Can Tennessee climb the ladder at all tomorrow?

#26
#26
With early signing day upon us a quick glance at the team recruiting rankings has us either the #7 or #8 team in the SEC. Now with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas things just got even harder in recruiting.

Can UT flip some big names with some big $$$ to get us into the top 5? Or will UT be dependent on the transfer portal?
Unless something drastically changes no.
 
#27
#27
Yeah this is all good and well. My bigger concern is CJH isn't recruiting better than any of his predecessors. UT has been pretty easily able to land a 10 to 15 class ranking since Fulmer was fired. But in that same time the same few teams in the SEC out recruit us and the same few teams finish higher than us in the standings.

Anyway I know people know this stuff. I just wonder how excited Tennessee fans are compared to how excited Bama or Georgia or Texas or LSU or a few other fans bases are.

Hopefully this year was a fluke and we have a coach that can get us to the top quickly so we start landing top 4 recruiting classes every year and Bama and Georgia start to suck again.

People say this stuff doesn't matter but it clearly does.
Please tell us which former TN coach has had a higher per recruit average than Heupel does.
 
#28
#28
We are looking at Harrison, Rodriguez, and Sensebaugh all signing with us tomorrow. Then we are potentially adding McCoy today and Brazzell, hopefully this week. I think that is where we are at. Could be a surprise but we will see.
Who are Harrison and Rodriguez?
 
#29
#29
Yeah this is all good and well. My bigger concern is CJH isn't recruiting better than any of his predecessors. UT has been pretty easily able to land a 10 to 15 class ranking since Fulmer was fired. But in that same time the same few teams in the SEC out recruit us and the same few teams finish higher than us in the standings.

Anyway I know people know this stuff. I just wonder how excited Tennessee fans are compared to how excited Bama or Georgia or Texas or LSU or a few other fans bases are.

Hopefully this year was a fluke and we have a coach that can get us to the top quickly so we start landing top 4 recruiting classes every year and Bama and Georgia start to suck again.

People say this stuff doesn't matter but it clearly does.
There are several team which have a 5 year recruiting composite higher than UT. UT is only struggling with wins with UGA, (0-3), Bama (1-2), and UF (1-2). The other teams "beating" us in recruiting are being beaten by UT. The record against those rivals must improve. But other than that, we're fine.
 
#31
#31
Please tell us which former TN coach has had a higher per recruit average than Heupel does.
I don't know about per recruit average. I just know how we finished in relation to our direct competition. Recruiting metrics and averages have changed over time but how you do in relation to other teams on the same scale of measure is what matters most.
 
#32
#32
Yeah this is all good and well. My bigger concern is CJH isn't recruiting better than any of his predecessors. UT has been pretty easily able to land a 10 to 15 class ranking since Fulmer was fired. But in that same time time the same few teams in the SEC our recruit us and the same few teams finish higher than us in the standings.

Anyway I know people know this stuff. I just wonder how excited Tennessee fans are compared to how excited Bama or Georgia or Texas or LSU or a few other fans bases are.

Hopefully this year was a fluke and we have a coach that can get us to the top quickly so we start landing top 4 recruiting classes every year and Bama and Georgia start to suck again.
I don't remember any years in the recent past that had two 5 stars, fourteen 4 stars, the number one recruits in the state of Tennessee, with many in the top 100 recruits.

As many have stated, quit looking at the ranking and look at the composite score of each recruit. We have not signed anywhere near the numbers as other team and we are sitting right beside of them in ranking, with early NSD happening tomorrow.
 
#33
#33
Unlikely we move the needle much tomorrow. But McKinley is still a big target left on the board for February. And there is always a chance of flipping someone in January after portal transfers and coaching changes.

 
#37
#37
I don't remember any years in the recent past that had two 5 stars, fourteen 4 stars, the number one recruits in the state of Tennessee, with many in the top 100 recruits.

As many have stated, quit looking at the ranking and look at the composite score of each recruit. We have not signed anywhere near the numbers as other team and we are sitting right beside of them in ranking, with early NSD happening tomorrow.
I mean what do you mean by recent past?

Butch Jones had 4 5* and 13 4* players and the #1 player in the state in 2015.

He had 2 5* and 16 4* and the #2 player in the state in 2014.

Derek Doolittle had a comparable 2010

In 2020 even The Gump had a 5* 13 4* recruit and the #2 player in the state
 
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#38
#38
What do we get if we do get in the top 5? A trophy? I know what they say about top classes, but remember, Butch had good classes too.
Yeah but Butch couldn't coach and basically lied to kids about playing time to get them to come to UT. What we need is a coach that can recruit like Butch and coach much better.

So far I say we have a coach that can coach much better but can't recruit as well.

All that though doesn't take the Portal into account. If we use the portal well that is as good as recruiting well.
 
#39
#39
Recruiting rankings will not reflect the incredible benefits of retaining Pili, Mays, Spraggins, and hopefully Bru. Basically returning almost our entire OL and Defensive front 7 can not be overestimated .
And I think Nico had a much better first season starting safely behind that group of veterans
 
#41
#41
I mean what do you mean by recent past?

Butch Jones had 4 5* and 13 4* players and the #1 player in the state in 2015.

He had 2 5* and 16 4* and the #2 player in the state in 2014.

Derek Doolittle had a comparable 2010

In 2020 even The Gump had a 5* 13 4* recruit and the #2 player in the state
The difference between Heupel’s 4 and 5 stars vs Butch’s is that Butch chased Star numbers regardless of scheme fit or cultural match. Heupel prioritizes 4 and 5 stars that fit into what we are trying to accomplish. Just my two Cent opinion
 
#42
#42
Recruiting rankings will not reflect the incredible benefits of retaining Pili, Mays, Spraggins, and hopefully Bru. Basically returning almost our entire OL and Defensive front 7 can not be overestimated .
And I think Nico had a much better first season starting safely behind that group of veterans
Yeah I mean that goes without saying but I don't expect most in a recruiting class to have an impact on year 1. It's more about the future success of the program.

Next year's success is not being defined by this recruiting class. Next year's success has already been decided by years past.
 
#43
#43
I mean what do you mean by recent past?

Butch Jones had 4 5* and 13 4* players and the #1 player in the state in 2015.

He had 2 5* and 16 4* and the #2 player in the state in 2014.

Derek Doolittle had a comparable 2010

In 2020 even The Gump had a 5* 13 4* recruit and the #2 player in the state
Signing day hasn't even happened yet.
 
#44
#44
The difference between Heupel’s 4 and 5 stars vs Butch’s is that Butch chased Star numbers regardless of scheme fit or cultural match. Heupel prioritizes 4 and 5 stars that fit into what we are trying to accomplish. Just my two Cent opinion
Ha! Butch got the players that bought his lies.

Once they realized he was a snake oil salesman and that "brick by brick" was a sham, THAT is when the culture went to hell.

Culture went south in 2016 when good players weren't getting the playing time they thought they would get or were promised. Or guys weren't getting the ball as much as Jones promised them.

Saying that the players weren't a fit for the culture is a bit wrong. I think the culture was sh!t due to Jones 'house of cards'
 
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#46
#46
The difference between Heupel’s 4 and 5 stars vs Butch’s is that Butch chased Star numbers regardless of scheme fit or cultural match. Heupel prioritizes 4 and 5 stars that fit into what we are trying to accomplish. Just my two Cent opinion
This is spot-on.

Butch's recruiting strategy was incoherent star-gazing at its worst. Went after players that didn't fit into "his system" at all because they were rated high, and then refused to modify "his system" in any way, shape, or form to suit the skill-set of the players he recruited.

Heup is very clearly concerned about fit and has frequently prioritized players that were rated lower than others because he felt they fit better. This, of course, leads to some consternation among some VN posters, but typically leads to better results.
 
#47
#47
I mean what do you mean by recent past?

Butch Jones had 4 5* and 13 4* players and the #1 player in the state in 2015.

He had 2 5* and 16 4* and the #2 player in the state in 2014.

Derek Doolittle had a comparable 2010

In 2020 even The Gump had a 5* 13 4* recruit and the #2 player in the state
Butch and Dooley are the reason that recruiting to Tennessee is hard in the first place. How many 11-2 seasons did any of those buffoons have.
 
#48
#48
With early signing day upon us a quick glance at the team recruiting rankings has us either the #7 or #8 team in the SEC. Now with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas things just got even harder in recruiting.

Can UT flip some big names with some big $$$ to get us into the top 5? Or will UT be dependent on the transfer portal?
 

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#49
#49
There will be a last minute big time pickup tomorrow! 5'8" WR Billy Turtleton out of Bean Station!
 
#50
#50
I don't know about per recruit average. I just know how we finished in relation to our direct competition. Recruiting metrics and averages have changed over time but how you do in relation to other teams on the same scale of measure is what matters most.
You don't think the most important metric is the one that compares the average projected quality of each recruit, seeing as classed will vary in size? What's more impressive? Signing 30 2-3 stars to fill a roster, or 15 3-4 stars?
 

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