‘23 LA CB Jordan Matthews (Tennessee)

[OptimusPrimerib]

Did anyone else hear the coach near the beginning say Valid Victorian? That should have been a giveaway.

 

[ACvol3]

I feel like this is the class that really gets us moving in the right direction. Put results on the field this fall and watch out!

It all depends on how we do on the field and how many get drafted.

 

[KingVFL]

Soooo, can we expect more of the same in the future, or this just a one time thing?

I’ll drive by here and there!

 

[GritNGrind1906]

No way any previous LSU coach would let this kid leave Louisiana. This is an absolutely huge pickup!

 

[ACvol3]

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Lol downtown Knoxville is the opposite of southern stereotypes. Knoxville is really really diverse for a college town

 

[NighthawkVol]

Double post.

 

[Orange.]

BM!

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That is an awesome boom gif.

 

[thistime]

Welcome young man. You are now a VOL so go out there and be the best one ever !!!!

 

[EastTNVol95]

 

[sjt18]

I remember Manning and Thompson and I am 56 so I am not a young dude.

56 is the new 46.

One sign that the Vols are "healthy" is when they start pulling good players out of LA, CA, TX, IL, OH, SC, VA, etc. The Vols will generally depend on GA and FL along with in state for talent. Getting help in 1's and 2's from these other states seems to be a key.

 

[volbeast33]

One sign that the Vols are "healthy" is when they start pulling good players out of LA, CA, TX, IL, OH, SC, VA, etc. The Vols will generally depend on GA and FL along with in state for talent. Getting help in 1's and 2's from these other states seems to be a key.

Yep and if we would get another great instate class… it would really push us over the top.

 

[sjt18]

No way any previous LSU coach would let this kid leave Louisiana. This is an absolutely huge pickup!

That's an interesting angle to all of this. His dad played at LSU, right? So he either just wanted to get away from Baton Rouge or there was a disconnect. It is hard to imagine that LSU wouldn't try to get in on a kid with his athleticism and grades even if the goal were to just keep him away from rivals.

Maybe the dad has some insights into the program's condition right now? Maybe he his some thoughts on Kelly? You would think that it would be hard to steer his son away from LSU unless there was something fairly significant.

On a related note, I watched a youtube video of an LSU reporter/video blogger talking about Brennan. Most of it seemed to be defending him from critics and talking about the ups and downs of his career, injury history, and such. But he said two things that together caught my attention.

Brennan had entered the portal when O was still around. Kelly was hired then proceeded to convince Brennan to stay saying that he had been coaching O for 30 years and could design an O around the talent of his players. (Remember Jones was an offensive disciple of Kelly who also claimed he could adjust his O to a QB's talent and still succeed.) The implication was that Brennan was the QB Kelly was going to design around. The reporter showed videos of Brennan describing the conversation. You could tell he was hyped up, excited, and confident.

Then Kelly pursued and brought in Jayden Daniels. Whatever the process between then and now, Brennan got the picture that the O was NOT going to be designed for him. This reporter said that he saw in a previous practice that Brennan's heart was no longer in it. Brennan was listed as 3rd string and was apparently told he was out of the running to be the starter. Brennan told this guy or some other reporter that he decided to leave when the direction Kelly was going with the O became obvious.


I realize Kelly has a demanding fan base who wants to see immediate improvement. But he seems to have been less than honest with Brennan. Heupel lost Maurer and Bailey but I didn't see any indication that both didn't fully understand what he wanted from the QB position. Maurer says he was discouraged when Milton came in because it said that the others weren't good enough. But I never heard anything suggesting that Heupel had made any promises.

 

[Nashvegas31]

Wonder if how this played out was some neyor payback. Matthews said he has known for weeks he was picking TN yet played the game perfectly

 

[VolByLaw]

Always the narrative when u get beat. Never just the fact the kid wanted to be here. They have to have an excuse that makes sense to them since he went there 6 times to the one visit here. He went to Texas at end of July to make sure his feeling on TN was right. He came back and told his parents his heart was still in Knoxville after the austin visit.

-AP

 

[Vol Main]

Who was the Louisiana kid that we signed but drowned the summer before getting to UT? Around 1993

Why do you want to bring up a thing like that when we are celebrating a commitment? I know there is no barrier to prevent the stupidest people in the world from posting, but even a brain damaged idiot ought to know better.

 

[butchna]

Why do you want to bring up a thing like that when we are celebrating a commitment? I know there is no barrier to prevent the stupidest people in the world from posting, but even a brain damaged idiot ought to know better.

It was a big time signing back when we had to wait for the post-NSD USA Today edition to find out who we’d landed. The tragedy wasn’t immediately reported to our fanbase. Most of us found out when fall camp started. Him being from Louisiana is relevant.

 

[butchna]

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If we had missed, the “experts” would have reported that Texas beat out Michigan and…Stanford for his talent.

 

[onevol74]

Why do you want to bring up a thing like that when we are celebrating a commitment? I know there is no barrier to prevent the stupidest people in the world from posting, but even a brain damaged idiot ought to know better.

Something you may not be able to recognize, but it was relevant to the topic being discussed. What is with the name calling? It was a mere question on my part for a kid that deserves to be remembered.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

I dunno man. I havent even been able to enjoy this announcement because you morans keep talking.

I will say it only once next time, if it helps.

 

[DaddyChad]

Damn, I don't know about y'all but my Angus steak was a little saltier than normal tonight. Those poor shorthorns

I was eating crow on this one. It tasted fine with some longhorn tears to wash it down with though.

 

[#Vol4Life1991]

-AP

Damn that feels good. And it feels great to finally be on the winning side.

 

[LittleVol]

That's an interesting angle to all of this. His dad played at LSU, right? So he either just wanted to get away from Baton Rouge or there was a disconnect. It is hard to imagine that LSU wouldn't try to get in on a kid with his athleticism and grades even if the goal were to just keep him away from rivals.

Maybe the dad has some insights into the program's condition right now? Maybe he his some thoughts on Kelly? You would think that it would be hard to steer his son away from LSU unless there was something fairly significant.

On a related note, I watched a youtube video of an LSU reporter/video blogger talking about Brennan. Most of it seemed to be defending him from critics and talking about the ups and downs of his career, injury history, and such. But he said two things that together caught my attention.

Brennan had entered the portal when O was still around. Kelly was hired then proceeded to convince Brennan to stay saying that he had been coaching O for 30 years and could design an O around the talent of his players. The implication was that Brennan was the QB Kelly was going to design around. He showed videos of Brennan describing the conversation. You could tell he was hyped up, excited, and confident.

Then Kelly pursued and brought in Jayden Daniels. Whatever the process between then and now, Brennan got the picture that the O was NOT going to be designed for him. This reporter said that he saw it in a previous practice that Brennan's heart was no longer in it. Brennan was listed as 3rd string and was apparently told he was out of the running to be the starter. Apparently Brennan told this guy or some other reporter that he decided to leave when the direction Kelly was going with the O became obvious.


I realize Kelly has a demanding fan base who wants to see immediate improvement. But he seems to have been less than honest with Brennan. Heupel lost Maurer and Bailey but I didn't see any indication that both didn't fully understand what he wanted from the QB position. Maurer says he was discouraged when Milton came in because it said that the others weren't good enough. But I never heard anything suggesting that Heupel had made any promises.

All coaches do what they have too.
Huepel inherited Hendon, Maurer, Bailey.
He needed to convince Bailey to stay.
Maurer was absolutely right in his assessment of the Milton transfer.

And ME, Heupel and many others were absolutely wrong about Milton. Heupel was smart enough to let Hendon be the guy after that catastrophe
Seriously tho, I wonder if Pruitt had been fired earlier and Heupel installed...would he have went after Hendon Hooker in the portal? Pruitt did us a HUGE solid there haha. And you gotta wonder Hendon Hooker with Chaney with a defense of Henry To'oto'o and Jeremy Banks, Alontae Taylor....haha. sorry ....rant.

Why did Kelly talk Brennan into staying? Because he needed bodies and felt that he could build an offense around him. As the evaluation went on he began to get the same feelings about Myles as the previous regime.

Brian Kelly knows what he's doing. So does Heupel even though Joe Milton was a miscalculation.

 

[Hawaiian Hammer]

So in two days we got highly sought after recruits because of the program/atmosphere and the coaches.

Matthews went to Texas 6 times to try to capture the feeling he got in one visit to Knoxville. Almost like he wanted to find a reason to be closer to home but ultimately Knoxville felt like home. And Gibson’s connection to Willie M was too undeniable to not be coached by him.

TLDR The culture has become so positive that recruits can feel it.

 

[volbeast33]

-AP

Would that coincide with AP’s milk pic?

 

[LittleVol]

Why do you want to bring up a thing like that when we are celebrating a commitment? I know there is no barrier to prevent the stupidest people in the world from posting, but even a brain damaged idiot ought to know better.

Completely unnecessary....
Be a man and apologize.