In State Recruits

#1
rexvol

rexvol

The Minister of Defense
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Apr 29, 2006
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#1
Why do the Vols seem to have such a difficult time holding on to in-state talent? For the past year I have lived in Jacksonville FL and each day was Tim Tebow this and Tim Tebow that, enough to make you puke. But I marveled at UF, FSU, and Miami as they locked down the best talent the state had to offer while we cant hold onto to Branden Warren, Leroy Thompson, Vince Redd, etc.
 
#2
#2
I think they are trying to rectify that this year by offering more in-state guys early. Four of our five early commitments are from in-state players and there is not a slouch among them.
 
#3
#3
we dont have the kind of talent or the number of talent Florida has. We have 3-4 D1 guys every year, Florida has 17-18. I'm sure people in Florida wonder why some of there players end up here. It just happends, some people just want to try something different.
 
#4
#4
yep, i think it's a combo of the previous two posts...

normally we don't have the volume of talent other states have, and when we do, it's usually in the Memphis area, which is about as diverse an area as you can get, at least when it comes to collegiate athletics...Ole Miss, MSU, Bama, Mem are all closer to Memphis than Knoxville is. Plus, TN has usually so few in state prospects, it's easier to give up one or two of them to other schools becuase we've historiclly done so well out of state.

then there's the border states. ARK, NC, VA, MS, Bama, KY and GA....some of them have a wealth of in state talent, and our proximity to those areas, even though out of state, keeps us in shouting distance to prospects in those areas...

But in years where there is some talent, like this year, it is important to lock up as many as possible...and i don't know how many we've locked up so far, but we are offering a lot earlier than we probably have in the past....
 
#5
#5
Just posted this in another thread. It is ESSENTIAL that UT put a wall around the state this year.
 
#6
#6
(Lexvol @ May 8 said:
Just posted this in another thread. It is ESSENTIAL that UT put a wall around the state this year.
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yeah, i just replied to that one....
 
#8
#8
It looks like we have offered 51 guys for the 2007 recruiting class. 12 of the 51 are from Tenn. No in-state guy offered by UT has committed to another school yet. 4 of the 5 early commits are from Tenn. The uncommitted in-state offers include:

1. Chris Donald LB, Huntingdon HS also offered by Bama, Clemson, Ole Miss
2. Alex Watkins DE, Haywood HS (Brownsville) also offered by Bama, Clemson, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Mis. St.
3. Roderick Davis WR, Wooddale HS (Memphis) also offered by Ole Miss, Miss. St., Texas Tech, Auburn, and SC
4. Chris Walker LB, Christian Brothers HS (Memphis) also offered by Bama, Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Miami, and Vandy
5. Harrison Smith S, Knoxville Catholic HS also offered by BC, Clemson, Ole Miss, Stanford, Vandy, and VaTech
6. Golden Tate WR, John Paul II HS (Nashville) also offered by Vandy
7. Isaiah Smith LB, Columbia Central HS no additional offers yet
8. Rae Sykes DE, Alcoa HS also offered by Clemson, FL. St., UGA, and LSU

In-state guys who have not been offered but who have expressed interest in UT (and I know this doesn't cover anywhere near every rising HS Sr. who would like to play for the Big Orange):

1. Kyrus Lanxter WR, Alcoa HS offered by Louisville, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Vandy, and W.Va.
2. Michael Park QB, Memphis Univ. Sch. no offers yet
3. Jeremy Perry QB, Wooddale HS (Memphis) no offers yet
4. Preston Smith QB, Elizabethton HS no offers yet
5. Courtney Coffey RB, John Paul II HS (Hendersonville) no offers yet
6. Aaron Crawford RB, Ridgeway HS (Memphis)
7. Josh Frohock FB, Franklin HS no offers yet
8. Matt Vallee OL, Dresden HS no offers yet
9. J.T. Beasley OL, Dyersburg HS offered by MTSU and Miss. St.
10. Preston Williams DE, East HS (Memphis) offered by Miss. St.
11. Mark Fisher DE, Goodpasture HS (Nashville) offered by Vandy, MTSU, Miss. St.
12. Brandon Boykin LB, White Station HS (Memphis) no offers yet
13. Darrius Davis CB, Whitehaven HS (Memphis) offered by Va Tech, Illinois
 
#9
#9
I heard Roderick Davis is favoring Tennessee over everyone else on his list, and that Golden Tate has all but ruled Tennessee out of the recruiting process. Is there any truth to this?
 
#10
#10
(TNVolunteers23 @ May 8 said:
I heard Roderick Davis is favoring Tennessee over everyone else on his list, and that Golden Tate has all but ruled Tennessee out of the recruiting process. Is there any truth to this?
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I know that Tate has many more offers than are showing on Scout.com, which was the source for my previous post. Everything I read about Tate suggests that he is just waiting for an offer from ND. I think I have also seen that UT is at the top of Davis' list right now.
 
#11
#11
(VolunteerHillbilly @ May 8 said:
I know that Tate has many more offers than are showing on Scout.com, which was the source for my previous post. Everything I read about Tate suggests that he is just waiting for an offer from ND. I think I have also seen that UT is at the top of Davis' list right now.
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Thanks for the quick reply... it's gonna suck if Tate chooses ND over Tennessee because it sounds like he's quite the athlete. I guess there's nothing we can do about it though... except win a National Championship down the road and make him regret it. :biggrin2:
 
#12
#12
well that's the thing isn't it? if the kid truly doesn't want to come here, then he isn't is he, no matter where he's from.....
 
#13
#13
(jakez4ut @ May 8 said:
well that's the thing isn't it? if the kid truly doesn't want to come here, then he isn't is he, no matter where he's from.....
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It does kind of beg the question though... What if Charlie Weiss was in Knoxville and UT beat ND this year? Would Jimmy Clausen, Tate or Harrison Smith even be looking at ND?
 
#14
#14
(VolunteerHillbilly @ May 8 said:
It does kind of beg the question though... What if Charlie Weiss was in Knoxville and UT beat ND this year? Would Jimmy Clausen, Tate or Harrison Smith even be looking at ND?
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who knows? What if he just grew up a ND fan all his life and that's where he wants to go?

None of that matters, cause none of that happened. the only thing that matters at this point is selling what you got, and hoping that the kid buys in to. But at the end of the day, if that kid wants to go to ND and they offer, he's going to ND. and he'd be choosing that school not only over UT, but a whole host of schools that are also trying to recruit him.

you got to remember, it's not like it's UT and someone else only recruiting these guys....these guys are getting offers from everybody....and there's only one winner for that kid's services. at some point all you can hope for is that we come out on the winning side of as many as possible. Something that obviously didn't happen last year...
 
#15
#15
(VolunteerHillbilly @ May 8 said:
It does kind of beg the question though... What if Charlie Weiss was in Knoxville and UT beat ND this year? Would Jimmy Clausen, Tate or Harrison Smith even be looking at ND?
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Unless they're Catholics are life-long Notre Dame fans... then I would say ABSOLUTELY NOT.
 
#16
#16
Just for giggles here's a list of other schools and the number of Tennesseans that they have offered, remember UT already offered 12 in-state players for 2007.

Vandy - 8 (so far 1 commited to UT & 1 committed to Vandy)
Bama - 5 (1 committed to UT)
Ole Miss - 5 *** (see question)
MTSU - 3 (1 committed to little middle)
Memphis - 3
Kentucky - 1 (committed to UT)


***Ole Miss has offered over 150 kids for 2007. What the heck do they do if they all accept? Is this a normal strategy? Offer everyone and hope the first 24 or so to accept are decent and not all the same position?
 
#17
#17
(VolunteerHillbilly @ May 8 said:
***Ole Miss has offered over 150 kids for 2007. What the heck do they do if they all accept? Is this a normal strategy? Offer everyone and hope the first 24 or so to accept are decent and not all the same position?
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Hey, you don't know til you ask right? i guess they'd rather get turned down having already asked, than never to ask and knot know....you never know, they might actually land a couple that they might not have gotten othersiwes


Plus, if these kids are interested in Ole Miss, and they see they've offered to other kids that play your position, if you do want to go there, it might entice you to commit early. In addition, let's say the are recuriting 20 receivers, and there's 1 or two that they want, and think they have a realistic shot at getting....it'd be kind of nice to know as one of those guys that the school recruiting you holds in such a high regard that they'd offer you along with those top 2 or 3 rated players....

It's all politics.
 
#18
#18
We could learn a few things from the Ole Miss recruiting as of late. They have a very strong 2006 class, and their 2007 class is already looking good. Something is working for them....
 
#19
#19
Scout.com reports that Golden Tate doesn't have Tennessee in his top 6. I guess he isn't even considering the Vols anymore. It's a shame...
 
#20
#20
I heard that Les Miles and an assistant were at Alcoa a couple of days ago getting chummy with Rae Sykes. Anyone else heard anything?
 
#21
#21
(TNVolunteers23 @ May 10 said:
Scout.com reports that Golden Tate doesn't have Tennessee in his top 6. I guess he isn't even considering the Vols anymore. It's a shame...
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Tate wants to play baseball and football. Maybe it is a blessing if he goes elsewhere. I think the two sport thing is nearly impossible to do these days, unless you are unbelievably talented in both sports. I think it is hard to develop as a football player if you are not practicing in the spring.
 
#22
#22
I know what Tate is publically saying right now, but I think Tennessee will be a factor in the end. I hear distance from home might come into play as well when it comes time to sign. Certainly not saying he will be a Vol in the end, I just don't think we're out of it at all.

To the guy that mentioned the nuber of D1 guys in FL and TN, you're numbers are way. FL had over 300 guys sign Division 1 football scholarships last year. I think 300 is about the average. Its not all SEC/BCS level type talent, but it is DIV1. I think Tennessee was like 20 or 30 something.
 
#23
#23
if you think tennessee is close to Florida you are completly wrong. I wouldnt compare us to Georgia or Alabama either.
 
#25
#25
(Lexvol @ May 17 said:
Tate wants to play baseball and football. Maybe it is a blessing if he goes elsewhere. I think the two sport thing is nearly impossible to do these days, unless you are unbelievably talented in both sports. I think it is hard to develop as a football player if you are not practicing in the spring.
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There are exceptions, Bo Jackson comes to mind. More recently the WR at ND. But I think Todd Helton would agree with you.
 
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