Heupel Can’t Recruit

[vegasvolfan]

How I laugh to think how many in here (probably a few trolls) said Heupel couldn’t recruit. Well, let’s see, that’s two 5-star QBs in three years. Fulmer was a great recruiter and even he never did that. Time to officially lay this myth to rest. Time to join the Heup train!!

He has done well. Hopefully he will do better as time goes on, but the SEC is different now. Anyone saying he can’t recruit is being emotional.

 

[vavolfan6]

With Heupel's high-flying offense, we should be really appealling to 5* QBs, WRs and RBs. There aren't many offensive coaches in college football that are considered better offensive minds. Plus, we have the NIL to compensate these highly rated recruits.

We do have to do a better job recruiting more defensive talent, particularly at DB. We are doing great with DLineman. Minimally improve DB talent and we easily jump up into the top 10 and close to a top 5 class. Heck, on just an average player rating we are 7th in the nation. We could really capitalize by taking some of those defensive recruits that Bama is do used to getting..

 

[VOLnMiami]

These last few weeks have been fun to watch. Between their portal pulls and HS recruiting, it really is impressive to see considering UT really has only had one good season in 2 decades.

The next step is to get UT into the CFP. Heup does that and it could be on indefinitely.

That happens and the glory days are going to return and in a big way!...Recruits will be tripping over themselves to come here!

 

[Brave Volunteer]

With Heupel's high-flying offense, we should be really appealling to 5* QBs, WRs and RBs. There aren't many offensive coaches in college football that are considered better offensive minds. Plus, we have the NIL to compensate these highly rated recruits.

We do have to do a better job recruiting more defensive talent, particularly at DB. We are doing great with DLineman. Minimally improve DB talent and we easily jump up into the top 10 and close to a top 5 class. Heck, on just an average player rating we are 7th in the nation. We could really capitalize by taking some of those defensive recruits that Bama is do used to getting..

I'd say we're doing great with edge rushers, but we need more "dudes" at the interior tackle positions. Garner has done a commendable job getting the most out of the interior D tackles he's had to work with. But they haven't exactly been Henderson and Haynesworth! We're still not recruiting that position at the elite level. Watching the Michigan/Alabama game, the difference between us and them at that position in both size and physicality was pretty sobering! It's why I was baffled that we didn't land Walter Nolen in the portal.

 

[njvols]

How I laugh to think how many in here (probably a few trolls) said Heupel couldn’t recruit. Well, let’s see, that’s two 5-star QBs in three years. Fulmer was a great recruiter and even he never did that. Time to officially lay this myth to rest. Time to join the Heup train!!

I think that was maybe in year one.

 

[sjt18]

Great coaches, coach great. Over time that starts to recruit for you. In a lot of ways Heupel is the anti-Butch. Jones was all hype and no substance. Heupel is more low key, more steady but can coach with the best of them.

And for those with stars in their eyes... he's getting a good bit of 3* value so far. Using 247 ratings, here are some 3* that have made good contributions: Sampson, White, Telander, Campbell, Nimrod, Herring, Perry, Thomas,...

Finding the right talent and right fit is more important than "winning" recruiting rankings. Someone mentioned Michigan's slow climb. According to the talent composite on 247, Michigan had the 14th most talented roster in CFB this past year. UT... was 16th. Washington was actually 26th with ZERO 5* players.

 

[orangemadam]

I don't think it is a question so much as can Heuple recruit as it is "can he
recruit up to the likes of Saban and Smart"
He has not shown that he can recruit with Saban and Smart so far. Let's see
what happens with the full 2025 class, not just 1 player. Ala and Ga also
have comitted a 5* qb.

I am very supportive of Heuple, and I don't want to lose him, don't get me wrong. I just don't think he
matches up well with the recruiting skills of Smart and Saban.

 

[Remy]

<blue font> Yea he does so well it’s why we’re either one or two in recruiting in the SEC every year.

 

[UTFranklinVol]

How I laugh to think how many in here (probably a few trolls) said Heupel couldn’t recruit. Well, let’s see, that’s two 5-star QBs in three years. Fulmer was a great recruiter and even he never did that. Time to officially lay this myth to rest. Time to join the Heup train!!

I think people have vastly different definitions of "can recruit" Lol might want to pump the brakes until he actually lands a top 10 or top 5 class. Hell Butch Jones had TWO top 5 classes. You can't win with QBs alone.

 

[UTFranklinVol]

No coach in the history of Vol football has taken over a more distressed situation than Heupel. Not even close.

Things were pretty terrible when Dooley left and things were pretty terrible when Butch left. I don't see Heupels situation being much worse than those two.

 

[butchna]

Things were pretty terrible when Dooley left and things were pretty terrible when Butch left. I don't see Heupels situation being much worse than those two.

Impending sanctions and 30+ transfers along with the highest rated of your signing class? Don’t remember similar depths post Dooley or Butch.

 

[DarkVolder]

But can he ever beat Kirby ?? That’s the real question

 

[UTFranklinVol]

Impending sanctions and 30+ transfers along with the highest rated of your signing class? Don’t remember similar depths post Dooley or Butch.

We had very few players worth transferring. Remember all the players Butch kicked off the team? He gutted his own program because it was so bad. Dooley couldn't recruit worth crap. Our team going from 2012 into 2013 was BAD. So yeah we didn't have sanctions but then again we didn't have NIL or the transfer portal as it exists now either. You can lose throught the portal but you can also gain through the portal these days. In some cases the portal is better than recruiting a player yourself.
Huepel was immediately able to go and get both Hooker and Milton right from the portal. Butch and Dooley never had that chance.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

We had very few players worth transferring. Remember all the players Butch kicked off the team? He gutted his own program because it was so bad. Dooley couldn't recruit worth crap. Our team going from 2012 into 2013 was BAD. So yeah we didn't have sanctions but then again we didn't have NIL or the transfer portal as it exists now either. You can lose throught the portal but you can also gain through the portal these days. In some cases the portal is better than recruiting a player yourself.
Huepel was immediately able to go and get both Hooker and Milton right from the portal. Butch and Dooley never had that chance.

Huepel didn't get Hooker. Hooker committed to Jeremy Pruitt and chose to stay, despite the coaching turnover.

 

[UTFranklinVol]

Huepel didn't get Hooker. Hooker committed to Jeremy Pruitt and chose to stay, despite the coaching turnover.

Yeah that's true but doesn't really change my statement. Because of the transfer portal Heupel got 2 good QBs to start his 1st year with the program. Hooker came though the portal and played his 1st year for Huepel.

 

[perico]

I don't think it is a question so much as can Heuple recruit as it is "can he
recruit up to the likes of Saban and Smart"
He has not shown that he can recruit with Saban and Smart so far. Let's see
what happens with the full 2025 class, not just 1 player. Ala and Ga also
have comitted a 5* qb.

I am very supportive of Heuple, and I don't want to lose him, don't get me wrong. I just don't think he
matches up well with the recruiting skills of Smart and Saban.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but we don't have to worry about matching up to Saban's recruiting skills anymore.

Saban was a generational recruiter/closer. Smart has done that well the last years but he isn't on Saban's level. Smart benefits from the amount of talent in his state with little competition. We don't have to necessarily beat Smart out for a ton of talent to get where we want to go.

As Tennessee continues reassert themselves, we will continue to see a decline in returns to the SE of us at Clemson. They correlate with our success and failure as a program because we have to be able to lock down the areas where Dabo has encroached on us the last decade and a half. When we have the pick of the kids in Tennessee, eastern Virginia, and both Carolinas, and are able to pick up specific needs outside of our natural recruiting base (which we are doing a good job of on the offensive side of the ball at this point), then we will compete with UGA on a yearly basis.

 

[butchna]

We had very few players worth transferring. Remember all the players Butch kicked off the team? He gutted his own program because it was so bad. Dooley couldn't recruit worth crap. Our team going from 2012 into 2013 was BAD. So yeah we didn't have sanctions but then again we didn't have NIL or the transfer portal as it exists now either. You can lose throught the portal but you can also gain through the portal these days. In some cases the portal is better than recruiting a player yourself.
Huepel was immediately able to go and get both Hooker and Milton right from the portal. Butch and Dooley never had that chance.

You had a NFL level OL and AJ Johnson left behind by Dooley amongst other pieces. Butch left a starting QB, two WR talents and generational OL Trey Smith…maybe those guys leave with the portal? It was as bottom as bottom gets…I remember. And Hooker was already in-bound before Pruitt was fired. We get confused because of what results Heupel coaches out of him. What Ellarbee accomplished with the decimated OL with meh horrendous results in previous seasons made the talent seem better. Dooley and Butch AND Pruitt had every “chance” to build a successful program and they all failed.

 

[perico]

You had a NFL level OL and AJ Johnson left behind by Dooley amongst other pieces. Butch left a starting QB, two WR talents and generational OL Trey Smith…maybe those guys leave with the portal? It was as bottom as bottom gets…I remember. And Hooker was already in-bound before Pruitt was fired. We get confused because of what results Heupel coaches out of him. What Ellarbee accomplished with the decimated OL with meh horrendous results in previous seasons made the talent seem better. Dooley and Butch AND Pruitt had every “chance” to build a successful program and they all failed.

You forget that Pruitt left Heupel a generational talent at QB with Harrison Bailey and he squandered it.

 

[OrangeTsar]

I know things have changed but if we judge CJH like every other scrub we've had as coaches, then he is ahead of schedule in year three.

Agreed. Now we need to show up and show out in 2024. The board is set. Keys will be 1) the young and new defensive secondary learning QUICKLY and 2) the partially retooled OL gelling out of the gate. Those two things happen and we are one of the 12 playoff teams in Heupel year 4

 

[jasonvol18]

How I laugh to think how many in here (probably a few trolls) said Heupel couldn’t recruit. Well, let’s see, that’s two 5-star QBs in three years. Fulmer was a great recruiter and even he never did that. Time to officially lay this myth to rest. Time to join the Heup train!!

Truthfully, lots of Fulmers early classes didn't rank players back then. I guarantee Peyton, Shuler and Brandon Stewart would have been 5*. Then James Banks and Casey Clausen were 5* and John Rattay was a top 5 QB. Obviously some left, but recruiting was as good as it ever has been under Fulmer. He just couldn't beat Spurrier. But considering what Heup walked into, it's pretty impressive the QB talent he's brought in. Now if we can start getting some 5* Secondary players!

 

[temptn]

But can he ever beat Kirby ?? That’s the real question

Georgia has lost two games in the last three years.

 

[DaddyChad]

I don't think it is a question so much as can Heuple recruit as it is "can he
recruit up to the likes of Saban and Smart"
He has not shown that he can recruit with Saban and Smart so far. Let's see
what happens with the full 2025 class, not just 1 player. Ala and Ga also
have comitted a 5* qb.

I am very supportive of Heuple, and I don't want to lose him, don't get me wrong. I just don't think he
matches up well with the recruiting skills of Smart and Saban.

Let me answer that emphatically no. It’s not the recruiting skill either. It’s Tennessee isn’t a program like Bama or Georgia are right now. Both those programs have more instate talent and have recruited better nationally over the past two decades. Right now you’re seeing the resurgence of Tennessee as a program and the decline of Clemson as a program; Clemson kind of took over the regions that Tennessee had recruited well and built that program into a contender but it didnt happen overnight. Dabo finished second for several elite guys before they broke through and started landing them. Tennessee needs to follow a similar path and it looks to be the path they’re on currently.

Tennessee as a program will never have more talent than Georgia though. We just have to get close and be able to beat them on the field. Georgia can just recruit in state and have a top five class year in and out. Kirby is one helluva recruiter to boot; don’t want to take anything away from him as far as that.

 

[VolTull]

And he wears his faith on his sleeves. I'm proud our coach loves the Lord and isn't afraid to let it be known.

I'd prefer that he keep his religious beliefs to himself.

 

[hUTch2002]

And he wears his faith on his sleeves. I'm proud our coach loves the Lord and isn't afraid to let it be known.

Gotta say that’s funny given your avi and tag line. I don’t mean that to be offensive in any way, to each their own. It just made me chuckle.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

I think where people would still give caution would be how it seems at a few positions there has been a lack of development to overtake several scrubs of Pruitts. I get that's not the same as purely recruiting (you could say transfers are part of recruitment) but it's year 4 and I'm still concerned about having dudes at OL and secondary. I feel like there's been some bandaids still being applied.
With that being said I think he's doing pretty well and as long as the bandaids produce great seasons I don't care haha

Let's put this position into perspective. It is at best year 2 outside the PROBABILITY of bowl bans and SIGNIFICANT scholarship reductions. So that impacted the talent level you could bring in to develop for two cycles. How does anybody think serious development did not take place to get the wins we have with the greatly diminished roster and these early restrictions is beyond me.

I think the evaluation and development of available resources has been spectacular, even on the defensive side of the ball where serious roster manipulation was limited until these last few months. We have overcome the loss of serious early relationship building while under the cloud those first few cycles to get into the short straws with top targets. Not having to play the trust me card with the sophomore and juniors when early offers go out is leveling the field now.

Need large groups of top talent to be able to yield gains and meet objectives, especially with NIL now when a guys market price exceeds our value assessment, and we take a pass and move on.