biggest recruiting challenges for Dooley?

#1
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Grayvol

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#1
High school seniors HAVE to look at our program and have a lot of excitement/intrigue. So what are the challenges he'll have to face, either internally or from rival programs?
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#2
#2
Lack of in-state talent, relative to GA, FL, LA, etc. is the first thing that comes to mind.
 
#3
#3
SMU Vol said:
Lack of in-state talent, relative to GA, FL, LA, etc. is the first thing that comes to mind.
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Agreed, but times they are a changing. Kids will go anywhere to play for anybody they think can win.
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#4
#4
SMU Vol said:
Lack of in-state talent, relative to GA, FL, LA, etc. is the first thing that comes to mind.
Click to expand...

Agree. I also think that because CDD doesn't care about the all important rivals.com rankings (as it should be) recruits might not view are program as highly as if we were always ranked in the top 5.
 
#6
#6
Lets go get some Miami recruits. With Shannon getting fired, I'm sure there will be some reopen their recruitment.
 
#7
#7
The same challenges every other UT coach has had to face. Convincing a lot of kids to leave their home state to come and play for UT. The only reason Tennessee has the recruiting prowess that it does is because of the facilities and the fact that we play in the SEC. Recruit the heck out of Georgia and Florida, that has, and probably always will be the biggest key to recruiting at UT along with not letting the little elite in-state talent that we do produce to slip through the cracks. Recruiting at Tennessee is nowhere near impossible. Its just a matter of having a guy who knows how to recruit. And having a lawyer trying to convince 17 and 18 year olds of something isn't exactly a bad thing.

But currently sitting at 8th place in the SEC in recruiting is starting to make me a little nervous. I just hope that we have a nice finish to this recruiting class. I believe we will, especially if we win our bowl game. Kids who follow college football do have a reason to be relatively excited about coming to Tennessee right now.
 
#8
#8
I really think Dooley when he talks to the kids and their parents he will get more recruits. I have been behind Dooley from day one. He will get the right kids for our program.
 
#9
#9
I think he got a big boost as far as perception goes with the way they've finished the year. Gunslinger QB and a chance to play right away should make Tennessee a pretty attractive place to play for some.
 
#10
#10
orangepridenation said:
The same challenges every other UT coach has had to face. Convincing a lot of kids to leave their home state to come and play for UT. The only reason Tennessee has the recruiting prowess that it does is because of the facilities and the fact that we play in the SEC. Recruit the heck out of Georgia and Florida, that has, and probably always will be the biggest key to recruiting at UT along with not letting the little elite in-state talent that we do produce to slip through the cracks. Recruiting at Tennessee is nowhere near impossible. Its just a matter of having a guy who knows how to recruit. And having a lawyer trying to convince 17 and 18 year olds of something isn't exactly a bad thing.

But currently sitting at 8th place in the SEC in recruiting is starting to make me a little nervous. I just hope that we have a nice finish to this recruiting class. I believe we will, especially if we win our bowl game. Kids who follow college football do have a reason to be relatively excited about coming to Tennessee right now.
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Yes and the coaching staff at Georgia (6-6) and Flordia (7-5) they have no reason to be like that, we can get kids from there. I think Dooley and his coaches did a real good job this year to get this team to 6-6. We win the Music City Bowl and will have same record as last year team and they had more talent than this team.
 
#12
#12
I don't think recruiting to UT is as hard as our fans make it out to be. UT has a history of recruiting well and if it was so hard to recruit to UT I don't think our football program would have achieved so much success throughout the years. I think at big programs it's all about the coaches ability to recruit. I mean look at Nebraska, not only does the state lack talent but the surrounding states also lack talent. Nebraska is basically in the middle of no where and they are able to recruit with Bo Pelini. Nebraska and UT have the money, facilities, fan support and historical success. The difference between Nebraska and UT is that UT isn't located in the middle of no where. UT is in close proximity to a lot more talent than Nebraska. So basically once a school has the money, facilities, fan support and historical success, it mainly comes down to one thing the coaches ability to recruit. Of course having instate talent helps a little but not as much as some think. A lot of the schools with abundance of instate talent lost a lot of the talent when they didn't have a coach who could recruit.
 
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#13
#13
Two of the most important factors in recruiting in terms of a whole class is program stability and on the field success. We have had neither as of late. 3 coaching staff's in 3 years and a record of 18-19 the past 3 regular seasons. That is why it is tougher for us than normal. I fully expect Tennessee to put together a top 10 class next year when both are better.

But it is not as tough as it was a month ago. We have finished very strong and are now getting a bowl game. Recruits have always known early playing time was available but now they can see with our freshmen that we are on the way back up and will be very strong in a couple years. If we finished this season differently, recruiting would be more difficult than it's going to be. Seeing progress/success on the field is huge.

We are about to put together Dooley's 2nd very strong finish.
 
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#14
#14
Lord Vader said:
Two of the most important factors in recruiting in terms of a whole class is program stability and on the field success.
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I would include a third factor, at least when it comes to blue chip prospects. That is the recruit's confidence in the coaching staff's ability to prepare him for the next level. (See DeAnthony Arnett's comments when he announced.) This may be the same as LVs first factor in that confidence may begin with the expectation that the coaching staff who coaches him will be the same as (or as good as) the coaching staff that signs him.
 
#15
#15
i think we are wide open for recruits.. we can run the ball for 3 yard gains but we can sling it 80 yards a pop...lol if we get the total package we are going to be unreal. I think we have the most explosive passing game I have ever seen at TN. Now if we get the Power Run back like we are use to we are going to light up the score boards on everyone.
 
#16
#16
Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Lane Kiffin, Chip Kelley, Mark Richt, Les Miles, Mack Brown, Gene Chizik(Bobby Lowder and $$$$$$$$$$), etc. Those are his biggest challenges. That being said, if I had to pick one to talk to the parents of a recruit right now, it would be CDD.
 
#17
#17
Lord Vader said:
Two of the most important factors in recruiting in terms of a whole class is program stability and on the field success. We have had neither as of late. 3 coaching staff's in 3 years and a record of 18-19 the past 3 regular seasons. That is why it is tougher for us than normal. I fully expect Tennessee to put together a top 10 class next year when both are better.

But it is not as tough as it was a month ago. We have finished very strong and are now getting a bowl game. Recruits have always known early playing time was available but now they can see with our freshmen that we are on the way back up and will be very strong in a couple years. If we finished this season differently, recruiting would be more difficult than it's going to be. Seeing progress/success on the field is huge.

We are about to put together Dooley's 2nd very strong finish.
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I Like ^
 
#18
#18
the biggest challenge is simply convincing recruits that we are a program on the rise. It's only natural that recruits are going to want to play for successful programs and currently we are team that have has not won an SEC title in over 10 years.
 
#20
#20
My formula would be to Boise St. the heck out of Cali, Tex, La, Fl, Ga, Ohio And the Carolinas. Boise ST's roster is 90% Texas and Cali. We don't need their best, we just need their better HS players to mix in with the 10 or so top kids from around the country that we will sign every year. In that we can build depth and find that rare diamond. I wouldn't waste time in any other state unless they are a top recruit. IMO
 
#21
#21
Grayvol said:
High school seniors HAVE to look at our program and have a lot of excitement/intrigue. So what are the challenges he'll have to face, either internally or from rival programs?
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Location, location, location... that's why it was very intelligent for him to declare a strategy that a 300 mile radius around K'ville would be considered home recruiting turf. There is actually as many 4-5* players within that radius as there are in Florida in most years. It takes in Memphis, Tidewater area of Va, the I-85 corridor through GA/NC/SC, most of AL and MS, southern Ohio,...

His biggest challenge is the same one UT coaches have always faced. He has to convince kids to turn their backs on in-state schools when they often grew up strong fans and had that affinity reinforced by most of the adults that influenced them including coaches.

The best remedy to that of course is winning and being viewed as a "national program". Fulmer had and blew a great opportunity to do that after the NC. UT still has fans across the country but will have a lot more if they can win big games and be exciting doing it.


FWIW, I think having Poole break off big runs helps. Having Bray make big plays helps a ton. Having the WR's making the plays they've made over the last month helps a ton. Having Waggner return 4 INT's for TD helps. It is a lot more fun for a kid to imagine themselves doing that than "mundane" stuff.
 
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