CMU Transfer RB Kobe Lewis (Purdue Commit)

[allvolrecruiting]

Nobody is taking Small's job, we just need a veteran insurance policy in the depth chart

 

[RiseToTheTop]

- AP

Markese Stepp College Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Saw him in the portal earlier when I looked at available Backs. There was a couple intriguing guys including this one. He’s a big boy.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Nobody is taking Small's job, we just need a veteran insurance policy in the depth chart

Not sure why people don’t understand that.

 

[OrangeMoundTNVol]

Small is going to be just fine this season

His footwork is beautiful, and his lower body looks noticeably stronger. If he remains healthy(big if) he will be a top 5 SEC back. This kid 1 on 1 with a defender often equals embarrassment for the defender.

 

[Poo Poo Bear]

I don't understand why some Vol fans are not satisfied with Small as the starting RB.

He's not big, not fast, and hasn't shown much wiggle in the open field. Combine the fact that he doesn't excel at pass protection or staying in games, what is there to be ecstatic about? If you put him on any other team, this fan base wouldn't even know who he was.

I appreciate that he works hard and represents the program well, but based on measurables, he's just not a 'wow' guy. He can be serviceable to good, but he's not shown to be elite in any category. Considering what the rest of the league's starters look like, and what Tennessee's former RBs have done, it's really not hard to see why fans would like to see more explosiveness in the RB room.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

- AP

Markese Stepp College Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Okay there's your short yardage guy.

 

[Volsdeep4]

Nobody is taking Small's job, we just need a veteran insurance policy in the depth chart

Right, Small got banged up in a couple of games last year. It’d be nice to get a veteran back to come in

 

[Mccage]

my question is why transfer from Purdue?

My question would be why not?

 

[Real Info]

He's not big, not fast, and hasn't shown much wiggle in the open field. Combine the fact that he doesn't excel at pass protection or staying in games, what is there to be ecstatic about? If you put him on any other team, this fan base wouldn't even know who he was.

I appreciate that he works hard and represents the program well, but based on measurables, he's just not a 'wow' guy. He can be serviceable to good, but he's not shown to be elite in any category. Considering what the rest of the league's starters look like, and what Tennessee's former RBs have done, it's really not hard to see why fans would like to see more explosiveness in the RB room.

Watch the Kentucky game again. He was the featured back against a good SEC defense and did very good. I think he was just then settling in to be the guy. He will be like that more consistently this season.

 

[BarnesIsCaliparisDaddy]

Who's not satisfied with Small as the starter? I think this staff is just looking to add depth because of how injured the unit was last season.

^^^

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

He's not big, not fast, and hasn't shown much wiggle in the open field. Combine the fact that he doesn't excel at pass protection or staying in games, what is there to be ecstatic about? If you put him on any other team, this fan base wouldn't even know who he was.

I appreciate that he works hard and represents the program well, but based on measurables, he's just not a 'wow' guy. He can be serviceable to good, but he's not shown to be elite in any category. Considering what the rest of the league's starters look like, and what Tennessee's former RBs have done, it's really not hard to see why fans would like to see more explosiveness in the RB room.

The guy had got decent speed. Is he a Tiyon Evans? No. But his speed isn’t bad. Don’t know what highlights you have seen but the one on YouTube shows a capable back. He would be very good to add some quality depth.

 

[Weezer]

- AP

Markese Stepp College Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Would he be eligible? He entered the portal well after the deadline from what I can see.

 

[Orange_Crush]

The guy had got decent speed. Is he a Tiyon Evans? No. But his speed isn’t bad. Don’t know what highlights you have seen but the one on YouTube shows a capable back. He would be very good to add some quality depth.

I think he was Poo Pooing Small.

 

[vols 30]

Who's not satisfied with Small as the starter? I think this staff is just looking to add depth because of how injured the unit was last season.

Go back and Look how many negative posts we have now about Small since you responded. It never fails when his name comes up

 

[Poo Poo Bear]

Watch the Kentucky game again. He was the featured back against a good SEC defense and did very good. I think he was just then settling in to be the guy. He will be like that more consistently this season.

How many one-play and one-minute drives did Tennessee's offense have against that "good SEC defense"---was it four, five? Without drops and penalties, it could've been 7 or 8. With any defense at all, Tennessee would've had the possessions to crank out 60+. Any college starter would look good with a Buick-sized hole in front of them, and anybody not drunk on orange Kool-Aid sees the same thing---an undersized, high-character kid who competes without complaining, and we should all appreciate him for that. It doesn't negate the fact that he has obvious limitations. (hence, why people want to add to the roster) "Featured back"...by default. If you put Small '21 on UCF's 2019 roster, he'd be the 3rd or 4th back at Heup's previous stop. Those guys could move, they could slip tacklers, and they scored a lot of TDs from well outside the red zone. Small needs a lot of downfield blocking and bad angles to be a threat from 30/40 yards out. I don't dislike the kid, but people acting like he'd start for half of the conference are just being fans.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

This guy had some really nice, tough runs when he was a Redshirt Freshman at USC.

 

[swchandler1988]

How many one-play and one-minute drives did Tennessee's offense have against that "good SEC defense"---was it four, five? Without drops and penalties, it could've been 7 or 8. With any defense at all, Tennessee would've had the possessions to crank out 60+. Any college starter would look good with a Buick-sized hole in front of them, and anybody not drunk on orange Kool-Aid sees the same thing---an undersized, high-character kid who competes without complaining, and we should all appreciate him for that. It doesn't negate the fact that he has obvious limitations. (hence, why people want to add to the roster) "Featured back"...by default. If you put Small '21 on UCF's 2019 roster, he'd be the 3rd or 4th back at Heup's previous stop. Those guys could move, they could slip tacklers, and they scored a lot of TDs from well outside the red zone. Small needs a lot of downfield blocking and bad angles to be a threat from 30/40 yards out. I don't dislike the kid, but people acting like he'd start for half of the conference are just being fans.

5’11 215 is undersized for a RB? Had 800 yards rushing, 5.6 ypc. 374 yards after contact. All of that while splitting carries and playing all season with an injured shoulder. Yeah he’s pretty average

 

[bigl3327]

How many one-play and one-minute drives did Tennessee's offense have against that "good SEC defense"---was it four, five? Without drops and penalties, it could've been 7 or 8. With any defense at all, Tennessee would've had the possessions to crank out 60+. Any college starter would look good with a Buick-sized hole in front of them, and anybody not drunk on orange Kool-Aid sees the same thing---an undersized, high-character kid who competes without complaining, and we should all appreciate him for that. It doesn't negate the fact that he has obvious limitations. (hence, why people want to add to the roster) "Featured back"...by default. If you put Small '21 on UCF's 2019 roster, he'd be the 3rd or 4th back at Heup's previous stop. Those guys could move, they could slip tacklers, and they scored a lot of TDs from well outside the red zone. Small needs a lot of downfield blocking and bad angles to be a threat from 30/40 yards out. I don't dislike the kid, but people acting like he'd start for half of the conference are just being fans.

I think you are greatly discounting Small, but we'll get to see very soon. I say save the debate for this season. No one is saying he's an All-American candidate, but many (not just Vol fans) think he's far better than your evaluation.

 

[butchna]

This fanbase won’t appreciate Small…unless he transferred. THEN his loss would be a harbinger of doom.

 

[Orange_Crush]

How many one-play and one-minute drives did Tennessee's offense have against that "good SEC defense"---was it four, five? Without drops and penalties, it could've been 7 or 8. With any defense at all, Tennessee would've had the possessions to crank out 60+. Any college starter would look good with a Buick-sized hole in front of them, and anybody not drunk on orange Kool-Aid sees the same thing---an undersized, high-character kid who competes without complaining, and we should all appreciate him for that. It doesn't negate the fact that he has obvious limitations. (hence, why people want to add to the roster) "Featured back"...by default. If you put Small '21 on UCF's 2019 roster, he'd be the 3rd or 4th back at Heup's previous stop. Those guys could move, they could slip tacklers, and they scored a lot of TDs from well outside the red zone. Small needs a lot of downfield blocking and bad angles to be a threat from 30/40 yards out. I don't dislike the kid, but people acting like he'd start for half of the conference are just being fans.

5’11 215 is undersized for a RB? Had 800 yards rushing, 5.6 ypc. 374 yards after contact. All of that while splitting carries and playing all season with an injured shoulder. Yeah he’s pretty average

I think you are greatly discounting Small, but we'll get to see very soon. I say save the debate for this season. No one is saying he's an All-American candidate, but many (not just Vol fans) think he's far better than your evaluation.

Sounds like the argument is "the system can make anyone look great...so we obviously need to upgrade". lol

 

[Orange.]

This fanbase won’t appreciate Small…unless he transferred. THEN his loss would be a harbinger of doom.

But it's not the fanbase at large imo, but a few crazies trying to show how tough they can... post.

 

[Clevegasvol]

He's not big, not fast, and hasn't shown much wiggle in the open field. Combine the fact that he doesn't excel at pass protection or staying in games, what is there to be ecstatic about? If you put him on any other team, this fan base wouldn't even know who he was.

I appreciate that he works hard and represents the program well, but based on measurables, he's just not a 'wow' guy. He can be serviceable to good, but he's not shown to be elite in any category. Considering what the rest of the league's starters look like, and what Tennessee's former RBs have done, it's really not hard to see why fans would like to see more explosiveness in the RB room.

Small definitely has wiggle imo but I do agree that he’s not the biggest or fastest. So yeah he’s not “wowing” anyone but he’s still pretty effective.

 

[Poo Poo Bear]

5’11 215 is undersized for a RB? Had 800 yards rushing, 5.6 ypc. 374 yards after contact. All of that while splitting carries and playing all season with an injured shoulder. Yeah he’s pretty average

I've never met him, but he's consistently shorter than teammates who are listed with similar heights, which strongly suggests, as others have noted that's he's not really 5'11 (more like 5'9ish). Ultimately, production matters more than anything, but having less height and shorter arms could explain why he can't see or block pass rushers better. If you're a 5'8 bowling ball with wheels, height is moot, but Small isn't exactly MJD.

As for your stats argument, that'd be fairly clever if they existed in a vacuum. Since I own a computer, I can look up other stats and see Tiyon Evans averaged 6.5 YPC in the same offense, and he didn't benefit from playing in the Kroger Bowl (which would've lifted him over the 7.0 mark). Hell, if Tiyon had Jabari's work ethic, he might've averaged 8.0 YPC in this offense. But his season is also hard to really break down (injuries, work ethic, inconsistent performances) --Anyway, looking at Small's entire season, there's only 2 carries over 30 yards in the entire season (140 total carries). That's a big red flag, shoulder injury or not. If 30 yards is considered an explosive splash play, that's 1.42% of the time. That means there's a 98.58% chance that Small's not going to give you an explosive chunk play.

I wanted to see how the '21 Vols compared with the '19 Knights (pre-Covid, pre-player opt-outs). Here's Heup's 2019 offense from that season. These backs also split carries, but their averages well-surpass Small's numbers. You could try to pivot and say, "Blah, blah, weaker conference," but explosive offenses will often continue to produce video game numbers, even after jumping conferences (better talent, unfamiliarity for the defense, evolution of the playbook).

Small's 5.7 average is greatly inflated by 4-5 games against Swiss cheese defenses (Kentucky, Vandy, Purdue, et cetera). That's not a criticism, it's just a fact, which makes it difficult to project what he can do in a full season against better competition. I looked at all the individual game lines, and maybe the Ole Miss game is the truest indicator. *shrug* (21-for-92 yards, long of 26 for a 4.4 YPC average & 1 TD) Like people have been saying---those numbers are solid/serviceable, but not going to wow you. His numbers against UGA/Bama were bad, but so was everyone else's. I'm not going to hold that against him. Overall, he's got an incomplete career with a lot of question marks. Unless he makes a big leap, he'll continue to be serviceable/good, but not elite in any one area.

 

[Poo Poo Bear]

I think you are greatly discounting Small, but we'll get to see very soon. I say save the debate for this season. No one is saying he's an All-American candidate, but many (not just Vol fans) think he's far better than your evaluation.

Maybe, or maybe he'll keep taking awkward hits and he'll have another asterisk of a season. Hopefully he'll keep his jersey clean enough that we see 160 carries and >950 yards. "Not just Vol fans"---c'mon, man. Unless you're a degenerate gambler or an SEC pundit who needs Tennessee eyeballs, Jabari Small is not on your radar. In a league of stars and future draft picks, a 3rd place division finisher's 2nd best tailback wasn't getting any pub last year.

 

[swchandler1988]

I've never met him, but he's consistently shorter than teammates who are listed with similar heights, which strongly suggests, as others have noted that's he's not really 5'11 (more like 5'9ish). Ultimately, production matters more than anything, but having less height and shorter arms could explain why he can't see or block pass rushers better. If you're a 5'8 bowling ball with wheels, height is moot, but Small isn't exactly MJD.

As for your stats argument, that'd be fairly clever if they existed in a vacuum. Since I own a computer, I can look up other stats and see Tiyon Evans averaged 6.5 YPC in the same offense, and he didn't benefit from playing in the Kroger Bowl (which would've lifted him over the 7.0 mark). Hell, if Tiyon had Jabari's work ethic, he might've averaged 8.0 YPC in this offense. But his season is also hard to really break down (injuries, work ethic, inconsistent performances) --Anyway, looking at Small's entire season, there's only 2 carries over 30 yards in the entire season (140 total carries). That's a big red flag, shoulder injury or not. If 30 yards is considered an explosive splash play, that's 1.42% of the time. That means there's a 98.58% chance that Small's not going to give you an explosive chunk play.

I wanted to see how the '21 Vols compared with the '19 Knights (pre-Covid, pre-player opt-outs). Here's Heup's 2019 offense from that season. These backs also split carries, but their averages well-surpass Small's numbers. You could try to pivot and say, "Blah, blah, weaker conference," but explosive offenses will often continue to produce video game numbers, even after jumping conferences (better talent, unfamiliarity for the defense, evolution of the playbook).

Small's 5.7 average is greatly inflated by 4-5 games against Swiss cheese defenses (Kentucky, Vandy, Purdue, et cetera). That's not a criticism, it's just a fact, which makes it difficult to project what he can do in a full season against better competition. I looked at all the individual game lines, and maybe the Ole Miss game is the truest indicator. *shrug* (21-for-92 yards, long of 26 for a 4.4 YPC average & 1 TD) Like people have been saying---those numbers are solid/serviceable, but not going to wow you. His numbers against UGA/Bama were bad, but so was everyone else's. I'm not going to hold that against him. Overall, he's got an incomplete career with a lot of question marks. Unless he makes a big leap, he'll continue to be serviceable/good, but not elite in any one area.


View attachment 475513

You spent a lot of time to show (in the meat of your paragraphs) that Small is in fact an above avg running back who enjoyed the same bump in stats that every running back experiences, every season. Yet conclude with a statement contradictory to the stats you’ve procured. Furthermore, the Doak Walker watch list sees “he played well, has a potential to have a great season”. So how about you just table your stance until November. Because you’re just coming off as a troll right now..