Great perspective on the 2019 class and beyond.

[orchidvol]

I hope you are right. So far, I've been a little bit underwhelmed with Pruitt's second class. He and his staff are often touted as elite recruiters, Pruitt being name 247 sports national recruiter of the year one year. These coaches are all well established in the southeast and have formed relationships with the 2019 recruits over several years. Yet his two year results (so far at least) compare less favorably than Dooley's classes. And Dooley even seemed to go out of his way to alienate high school coaches. So, that has been a bit surprising. Maybe we'll close strongly, and maybe these players will prove to be underrated. We certainly need to close the talent gap with Bama and Georgia.

Great comments. After seeing those last two blowout games, we should probably think more along the lines of closing the talent gap with Missouri and Vanderbilt as hard as it is to believe.

 

[scvolfan7]

Jimbo wouldn't have let this team lose to Vandy. Probably would've finished SC as well. Pruitt is in a hole partly of his own making. We didn't force him to stay on Bama staff last season and we didn't force him not to have an OC before ESD this year. I still think he's gone by end of 2021, maybe end of 2020.

Comparing Jimbo fisher and Jeremy Pruitt is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen on VN. Jimbo has been a head coach for 10+ years. Pruitt was in his first year as a head coach at any level. He’s figuring all this out and he still got us two big wins. We’re gonna be just fine if we give him time

 

[1985Vols]

With the news that 5 star DT Aubrey Solomon is transferring from Michigan to UT and if Crouch commits/signs later this evening, this will shape up to be an excellent class by Pruitt and staff. Especially if we land Wright as well, which should happen.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

God you are miserable, of course with that tat I would be too.

Merry Christmas. It's a t-shirt from a restaurant on Captiva. No tats. Did we get Crouch yet?

 

[TN_Transplant]

Or just offer someone like Jimbo $10 million a year and get a top 5 class in year 1.

A&M been down as far as Tennessee or as long?

 

[vegasvolfan]

Our class may be top ten before we are done.

 

[VolFanNC09]

Up to 13. Solomon is a former 5*. Wright is another 5* might crack the top 10....Pruitt did a great job past 36 hours

 

[BLUTickbusdriver]

Crouch and Solomon...we are doing well. GBO!

 

[Mphsvols1969]

I hope you are right. So far, I've been a little bit underwhelmed with Pruitt's second class. He and his staff are often touted as elite recruiters, Pruitt being name 247 sports national recruiter of the year one year. These coaches are all well established in the southeast and have formed relationships with the 2019 recruits over several years. Yet his two year results (so far at least) compare less favorably than Dooley's classes. And Dooley even seemed to go out of his way to alienate high school coaches. So, that has been a bit surprising. Maybe we'll close strongly, and maybe these players will prove to be underrated. We certainly need to close the talent gap with Bama and Georgia.

Something you guys fail to see is Pruitt built Bama def. He has recruited the same type guys here. Big and fast on defense. The recruit from Pearl Cohn is 6ft 3 345 and benches close to 350 and can dunk basketball. The back from Memphis will remind you of Travis Stephens.

 

[TennGentry]

I hope you are right. So far, I've been a little bit underwhelmed with Pruitt's second class. He and his staff are often touted as elite recruiters, Pruitt being name 247 sports national recruiter of the year one year. These coaches are all well established in the southeast and have formed relationships with the 2019 recruits over several years. Yet his two year results (so far at least) compare less favorably than Dooley's classes. And Dooley even seemed to go out of his way to alienate high school coaches. So, that has been a bit surprising. Maybe we'll close strongly, and maybe these players will prove to be underrated. We certainly need to close the talent gap with Bama and Georgia.

You’ve been underwhelmed? Jesus Christ.

 

[majic73]

Dooley's failure to recruit OL mixed with Jones recruiting smaller lineman to fit his scheme are two of the main reasons we are in the position we are in. We can all agree last year was a mulligan based on the hire being so late in the year. This year Pruitt was more focused on replenishing the OL with SEC caliber players and meeting needs, and the fact that we will finish with the top two tackles (barring Wright doesn't go else where) is very impressive.

I feel next year's class will be the best to judge by of the 3. Keep in mind we will prob finish ahead of Clemson this year in average rank per recruit. The DL is my only concern with this year's class, hopefully we will pull a couple good ones when it's all said and done.

Also, keep in mind where Pruitt was recruiting to before he came here. Now if you were being recruited to the best team in college football with a commitable offer, would you flip for 1 man or would you go get a ring that's all but guaranteed?

This !!!! Well said Also , anybody that watched UT football knows that we need linemen on both sides of the ball. For what he is doing , he needs big linemen that have the frame and size to play early ….which eliminates some prospects. Linemen tend to rate average ( 3*) more so often than skill athletes , because their measurables are harder to scout . So a lineman heavy class is most likely driving the rankings down .

 

[JohnnyJava]

You’ve been underwhelmed? Jesus Christ.

Yes, I have been underwhelmed by a class that is not in the top 10 and is 5th or 6th best amongst SEC schools, depending on recruiting service (I mostly give him a pass for his first class that was 20th /21st, but he certainly wasn't a miracle worker). I'm underwhelmed because I have *high* hopes for Pruitt and his staff as recruiters. His results to date in recruiting are no better than Kiffin's, Dooley's, or Butch's classes. They just aren't. That has confounded me given his reputation as a recruiter and that he is basically able to sell immediate playing time. The "coming off 5-7 season" argument doesn't hold much weight for me because Saban signed number 1 (or top 3, depending on service) following 7-6 first season. Smart had top 3 class after his first season. Fulmer had a top 10 class set up for 2009 at the time of his dismissal and Kiffin maintained that top 10 ranking. So yes, I am underwhelmed. Underwhelmed doesn't mean panicked, it doesn't mean I'm buying a new mattress because I'm fixin to burn my current one in the street. It just means that I had anticipated Pruitt to be even more successful than he has been in his first two classes. As it stands now, there are several schools who are out-recruiting us that stand in our way of getting back to the top. The talent gap is not really narrowing appreciably. That means that Pruitt will face even more pressure to develop players and coach/scheme better than Kirby, Saban, Fisher et al. I'm concerned that he won't be able to outcoach those guys. He needs more talent. Getting some more top players like Darnell Wright will help, so let's hope he finishes strong!

 

[DD4ME]

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