Good story on roster challenges for this yr & next

[wmcovol]

The last Pruitt/first Heupel recruiting class is basically gone. Heupel was hired until after the early signing day so you really can’t blame him for the disastrous class.

https://atozsports.com/nashville/tennessee-vols-football-josh-heupel-news-roster-recruiting/

 

[UT Hill Man]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

 

[Tman44]

It is nice to see that CJH and staff have had success while operating under these circumstances. It is actually pretty fantastic what has been accomplished. The greatest thing is that we are moving out of this terrible spot for the roster. Knowing things can only look up in very encouraging.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

You don't want to hear facts?

 

[UT Hill Man]

You don't want to hear facts?

I know the facts, everyone knows the facts.

CJH is going through a rough stretch so he's airing excuses, and to me that's not what I want to hear from the leader of the team.

 

[volfan411]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

Facts aren‘t excuses and CJH wasn’t making an excuse he just pointed it out.

 

[865er]

I know the facts, everyone knows the facts.

CJH is going through a rough stretch so he's airing excuses, and to me that's not what I want to hear from the leader of the team.

But you admit what he said was factual?

Do you also admit that what was factually said is a very hard hurdle to overcome?

 

[Tman44]

I know the facts, everyone knows the facts.

CJH is going through a rough stretch so he's airing excuses, and to me that's not what I want to hear from the leader of the team.

Why do you think the NCAA takes away scholarships as punishment? Because it hurts the team. When those players left, it did the same thing. That is a simple fact. It is amazing he has had this much success with what he has had to work with.

 

[Carl Pickens]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

It’s not an excuse if it’s the truth …., it’s just a fact

 

[LWSVOL]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

there are only 4 players from the 2021 signing class still on the roster.

 

[McDad]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

*Voluntarily clicks on article outlining extreme challenges for CJH and program*

..."I dont wanna hear any excuses".

 

[wmcovol]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

Well, these aren’t excuses, these are facts. Regardless of who Tennessee hired in ‘21, they were facing a depleted roster with a terrible recruiting class coming in. Then he got to start with 18 less scholarships & NCAA postseason ban rumors for the next 2 yrs. If you think that doesn’t impact things, you’re not realistic

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

A fact that affects an outcome isn’t an excuse. Heupel isn’t asking for pity, but we won’t compete with teams that have a blend of depth and talent until we have it too.

 

[sami]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

That isn't an excuse, it's reality. Big difference.

I never once heard him moaning about this or making any excuses, really, after any loss. But the whole idea of expecting the program to be at elite level 2-3 years into a total rebuild off sanctions and mass transfers is beyond ridiculous, especially given that the program hasn't been elite in 20 years.

 

[SpookyAction]

This year's Fr are the foundation. We can be competitive as the young talent is prepped for SEC play.

We have 17 Jr's. It could be worse.
30 Fr on the roster. Seems like the same story since Dooley started. That is a mark of failure.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

A reason for something occuring is not akin to an excuse.

 

[Hunerwadel]

Heup is facing the biggest rebuilding challenge at UT in my memory. And my memory goes back to when Doug Dickey took over. He's doing a pretty darn good job IMO.

 

[Pickinhick]

What I don’t want to hear is whining. I’m tired of people whining about the coach, the quarterback, assistant coaches. No one has offered excuses, and we don’t know what the coaches know. Is it too hard to just believe the coaches when they say something?

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

"There’s an entire recruiting class that basically is gone from our roster, and really a majority of the one before that. And so we're old, and we're really young, and there's [a gap].

I support CJH 100% but I don't want to hear excuses.

That isn’t a excuse it’s facts. Next year we will have a strong freshman, Sophmore and junior class but our senior class will be thin unless a lot of our seniors that can come back do or we sign some seniors out of the portal. When Pruitt left we had a ton of players leave and that recruiting class was pure patchwork. It’s no excuse it’s just a plain fact. We are void a good class or better. The good news is after next year we will finally have 4 solid classes and we should be gaining on depth at that point. GBO

 

[BeardedVol]

Heup is facing the biggest rebuilding challenge at UT in my memory. And my memory goes back to when Doug Dickey took over. He's doing a pretty darn good job IMO.

The same was said about Dooley's, Butch's, and Pruitt's tenures at Tennessee, and they didn't have access to a nearly unrestricted transfer portal.

There's no reason for UT to be as devoid of quality depth as we seem to be, in comparison to teams like Florida and Missouri this year, and going forward.

 

[Tenacjim]

What I don’t want to hear is whining. I’m tired of people whining about the coach, the quarterback, assistant coaches. No one has offered excuses, and we don’t know what the coaches know. Is it too hard to just believe the coaches when they say something?

You don’t have to even believe him. You can review the roster yourself and confirm the facts!

 

[volfan411]

The same was said about Dooley's, Butch's, and Pruitt's tenures at Tennessee, and they didn't have access to a nearly unrestricted transfer portal.

There's no reason for UT to be as devoid of quality depth as we seem to be, in comparison to teams like Florida and Missouri this year, and going forward.

Dooley inherited a similar situation when Kiffin bailed on us but Butch and Pruitt did not inherit anywhere near the depleted roster that CJH did.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

I know the facts, everyone knows the facts.

CJH is going through a rough stretch so he's airing excuses, and to me that's not what I want to hear from the leader of the team.

BS

 

[Tenacjim]

The same was said about Dooley's, Butch's, and Pruitt's tenures at Tennessee, and they didn't have access to a nearly unrestricted transfer portal.

There's no reason for UT to be as devoid of quality depth as we seem to be, in comparison to teams like Florida and Missouri this year, and going forward.

The transfer portal works both ways. While the three mentioned didn’t have access to an almost unlimited portal, it also didn’t decimate their rosters.

Florida and Mizzou also didn’t suffer the roster attrition and the complete collapse of a recruiting class as TN did…

College football teams who were crushed by transfer portal losses this offseason

Once in the early days of the transfer portal, the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s basketball team saw 11 of its 13 scholarship players enter the transfer portal

247sports.com

 

[volfan411]

This year's Fr are the foundation. We can be competitive as the young talent is prepped for SEC play.

We have 17 Jr's. It could be worse.
30 Fr on the roster. Seems like the same story since Dooley started. That is a mark of failure.

The roster issues are a mark of constant changing of coaches. UT has compounded the problem each time by delaying the hiring process until too late in the recruiting cycle for the new coach to get his players. Every time a coach is fired that is a dead recruiting year.