Biggest bust as a highly touted recruit.

[MurphyVol]

Sterling Hinton was a guy I was excited about back in the day. He was a tremendous athlete, led his high school to a state championship in 3 sports (I think, if I recall correctly) and tuned down offers from Bama, Penn St, etc. And then he lost her job to a pretty pedestrian Andy Kelly.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Doug Atkins. Recruited as a basketball player and never did anything special on the hardwood.

 

[CAVPUT]

DARDEN, simply because of his own self hype. "I going to do great things for Tennessee". (paraphrased) Al Wilson "Let's see if this Freshman is ready to play some ball" Prior to slamming BD into the turf in the "Tennessee Drill".

Every time I hear "day 1 starter" applied to a recruit, I think of Brian Darden.

 

[CAVPUT]

Chris Donald

Chris "scarecrow" Donald...if only he'd had a brain.

 

[CousinEddie]

He quit on his team. He got lit up and fumbled in the Georgia game because he lost focus and tried to showboat into the end zone. Then he refused to play in the A&M game and left at the end of the season. I don't care what the coach did or didn't promise him. He handled that situation about as terribly as you can. Plus wasn't he the catalyst who pushed for the firing of S&C coach Dave Lawson? Yeah, the impact of that was definitely felt the next season when we looked about as soft as marshmallows against Appy State. I'm not saying CBJ didn't do him wrong but the way Hurd handled it was bad. He SHOULD'VE been a beloved VFL, up there with Al Wilson, Manning, Eric Berry, etc but because of how he acted, he's all but forgotten about now. Truly a shame.

Clueless

 

[butchna]

Sterling Hinton was a guy I was excited about back in the day. He was a tremendous athlete, led his high school to a state championship in 3 sports (I think, if I recall correctly) and tuned down offers from Bama, Penn St, etc. And then he lost her job to a pretty pedestrian Andy Kelly.

Kelly was better. Pulled for Sterling at the beginning of the season...mostly due to Sterling's performance the previous season against Boston College. But that was more him being better than Randy Sanders. Still believe we beat Bama that season with Kelly under center. He was frustrating because he could lead you back from any deficit. But way too often, he was the reason you were behind in the first place. But his legacy should be cemented at UT. He was the signalcaller for way too many great victories and if he was a hack, they would've been losses.

 

[TNnative]

The linebacker out of Jackson Central Merry, Daniel Brooks. He was a five star recruit. You had to send him to a frat party to get him to hit somebody.

Yeah, and we missed out on Patrick Willis to get him and some other guy who ended up not being all that at Florida State.

 

[TNnative]

I do NOT consider Jalen Hurd a bust!! In fact, I think he was a very good player..

Yeah he was good at first. But once they become a quitter? That makes them a bust.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Michael Munoz never lived up to the hype. Nice guy, great family and average at best O- lineman.

He was all-SEC as a freshman. Then he got hurt and battled knee injuries his entire career here. Not a bust but injuries kept him from realizing his full potential.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Demonte Bolden

Not entirely a bust, as he WAS a multi year starter and productive here, but he never lived up to the hype surrounding him when Fulmer recruited him.

 

[DaddyChad]

Yeah he was good at first. But once they become a quitter? That makes them a bust.

There was a lot going on there. Stupidity on both sides.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Nukeese Richardson

Wow. That is actually a name I had forgotten

 

[BreatheUT]

Can we add Daniel Brooks? He and Chris Donald had similar results though Brooks stayed in trouble.

 

[#1fulmerite]

Fulmer signed OL Malcolm Rawls out of Memphis as a highly touted prospect. Rawls was a package deal with 3 star DT Dan Williams. Rawls never amounted to anything and transferred. Williams had a good career and made it to the league.

Was Williams the kid that had so much difficulty getting in?

 

[rocktopper16]

Paul Bain

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Was Williams the kid that had so much difficulty getting in?

That was Gerald Williams.

 

[#1fulmerite]

That 2001 class of RB’s. Cedrick Houston, Derick Tinsley and Jabari Davis. All were supposed to be the greatest ever.
Then Riggs. I remember Riggs coming through a hole (Mac Truck size) then running right into a DB. From the endzone of the Peach Bowl, I swear that dude literally ran to get tackled!

 

[livefaith]

Really? #1 recruit worthy? Hell no. Soft as a marshmallow. Kiffin lost the UCLA game giving it to him 4 times from the one.

Not #1 recruit worthy by any means. But waaaay closer to that than "worst bust of all time at UT". He was actually productive behind (beside :-/) an All SEC tailback.

 

[livefaith]

That 2001 class of RB’s. Cedrick Houston, Derick Tinsley and Jabari Davis. All were supposed to be the greatest ever.
Then Riggs. I remember Riggs coming through a hole (Mac Truck size) then running right into a DB. From the endzone of the Peach Bowl, I swear that dude literally ran to get tackled!

Wasn't Gerald rated #1 recruit nationally by some, out of Red Bank?

 

[livefaith]

Jeffries is 3asily up there.

Yes. Now that's what a Bust looks like!

 

[#1fulmerite]

Wasn't Gerald rated #1 recruit nationally by some, out of Red Bank?

I do remember he was highly touted. Seems Trooper Taylor commented that a walk on (Yancey maybe) was going to be the starter and Fulmer went into damage control.

 

[SpookyAction]

Busts don't contribute.

DaRick Rogers

2011, he was the highlight of the offense.
67 rec
1040yds
15.5avg
9 TDs
He was expendable due to drama, and Hunter, then Cordarelle Patterson joining the team.

I suppose he had an "okay" career here, but man I remember the hype on Gerald Riggs Jr was something else. Supposed to be the next Jamal Lewis. Had 1 pretty good season, but mostly had a forgettable career.

Injuries, wasn't it? Lower leg or something like that. Senior season.
Fr and So played behind Jabari Davis and Cedric Houston, then co-starred with Houston during the double 1000yd rushing season. Then his injury.

Michael Munoz never lived up to the hype. Nice guy, great family and average at best O- lineman.

He was all-SEC as a freshman. Then he got hurt and battled knee injuries his entire career here. Not a bust but injuries kept him from realizing his full potential.

2003, 2004 2nd team All-SEC
2004 All-American
Maybe less than expected, but he was rock solid. Bust? Busts are not All-Americans.

 

[Carp]

Michael Munoz never lived up to the hype. Nice guy, great family and average at best O- lineman.

Michael Munoz was an All-American my guy. What are you talking about?

 

[Voldog1998]

That 2001 class of RB’s. Cedrick Houston, Derick Tinsley and Jabari Davis. All were supposed to be the greatest ever.
Then Riggs. I remember Riggs coming through a hole (Mac Truck size) then running right into a DB. From the endzone of the Peach Bowl, I swear that dude literally ran to get tackled!

. Riggs never lived up to his hype

 

[EasternVol]

Most people won't remember Stephon Moore. He was signed by UT but couldn't qualify academically. He went to TMI with Sam Henderson, Dale Jones and a few others in fall 1981. After what should have been their collegiate freshman year at UT, a few of them went to UT after a year at TMI in Sweetwater. Stephon made the grade to matriculate, but flunked out fall quarter of 1982. If you look back at the preseason periodicals before 1982, you'll see his name mentioned as a big play guy. Played TB and was brilliant as both a runner and receiver

It took some effort for a football player to flunk out in 82.