'24 AR RB Braylen Russell (Arkansas commit)

[Jackcrevol]

Culture over highest bidder. That's not a function of a broke NIL program, it's a value choice and I appreciate it.

We have Khaleifa Keith. Why are people sleeping on that dude? It was a big win to wrassle him from the lesser Stoops.

 

[KingVFL]

Great. Would think the staff can figure out how to assuage any concerns about the MF Kinesiology department...

You’d hope

 

[Big Orange#1]

Hate when people say Calm Down we are not bama or UGA so we can't recruit like them. Well if we want to beat them we better start recruiting like then

Already beat Bammer with much worse recruiting than we are averaging the last class and this one.

 

[LittleVol]

Why don’t our in-state kids ever get a lot of pressure to stay in-state?

Because a good deal of "Tennesseans " these days are not from Tennessee

 

[sjt18]

If a 17-18 yr old changing his mind is magic then YES MAGIC!





**if he did indeed change his mind

Exactly. I know the video game mentality is applied to recruiting by a lot of people here... if you press the right buttons at the right time then "poof" you win. But these are real human beings working through decisions. To complicate that they're teenagers as you note trying to make a decision that will have a major impact on the rest of their lives.

They make decisions. They change their minds. And sometimes those things happen for no reason that makes any sense to an adult.

Not particularly proud of this... but when I was 19 I dated a pretty nice girl. She fell pretty hard for me and things were going well. Looking back, I know that I was looking for a reason to get away because things were starting to get too close. I could tell she already had feelings. The excuse I used was that it really bothered me ( and it did) that her roommate called her "Zim". Her last name was Zimmerman. For some reason that irritated me. So... I stopped calling.

The point of this story is that a kid's emotions and reasoning often doesn't make sense. They react to things they feel without being able to define and make decisions on "gut" that might be good... but are just as likely to be bad. That is why doing things the right way in the program and particularly recruiting as this staff seems to be doing will likely have a good pay off. Some of these kids are going to use the portal. Some are going to remember who recruited them with integrity and tell others even if they make a different choice. MANY are going to recognize the false promises made by various programs

 

[Glitch]

Oh, Go Hogs, good to see you man. Welcome to the board. Now thaaat is just too funny. Here I was just takin' a little jog down memory lane...



Does it burn? What a game.

And Phil's deal with the devil for that season led us to over 20 years of wandering through the wilderness with no water and nothing but a worn our jock strap with no cup for protection from the blazing sun.

 

[LittleVol]

Exactly. I know the video game mentality is applied to recruiting by a lot of people here... if you press the right buttons at the right time then "poof" you win. But these are real human beings working through decisions. To complicate that they're teenagers as you note trying to make a decision that will have a major impact on the rest of their lives.

They make decisions. They change their minds. And sometimes those things happen for no reason that makes any sense to an adult.

Not particularly proud of this... but when I was 19 I dated a pretty nice girl. She fell pretty hard for me and things were going well. Looking back, I know that I was looking for a reason to get away because things were starting to get too close. I could tell she already had feelings. The excuse I used was that it really bothered me ( and it did) that her roommate called her "Zim". Her last name was Zimmerman. For some reason that irritated me. So... I stopped calling.

The point of this story is that a kid's emotions and reasoning often doesn't make sense. They react to things they feel without being able to define and make decisions on "gut" that might be good... but are just as likely to be bad. That is why doing things the right way in the program and particularly recruiting as this staff seems to be doing will likely have a good pay off. Some of these kids are going to use the portal. Some are going to remember who recruited them with integrity and tell others even if they make a different choice. MANY are going to recognize the false promises made by various programs

Nice story SJ.

 

[Jackcrevol]

And Phil's deal with the devil for that season led us to over 20 years of wandering through the wilderness with no water and nothing but a worn our jock strap with no cup for protection from the blazing sun.

Ill take it!! Auburn and Bammer have proven that the Devil wont crawfish and drill you in the ass.

He will deal multiple times, also give you unabated access to the overseer Sankey. Even allow you to cheat, buy refs, and call your shot - openly.

 

[SSVol]

We have Khaleifa Keith. Why are people sleeping on that dude? It was a big win to wrassle him from the lesser Stoops.

It's bigger than that though. The mentality that because "we don't do bidding wars" it somehow suggests weakness or an unwillingness to do what it takes to be first place is underappreciating the fact that the bidding process is revealing something important about the recruit. If they are all about your school until someone else comes in with a marginally better offer, that expresses a value. I'm not saying it's a bad value or a wrong value, but it is a telling value. Heup clearly has a profile he likes to recruit, and if that particular value suggests incompatibility with his profile, then I have no qualms with them choosing not to play that game.

 

[LittleVol]

We have Khaleifa Keith. Why are people sleeping on that dude? It was a big win to wrassle him from the lesser Stoops.

Because he's a 3 star.

 

[sjt18]

Nice story SJ.

I'm sure you were much better than me about things like that...

Unfortunately I did that with several girls/women before settling down with my wife for the one real relationship I've had in my life. It isn't unfortunate that I ended up with her... just that I mistreated several girls along the way because of immature emotions and impulses. Most young people... not you... but most don't have the emotional maturity to make these decisions or to accept good advice.

 

[KPT_VFL]

Is it really a big deal with the transfer portal? We got Lewis plus multiple on roster so if we take one back it’s not like we can’t add depth pretty easily from a transfer. I want this kid to be a Vol but now more than ever it shouldn’t be too hard to pick up an RB from another school if we have to.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot at RB, but I’ll be disappointed if Russell isn’t a Vol tomorrow.

 

[JRVOL11]

wasn’t Russell already committed to Arkansas before a while ago? be odd to commit back lol

 

[CAVPUT]

wasn’t Russell already committed to Arkansas before a while ago? be odd to commit back lol

Could have been an NIL leverage maneuver? And never dismiss the impact of long term local pressure to stay home and play for the home team.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

To me this is much to do about nothing. He is an above average running back but does not appear to be a make a break player. If we get him great, if we don’t not a big deal. Our RB room is in pretty good shape for at least the next two years. We will recruit more RBs over the next couple of years that will be as good or better.

 

[VolInDayton]

wasn’t Russell already committed to Arkansas before a while ago? be odd to commit back lol

Arkansas should have some pride. They shouldn't want someone who didn't want them.

 

[KingVFL]

It's bigger than that though. The mentality that because "we don't do bidding wars" it somehow suggests weakness or an unwillingness to do what it takes to be first place is underappreciating the fact that the bidding process is revealing something important about the recruit. If they are all about your school until someone else comes in with a marginally better offer, that expresses a value. I'm not saying it's a bad value or a wrong value, but it is a telling value. Heup clearly has a profile he likes to recruit, and if that particular value suggests incompatibility with his profile, then I have no qualms with them choosing not to play that game.

I think this is accurate. We definitely have a type of kid that we like and usually those kids aren't purely NIL types.

This isn't a universal truth but the more often we're competing for kids that are down to Alabama, Georgia and Clemson and less for kids that are down to Miami, Oregon and A&M, the better we'll be long-term. Every kid situation is unique and so that's not a commentary on any specific recruit (and we've seen Georgia definitely has more than their fair share of idiots), but as a general rule the more we compete with that first group, the better we'll be in my opinion. It'll take time to get to a place that we win head-to-head regularly vs. that first group though.

 

[Volfansince1980]

Rumor is that Wiltfong was told by the Russell camp to remove the CB so that his moment isnt spoiled, TIFWIW

It’s not worth much since you’re just regurgitating what someone else said earlier in this thread

 

[SugarCC]

I like Russell; but, Peyton Lewis is one of the best RBs in America. Since we have him committed, Russell going to Ark doesn't bother me, one bit.

 

[swchandler1988]

AP brought up a good point. He said Arkansas gave him a reason to decommit. Twitter is not a reliable source when rumors are spreading like wildfire every day

 

[SoonerVol]

I like Russell; but, Peyton Lewis is one of the best RBs in America. Since we have him committed, Russell going to Ark doesn't bother me, one bit.

I still say that Russell size at the end of the game when the other team is gassed would be amazing. I'm picturing Earl Campbell here.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

It’s always funny to me when people freak out about losing quite literally any recruit and say “the staff can’t close.” We have a pretty healthy and deep RB room, but missing out on the #307 player in the country means we suck at recruiting? I feel like maybe we should wait and see how this class looks closer to ESD before we make proclamations that “this staff can’t recruit.”

 

[sjt18]

It's bigger than that though. The mentality that because "we don't do bidding wars" it somehow suggests weakness or an unwillingness to do what it takes to be first place is underappreciating the fact that the bidding process is revealing something important about the recruit. If they are all about your school until someone else comes in with a marginally better offer, that expresses a value. I'm not saying it's a bad value or a wrong value, but it is a telling value. Heup clearly has a profile he likes to recruit, and if that particular value suggests incompatibility with his profile, then I have no qualms with them choosing not to play that game.

All true and as I mentioned in another thread you have to have an NIL strategy. A good one may mean that you don't go too deep into bidding wars and especially for HS players.

After taking my current job I found that the pay levels were all screwed up. We have a "merit" based system in theory but I inherited a bunch of guys who were marginal performer but on the high end pay wise and other guys who were stars that weren't. These guys talk about pay and bonuses so it was a long sore spot. To complicate that further has been the significant inflation in the labor market.

You have to find a way to pay your best guys on the right end of the scale. But even with your more "average" or inexperienced guys you have to make sure you do not pay a new guy so much that it results in unfairness.

UT probably has the resources to win more of these NIL bidding wars. But what are the costs in the locker room and long term? Like anything else, be honest with guys about their value and pay them well knowing that some guys will be overvalued by a competitor while you hope to find the undervalued guy.

 

[jvols1999]

I think this is accurate. We definitely have a type of kid that we like and usually those kids aren't purely NIL types.

This isn't a universal truth but the more often we're competing for kids that are down to Alabama, Georgia and Clemson and less for kids that are down to Miami, Oregon and A&M, the better we'll be long-term. Every kid situation is unique and so that's not a commentary on any specific recruit (and we've seen Georgia definitely has more than their fair share of idiots), but as a general rule the more we compete with that first group, the better we'll be in my opinion. It'll take time to get to a place that we win head-to-head regularly vs. that first group though.

Well said both. My two caveats are:

1) Stipulating your point, why spend SO much time and energy recruiting a kid like Franklin. If G knows him and the family so well it should've been obvious - before he started earning elite status on Spirit flying to Miami every weekend - that his was going to be an NIL recruitment. So if you don't want to get into that, don't. I respect that stance, but the opportunity cost of G spending so much effort on Franklin in lieu of guys like Amaris Williams or others is huge.

2) IMO, SOMETIMES you've got to go to the mattresses for a player. That either means beating the highest bid for an NIL kid OR it means big-dogging programs who you've got a resource advantage over (which as I understand it is most). You want to be judicious with who you do the former for - to the point of @KingNico's point - but if you want to land the elite players sometimes you've got the do it. Part of why Heupel is going to make ~$100M over the course of his time here is because he needs to be able to manage a locker room. And in terms of big-dogging, you have to figure out who you can do that to (I'd say Michigan, OU are two examples) and which recruits it matters for (e.g., Nwaneri is probably going to take less money to go to UGA).

Again, tons of grey, thanks to all for an interesting discussion...