In almost all cases you get a wash/ yr 0.
LOL... there is no "year 0" and even if there were... Heupel already had his. I like him a lot. I think he inherited a really crappy situation. That doesn't change the reality that he needs to build a competitive roster... and not 4 years from now.
This is understood between said AD and incoming HC.
An AD should never offer what he can't give. If Heupel doesn't get competitive talent starting THIS YEAR then he won't win. At best, he'll be an also ran but it could get worse. No AD can guarantee security for a coach like that. If he's allowed to not get talent because it "isn't fair" for the first couple of years then you are actually looking at year 6 or 7 before even getting to 2nd tier. You are asking Vol fans and supporters to accept nothing better for the next 3-5 years before there's any hope of seeing better results. No coach will survive that since it requires a level of faith that no top program has. Why believe that a 6 win coach for 5 years will suddenly figure everything out in year 6? That VERY rarely happens even when guys get time.
Worse yet... and you as a guy who works with recruits should know it... the best players aren't going to be in a rush to sign with a guy who averages 6 wins over his first 5 seasons. They want an opportunity to play and to play for a good or great coach. The best players may sacrifice the first part to wait their turn at Bama... but they're not going to sign with a loser.
I agree on the portal but you also have to understand that these guys are leaving because they're barn burners or all americans.
That's not true. It isn't close to being true. The reasons are as unique as the players but there are A LOT of good players hitting the portal either because of a coaching change or simply because they want a different/better opportunity. The portal gave UT Payton, Milton, Hooker, Jones, Turnage, Hadden (who played pretty well this past week), Terry, etc. Texas' best defensive player transferred to UT but has been hampered by injury. Good players appear to be leaving bad situations every bit as much as bad players are leaving because they're buried. In fact, those bad players take a risk on not even being picked up.
Hooker brings up a different scenario. Sometimes coaches hang their hats on the wrong guy. I suspect that most VT fans are looking at UT now and thinking that Fuente chose the wrong guy.... and they're most likely right.
You have to recruit and evaluate in every way you would a HS player except you have more information.
So knowing you're behind the 8ball on 22 you take a few you think can help and you focus on building with elite prospects in 23 and 24.
Or... you go out and recruit the portal for guys who are likely to be leaving bad situations after this year. LSU is pretty loaded. Those guys are burdened by an awful coach. Heupel and his players have a literal TON to sell those guys. There will be other teams in the same situation. There will be G-5 players who turned out to be much better than the recruiting sites or frankly guys like you ever believed they could be. Those guys want an opportunity to play on TV against the best competition.
This is an odd situation... but you seem to be clinging onto the past. The portal changes pretty much everything. Successful coaches and particularly those who turn programs around will have to master the portal... and create the kind of "vibe" that seems to be around UT right now.
There will be some guys leave. IMO, Bailey is as good as gone. Others may not feel very good about their future role after going through this season. Some will see better opportunities. And to your earlier point... yes, some will see that they've been recruited over and head for ULM or something like that.
So the portal provides UT an opportunity to upgrade roster slots.
But the most critical opportunity at this stage is finding portal guys with more demonstrated ability or potential than HS players.
Also you take feelers on and stay in communication with a few guys you think that you're teetering the line with or have a possible chance with in 22.
You never cut off good HS recruits. But there is a value assessment when it comes to who you sign. With this roster at this point... it skews toward the portal. That will likely not be the case in 2 or 3 years. Right now it is.
