hand is worth two in the bush and I think that is how it is playing out.
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Just have to look at Florida football and the Gator Collective as this is not the road you want to go down in regards to kids controlling the roster and money. Just this week they lost their 4* QB because the Gator Collective wanted out of the agreed upon 13M NIL deal over 4 years. Now they lost the QB and will more than likely have to pay the 13M or a settlement because of the breach of contract. The football team had "no idea" the collective decided to back out.
 
#2,113
#2,113
Majors said:
Just have to look at Florida football and the Gator Collective as this is not the road you want to go down in regards to kids controlling the roster and money. Just this week they lost their 4* QB because the Gator Collective wanted out of the agreed upon 13M NIL deal over 4 years. Now they lost the QB and will more than likely have to pay the 13M or a settlement because of the breach of contract. The football team had "no idea" the collective decided to back out.
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I think our QB would opt out as well if we were not going to pay him. It is what it is you either have to participate or get behind. Not just in football, basketball, baseball and even womens basketball and womens softball are going to be involved.
 
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#2,114
#2,114
Volfan2012 said:
I think our QB would opt out as well if we were not going to pay him. It is what it is you either have to participate or get behind. Not just in football, basketball, baseball and even womens basketball and womens softball are going to be involved.
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I don't disagree. Good news for Nico is he collected a payment the day he signed being a CA kid, FL kid is from CA but had yet to collect it looks like.
 
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#2,115
#2,115
Memvol44 said:
I'm not sure I would want a kid who doesn't understand/care about Pat Summit and what she did for the women's game. It should be an honor to play on that floor..
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If that's the standard, no wonder we're coming up empty. That's way harsh. One visit and they get the importance, and the program's continued devotion. A career here and they leave with full awareness and appreciation. I'm ok with that.
Majors said:
Is it lack of funds or lack of connecting to recruits?
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The coaches seem to be connecting. Like in the portal last spring. Also, they're getting visits, sometimes multiple visits from elite recruits. Then they suddenly go somewhere else, often places like LSU where the money is flaunted. That makes you think they connect but can't cough up in the end.

On the other hand, if the issue is just money, why are we so far behind? Don't we have rich donors? Does it all go to football? Did Nico get all our elite recruit $$$$
 
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#2,116
#2,116
glv98 said:
The coaches seem to be connecting. Like in the portal last spring. Also, they're getting visits, sometimes multiple visits from elite recruits. Then they suddenly go somewhere else, often places like LSU where the money is flaunted. That makes you think they connect but can't cough up in the end.

On the other hand, if the issue is just money, why are we so far behind? Don't we have rich donors? Does it all go to football? Did Nico get all our elite recruit $$$$
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I disagree on the connecting part and we are falling for the NIL as the reason why we are losing kids. I'm not saying the NIL does not play a part in it because it does, but it is not the reason sole reason we can't secure kids. As you stated, we got older portal players but somehow cannot connect with upper tier high school kids. The staff has had 3 plus years to build rapport with Cambridge and couldn't get an official visit.
 
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#2,117
#2,117
Majors said:
The staff has had 3 plus years to build rapport with Cambridge and couldn't get an official visit.
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IMO, Cambridge is not a fair case to judge. My understanding is her family has a major bug up the butt about UT, said it from Day 1, continues to say it and means it. No rapport ever to be built.

That said, it will be officially bothersome if we go don't get a quality HS recruit in 24.
 
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#2,118
#2,118
glv98 said:
IMO, Cambridge is not a fair case to judge. My understanding is her family has a major bug up the butt about UT, said it from Day 1, continues to say it and means it. No rapport ever to be built.

That said, it will be officially bothersome if we go don't get a quality HS recruit in 24.
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That's fair if Holly was still around, as the oldest was never a factor. This staff had a chance with Jaloni to start new with no ties to recruiting the family, maybe even Kennedy who ended up at KY (who opened up her recruiting again the time they visited). When Ensworth came to Knoxville, Sam and Kellie were front row and that was the same weekend they were on campus for an unofficial. That was the last time I believe Jaloni was on campus and she was a soph.

We have two of the best players in the nation in-state this year and it's not looking like we are a factor.
 
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#2,119
#2,119
glv98 said:
IMO, Cambridge is not a fair case to judge. My understanding is her family has a major bug up the butt about UT, said it from Day 1, continues to say it and means it. No rapport ever to be built.
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I agree completely about the Cambridge situation. If it's true they hate Tennessee, then what can you do?

If there's one thing I learned during my time around AAU, it's that sports parents can be weird. They will remember every conversation, every defensive assignment that won or lost a game, every slight - real or perceived - for years and years. It makes sense, they're only there for their kids and don't see much else, but still. Weird. Like pulling the arm on a slot machine sometimes. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
 
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#2,121
#2,121
Memvol44 said:
Uconn as well. That's how we lost Shade. Kellie can't compete if she is held back by lack of funds.....
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Just the other day I saw a video of Geno and when asked about NIL, he said they signed 2 top 5 recruits and NIL was never mentioned because after all, it’s UCONN
 
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#2,125
#2,125
Memvol44 said:
She visited on her on dime and we didn't even make an impression..... not good, somebody dropped the ball on this one. Unless we didn't really want her..
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The picture of her here a few months ago with the staff tells me alot. The staff seems uncomfortable and comes across as not genuine in these hype photoshoots. The point and smirk at the kid is not our best.
 
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