Lance Thompson

#1
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MikeHamiltonFan

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#1
The man was Rivals recruiter of the year when we first hired him.

He brought in guys we have all heard of like Julio Jones and Trent Richardson.

He recruited the Mobile area primarily for Saban.

He brought in some really talented LBs like Nico Johnson but he also brought in some talented guys he did not coach.

The bottom line for me when I read about mystery 5 star players and I think about LBs is that it would make sense for LT to finally have a big fish.

It has been a headscratcher for me that the first guy on Michael Taylor lost him to Florida (where Michael now can see he made the wrong choice as he rides the pine)
and instead has been coaching up all heart and intelligence guys like Propst.

#1
Curtis Grant
LB
Richmond, VA
Hermitage
5 stars
6'3"
222
list
#2
Lawrence Thomas
LB
Detroit, MI
Renaissance
5 stars
6'4"
232
Michigan St.
#3
Lamar Dawson
LB
Danville, KY
Boyle County
4 stars
6'2"
230
list
#4
Anthony Wallace
LB
Dallas, TX
Skyline
4 stars
6'2"
220
list
#5
James Vaughters
LB
Tucker, GA
Tucker
4 stars
6'2"
233
Stanford
#6
C.J. Johnson
LB
Philadelphia, MS
Philadelphia
4 stars
6'3"
227
Mississippi St.
#7
Kendall Thompson
LB
Carthage, TX
Carthage
4 stars
6'3"
232
Texas
#8
A.J. Johnson
LB
Gainesville, GA
Gainesville
4 stars
6'3"
226
Tennessee
#9
Travis Hughes
LB
Virginia Beach, VA
Kempsville
4 stars
6'1"
228
list
#10
Chet Moss
LB
Cedar Park, TX
Cedar Park
4 stars
6'1"
219
Texas

Those are the top inside backers on Rivals, here are the top outside..

#1
Tony Steward
LB
St Augustine, FL
Pedro Menendez
5 stars
6'2"
225
list
#2
Brent Calloway
LB
Russellville, AL
Russellville
5 stars
6'1"
210
Alabama
#3
Steve Edmond
LB
Daingerfield, TX
Daingerfield
4 stars
6'3"
225
Texas
#4
Stephone Anthony
LB
Wadesboro, NC
Anson
4 stars
6'3"
220
list
#5
Tre Madden
LB
Mission Viejo, CA
Mission Viejo
4 stars
6'1"
215
USC
#6
Trey DePriest
LB
Springfield, OH
Springfield
4 stars
6'2"
231
Alabama
#7
Anthony Sarao
LB
Absecon, NJ
Holy Spirit
4 stars
6'1"
215
Stanford
#8
Lateek Townsend
LB
Bennettsville, SC
Marlboro County
4 stars
6'2"
197
list
#9
Jake Keefer
LB
Baldwin, WI
Baldwin-Woodville
4 stars
6'4"
215
Wisconsin
#10
Jabari Hunt-Days
LB
Powder Springs, GA
Hillgrove
4 stars
6'2"
226
Georgia Tech

We currently have 1 commit out of that group of 20 players. He will come in and have an immediate impact. I love the heart and the smarts of lots of our guys including Herman Lathers, but we are not deep or particularly talented at that position. Vereen and Austin Johnson will be there next year with Lathers, but TN is not a team with depth like Florida or Alabama where you learn your position for a year while you redshirt or maybe get to contribute for a couple special teams snaps.

LaMarcus Thompson will be one starter gone.
Nick Reveiz will be another starter gone.
Herman Lather's backup Savion Frazier will be gone.
Mitchell-Thornton gives us a little depth but Coach LT can show these cats our depth chart and talk to them about studs he has coached and really get some good recruiting work done.

The most important thing about LBs enjoying their day is having a competent DL in front of them making their job easy. TN flatly did not have that this year. With the addition of Couch and a guy like Gabe Wright that I expect to go along with Walls and Martin returning and joining Malik Jackson and a hopefully Albert Haynesworth in a contract year like Montori Hughes will be amazing and will be clear enough for LBs to want to come play for this coach.


Could TN end up with 3 of the top 20 LBs from RR? It is not likely, but it is possible. I would not be surprised at all to have 2. They have a very attractive job to come in and start in a program where fans will love them and where they can get to the NFL.

Nick Reveiz is a gem of a guy, but if I was recruiting I would talk about his measurables and let players see how dearly loved he is. Then I would talk about the measurables of Al Wilson, Raynoch Thompson and Eric Westmoreland and explain that I am ready as LB coach to bring back the time when our LBs were 3 future NFL players roaming the field ready to decleat somebody.
 
#2
#2
Curtis Grant listed Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina (Still even though the coaches buy players and may be getting hammered by the NCAA) and likes Alabama some as well. He has not to my knowledge visited TN but he said he will make lots of OVs in December and January which fits with what Dooley likes to do. He also could have his momma see him play a good bit. Richmond is lots further from Knoxville than Va Tech, but it is drivable.
 
#3
#3
Linebacker is a huge need for this class. We are in desperate need for speedy upgrades.
 
#4
#4
"I have just been focused on the season," he said. "I'm trying to get my list down to four schools and take visits to those four after the season, but I'm not really focused on it right now. I'd like to take all five visits if I can and the fifth would be to Oregon if they wanted me as a tight end. Have you seen that offense? It's insane."

While Grant jokes about playing tight end in college for the Ducks, his future is clearly on defense and a handful of teams have a good shot at landing him.

"I'd say I'm interested in visiting Florida, Ohio State and North Carolina for sure," he said. "After that it's Michigan, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and maybe even Virginia. Originally I wanted to get out of state but I like Mike London a lot at Virginia. I've told them I'm not really interested but that hasn't stopped them from recruiting me and they keep creeping back into my thoughts. I'll figure everything out after the season but I know I won't be ready to decide until January or Signing Day because I'll be taking my visits so late."


Curtis Grant is not in the 2 of 20 I think we have a shot with, but I posted all that to show that the best inside backer in college really does not know where he is going.
 
#6
#6
BigOrangeFanatic said:
Yes indeed.
Click to expand...

I know Dawson is ILB and if you have a shot you have to take it, but at this point I wouldn't be terribly disappointed if UT ended up with two more OLBs instead. I guess we are also assuming that Askew never comes around.
 
#7
#7
Okay so you're questioning Thompson's recruiting but he brought in Crump, Jackson, and Propst. They aren't the highest rated guys but they'll be real good players. Also Sapp is showing to have some ability. Are you a real star watcher? Because if you are guys like Jerod Askew should stop any of the looking at the stars over ability. We are a 4-6 team going against schools with winning records for big time recruits. If you look at what we are really doing on the trails you would see what kind recruiter he is.

Some of his recruits:

Vincent Dallas - big time athlete
A.J. Johnson - Big LB
Brian Randolph- Monster Safety
Christian Harris- Big physical LB

He is the main recruiter for Gabe Wright and Jay Rome. He can't recruit the all the LBs for us plain and simple. He's got two committed from his region what else do you want him to do?
 
#8
#8
The Breakerboy said:
Okay so you're questioning Thompson's recruiting but he brought in Crump, Jackson, and Propst. They aren't the highest rated guys but they'll be real good players. Also Sapp is showing to have some ability. Are you a real star watcher? Because if you are guys like Jerod Askew should stop any of the looking at the stars over ability. We are a 4-6 team going against schools with winning records for big time recruits. If you look at what we are really doing on the trails you would see what kind recruiter he is.

Some of his recruits:

Vincent Dallas - big time athlete
A.J. Johnson - Big LB
Brian Randolph- Monster Safety
Christian Harris- Big physical LB

He is the main recruiter for Gabe Wright and Jay Rome. He can't recruit the all the LBs for us plain and simple. He's got two committed from his region what else do you want him to do?
Click to expand...
LT will be fine. I expect a big finish. Between LT and Smith we should see a dramatic upswing in DL and LB recruits in the near future especially in Georgia.
 
#9
#9
Lexvol said:
Linebacker is a huge need for this class. We are in desperate need for speedy upgrades.
Click to expand...

This has fell through the recruiting discussions somewhat. More focus on OL and DL which it should be. I think this is the next area of concern behind that.

We have solid LBs, to take nothing away from them. But we do need to step up in talent a notch or 2.
 
#10
#10
BeecherVol said:
This has fell through the recruiting discussions somewhat. More focus on OL and DL which it should be. I think this is the next area of concern behind that.

We have solid LBs, to take nothing away from them. But we do need to step up in talent a notch or 2.
Click to expand...

I think we are stable at OL. I'd love two more JUCO DTs. Truthfully we still have more needs than available spots.
 
#11
#11
Lexvol said:
I think we are stable at OL. I'd love two more JUCO DTs. Truthfully we still have more needs than available spots.
Click to expand...

Yeah, be another class or two to change that the way we want it.

I agree on OL, if we get what got committed, plus what we should, this will be a good class to fill depth concerns, and it appears we are filling it with talent, and not just bodies.

I agree on the JUCO DTs, Couch and one more would fill that hole pretty well. For the short future.
 
#12
#12
Lexvol said:
I know Dawson is ILB and if you have a shot you have to take it, but at this point I wouldn't be terribly disappointed if UT ended up with two more OLBs instead. I guess we are also assuming that Askew never comes around.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he hasn't seen the field hardly at all since being here.
You would figure by now, you would have at least seen some progression.

I hope Greg King can come back strong and be a solid contributer next year.
 
#13
#13
The Breakerboy said:
Okay so you're questioning Thompson's recruiting but he brought in Crump, Jackson, and Propst. They aren't the highest rated guys but they'll be real good players. Also Sapp is showing to have some ability. Are you a real star watcher? Because if you are guys like Jerod Askew should stop any of the looking at the stars over ability. We are a 4-6 team going against schools with winning records for big time recruits. If you look at what we are really doing on the trails you would see what kind recruiter he is.

Some of his recruits:

Vincent Dallas - big time athlete
A.J. Johnson - Big LB
Brian Randolph- Monster Safety
Christian Harris- Big physical LB

He is the main recruiter for Gabe Wright and Jay Rome. He can't recruit the all the LBs for us plain and simple. He's got two committed from his region what else do you want him to do?
Click to expand...

?

I am not questioning his ability as a recruiter. He should have had Michael Taylor who we would all be pumped about if he had not switched.

What I was saying is that he is a great recruiter and if I was looking for a big fish, I would assume that LT is the one who is holding the reel.
 
#15
#15
I agree that Outside Linebacker is an enormous need in this class. At the very least they have to land 1 more guy at OLB that is fast and athletic. It is something they just dont have much of in the program right now.
 
#17
#17
Montrell Hardy said:
I agree that Outside Linebacker is an enormous need in this class. At the very least they have to land 1 more guy at OLB that is fast and athletic. It is something they just dont have much of in the program right now.
Click to expand...

Yeah I hope Greg King, Crump, Lathers, Martaze Jackson, and Sapp can make some plays off the edge for us next season.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#19
#19
Dawson to UF, Calloway stays in the state of Alabama, not sure on Thomas and I don't guess I even know who Hughes is.
 
#21
#21
The Breakerboy said:
Okay so you're questioning Thompson's recruiting but he brought in Crump, Jackson, and Propst. They aren't the highest rated guys but they'll be real good players. Also Sapp is showing to have some ability. Are you a real star watcher? Because if you are guys like Jerod Askew should stop any of the looking at the stars over ability. We are a 4-6 team going against schools with winning records for big time recruits. If you look at what we are really doing on the trails you would see what kind recruiter he is.

Some of his recruits:

Vincent Dallas - big time athlete
A.J. Johnson - Big LB
Brian Randolph- Monster Safety
Christian Harris- Big physical LB

He is the main recruiter for Gabe Wright and Jay Rome. He can't recruit the all the LBs for us plain and simple. He's got two committed from his region what else do you want him to do?
Click to expand...

This X 100.

This is exactly what I see when I go to LT's rivals page. These guys might not turn out to be exactly the Julio Jones and Richardson type but they are going to be solid as hell. Every single one of them. I do see your point though MHF, I just see these guys turning out to be somewhat close to those guys.
 
#22
#22
Buff, I do not think LT has done a bad job. I think he will be known this year for pulling in an even bigger stud.

I really like Johnson and Harris, but I think 3 will not be Paul but will be a higher rated guy.
 
#23
#23
Man I hope so. I would love an even bigger fish than what he's gotten thus far. Bigger than Johnson, I would love it. Lawrence Thomas? LB from Michigan, Michigan St committ, could Arnett be in his ear and it be LT's big fish?
 
#24
#24
coordinators and primary recruiter see several prospects together. Thompfson I believe has already seen paul,probably bell.
 
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