'24 MS DL Kamarion Franklin (Ole Miss commit)

[VolNash17]

No one has won a national championship with a roster under 50% BCR… no one outside the top 10 in roster ranking has won a national championship either since 247 started the overall roster talent rankings in 2015. In that time 6/8 champions have had a roster inside the top 5 nationally. 2016 Clemson (9th) and 2018 Clemson (6th) being the exception. Even then comparing who they played in those seasons compared to who Tennessee plays 2024 and onward is quite the difference.
Roster at least needs to be top 10 nationally to have a punchers chance. Top 5 to be super legitimate with the upcoming SEC that’ll include Texas and OU. Tennessee is getting there with another top 10 haul for 2024

 

[SugarCC]

No one has won a national championship with a roster under 50% BCR… no one outside the top 10 in roster ranking has won a national championship either since 247 started the overall roster talent rankings in 2015. In that time 6/8 champions have had a roster inside the top 5 nationally. 2016 Clemson (9th) and 2018 Clemson (6th) being the exception. Even then comparing who they played in those seasons compared to who Tennessee plays 2024 and onward is quite the difference.
Roster at least needs to be top 10 nationally to have a punchers chance. Top 5 to be super legitimate with the upcoming SEC that’ll include Texas and OU. Tennessee is getting there with another top 10 haul for 2024

I haven't worried about recruiting...actually, I really haven't worried about anything since Heupel went 9-4 with 65 players his first year...last year just secured my trust in him even more. Dude has worked absolute miracles so far. Not only does NOTHING "concern" me, I believe we TRULY compete with UGA for the east this year...they may still win it, but they will know they've been in one hell of a dog fight to do so.

If we have another season like last year, 9-3 at worst, I believe recruiting takes the step into the top 5. Maybe not this class, but next year and beyond; although, we win 9+ this year, we're knocking on top 5's door.

Have to keep winning, period
We do that, we flip a couple of dudes, imo.

 

[Jackcrevol]

You can’t see out of your own bubble. You are wrong constantly. You ignore the obvious correlation of blue chip players and national championships. You live in your own fantasy land. The fact that you think your takes are the truth shows how out of touch you are. But never change man. You provide great comedy for us.

 

[AllThingsTN]

I haven't worried about recruiting...actually, I really haven't worried about anything since Heupel went 9-4 with 65 players his first year...last year just secured my trust in him even more. Dude has worked absolute miracles so far. Not only does NOTHING "concern" me, I believe we TRULY compete with UGA for the east this year...they may still win it, but they will know they've been in one hell of a dog fight to do so.

If we have another season like last year, 9-3 at worst, I believe recruiting takes the step into the top 5. Maybe not this class, but next year and beyond; although, we win 9+ this year, we're knocking on top 5's door.

Have to keep winning, period
We do that, we flip a couple of dudes, imo.

I agree with your sentiment but Heupel didn’t go 9-4 in his first season here. Maybe I’m missunderstanding.

 

[BigVol88]

I haven't worried about recruiting...actually, I really haven't worried about anything since Heupel went 9-4 with 65 players his first year...last year just secured my trust in him even more. Dude has worked absolute miracles so far. Not only does NOTHING "concern" me, I believe we TRULY compete with UGA for the east this year...they may still win it, but they will know they've been in one hell of a dog fight to do so.

If we have another season like last year, 9-3 at worst, I believe recruiting takes the step into the top 5. Maybe not this class, but next year and beyond; although, we win 9+ this year, we're knocking on top 5's door.

Have to keep winning, period
We do that, we flip a couple of dudes, imo.

Yes!
Something to consider, if we stack a few more 9 or 10+ win seasons the next few years, kids that are just getting into high school will view TN as competitive and more legitimate. These current recruits have only known us as largely a joke for most of their lives. Consistent success is going to flip the script for sure. This is the reason people need to be more patient: getting "elite" classes will take a shift in perspective and will take time. This may upset some people, but take off the orange glasses and look where we have been. Top 10 i s superb, all things considered.

In the meantime, I feel good about what this staff can do with what we can get.

 

[sjt18]

No one has won a national championship with a roster under 50% BCR… no one outside the top 10 in roster ranking has won a national championship either since 247 started the overall roster talent rankings in 2015. In that time 6/8 champions have had a roster inside the top 5 nationally. 2016 Clemson (9th) and 2018 Clemson (6th) being the exception. Even then comparing who they played in those seasons compared to who Tennessee plays 2024 and onward is quite the difference.
Roster at least needs to be top 10 nationally to have a punchers chance. Top 5 to be super legitimate with the upcoming SEC that’ll include Texas and OU. Tennessee is getting there with another top 10 haul for 2024

Clemson had 39 4/5* players on their 2016 roster. 247 only calculates the roster composite back to 2015.

And you are still putting the cart before the horse. They aren't being recruited by Bama and UGA because some journalist stamps them with a blue chip rating. They're being stamped with the label because UGA, Bama, and a few other high end programs make them a priority.

 

[sjt18]

I agree with your sentiment but Heupel didn’t go 9-4 in his first season here. Maybe I’m missunderstanding.

Probably counting Ole Miss and Purdue... where UT got ripped off

 

[AllThingsTN]

Probably counting Ole Miss and Purdue... where UT got ripped off

Yeah (after reflection) I kind of figured that’s where it was going…but we’re not Vanderbilt fans so I’m not big on blaming losses on refs. That being said the refs absolutely cost us the Purdue game lol.

 

[jasonvol18]

I haven't worried about recruiting...actually, I really haven't worried about anything since Heupel went 9-4 with 65 players his first year...last year just secured my trust in him even more. Dude has worked absolute miracles so far. Not only does NOTHING "concern" me, I believe we TRULY compete with UGA for the east this year...they may still win it, but they will know they've been in one hell of a dog fight to do so.

If we have another season like last year, 9-3 at worst, I believe recruiting takes the step into the top 5. Maybe not this class, but next year and beyond; although, we win 9+ this year, we're knocking on top 5's door.

Have to keep winning, period
We do that, we flip a couple of dudes, imo.

Thought he was 7-6 hid 1st year here??

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Yeah (after reflection) I kind of figured that’s where it was going…but we’re not Vanderbilt fans so I’m not big on blaming losses on refs. That being said the refs absolutely cost us the Purdue game lol.

I put that issue out here. Bottom line the ref gets to decide WHEN he thinks progress is stopped and has to signal that decision (usually referenced as a whistle) and should BY RULE spot the ball where it is when signaled, not at some point of his choosing. If he gets it right it is at the same spot because progress is stopped. They allowed him to bring it back even though the ball was in the endzone when the whistle blew. I would bring the rules back but I cannot search sites on my iPhone for some reason.

 

[jasonvol18]

Yeah (after reflection) I kind of figured that’s where it was going…but we’re not Vanderbilt fans so I’m not big on blaming losses on refs. That being said the refs absolutely cost us the Purdue game lol.

Exactly.. Living in Ala, some fans still blame the loss on the refs. But yet when I ask to give me an example nobody can give one. I've rewatched it a few times thinking I missed something. There was a late hit on Young but outside of that they missed a few on Ala. Especially that phantom PI call on us when the Ala WR clearly pulled our guy down. I just laugh and say when you figure out what plays in specific they missed then tell me.

 

[butchna]

Exactly.. Living in Ala, some fans still blame the loss on the refs. But yet when I ask to give me an example nobody can give one. I've rewatched it a few times thinking I missed something. There was a late hit on Young but outside of that they missed a few on Ala. Especially that phantom PI call on us when the Ala WR clearly pulled our guy down. I just laugh and say when you figure out what plays in specific they missed then tell me.

They have a lot riding on the nullified interception due to some BLATANT PI. It’s a “You don’t call that when it’s US!” thing.

 

[SugarCC]

I agree with your sentiment but Heupel didn’t go 9-4 in his first season here. Maybe I’m missunderstanding.

Did you watch the Ole Miss and Purdue games?

 

[Orange.]

I agree with your sentiment but Heupel didn’t go 9-4 in his first season here. Maybe I’m missunderstanding.

I suspect he means the Ole Miss and Purdue games were stolen. Just a guess.

 

[SugarCC]

Yes!
Something to consider, if we stack a few more 9 or 10+ win seasons the next few years, kids that are just getting into high school will view TN as competitive and more legitimate. These current recruits have only known us as largely a joke for most of their lives. Consistent success is going to flip the script for sure. This is the reason people need to be more patient: getting "elite" classes will take a shift in perspective and will take time. This may upset some people, but take off the orange glasses and look where we have been. Top 10 i s superb, all things considered.

In the meantime, I feel good about what this staff can do with what we can get.

I was with you all the way up to "take off orange glasses".

 

[SugarCC]

Thought he was 7-6 hid 1st year here??

Until I'm pushing daisies, I will refuse to recognize Ole Miss and Purdue as losses, and not wins. Had touchdowns taken off the board in both games, touchdowns that would have won both games...touchdowns that should have NEVER been taken away. Very simple.

Everyone is free to recognize it and call it whatever they want...to me, and i will not be moved, Heupel is 20-6 since he got to Knoxville.

 

[SoullessGinger32_]

I haven't worried about recruiting...actually, I really haven't worried about anything since Heupel went 9-4 with 65 players his first year...last year just secured my trust in him even more. Dude has worked absolute miracles so far. Not only does NOTHING "concern" me, I believe we TRULY compete with UGA for the east this year...they may still win it, but they will know they've been in one hell of a dog fight to do so.

If we have another season like last year, 9-3 at worst, I believe recruiting takes the step into the top 5. Maybe not this class, but next year and beyond; although, we win 9+ this year, we're knocking on top 5's door.

Have to keep winning, period
We do that, we flip a couple of dudes, imo.

Huep didn't go 9-4 his first year. He went 7-6. He definitely came close to winning 9 or 10 but didn't. Let's not be UCF right now and make things up haha. Huep has exceeded expectations so far. We got a good one finally let's enjoy it. Gonna win a lot of games under him.

 

[SugarCC]

Huep didn't go 9-4 his first year. He went 7-6. He definitely came close to winning 9 or 10 but didn't. Let's not be UCF right now and make things up haha. Huep has exceeded expectations so far. We got a good one finally let's enjoy it. Gonna win a lot of games under him.

If you concede things stolen from you so easily, and ha ha about it, best to steer way clear of this foxhole.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

you are missing the forest through the trees. Note the plural in your own statement. we need multiple blue chip players, but not any one particular blue chip player.

ESD is still months away, and SD is even further away. Our coaches have gotten our best defensive recruits pretty late in the process.

2 of our biggest defensive commits we got late in the year last year.
Hobbs 11/25
Carter 12/14
Even going back to the '22 class:
Pearce 12/15
Josephs 11/22
West 12/15

Its not like our coaches haven't shown an ability to bring in key defensive recruits late in the process. there are still blue chips out there, just because we are missing on some doesn't mean we won't get good/great players. Don't get fixated on the individual guy.

No you are missing my point. Sjt always talks about there is little correlation between blue chip players and NCs. He also thinks that the recruiting services are wrong more than they are right. Is it a coincidence that in every single recruiting cycle Bama, UGA and OSU recruit the same players? He will not accept the fact that the teams that win the most have the highest rated recruiting classes. Are their outliers? Sure. But he won’t recognize it.

I am certain that we all want the Vols to win championships. Well in order to do that, we have to get our blue chip player ratio higher. That’s a fact. And that’s my point. We are definitely getting there. I never said we won’t get any high profile guys. We will.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

No you are missing my point. Sjt always talks about there is little correlation between blue chip players and NCs. He also thinks that the recruiting services are wrong more than they are right. Is it a coincidence that in every single recruiting cycle Bama, UGA and OSU recruit the same players? He will not accept the fact that the teams that win the most have the highest rated recruiting classes. Are their outliers? Sure. But he won’t recognize it.

I am certain that we all want the Vols to win
championships. Well in order to do that, we have to get our blue chip player ratio higher. That’s a fact. And that’s my point. We are definitely getting there. I never said we won’t get any high profile guys. We will.

No, in order to win we only have to get our talent in range of the signing day winners. It is not their star average, it is which players they sign. They get more than their share for sure but lots of their guys get passed by BETTER players on draft day that were in fact 3 stars or worse coming out of HS. We could win with those guys en mass TOO. So yes, sign the right guys regardless of stars and life can be good. Lots of 3 stars defy the odds and out perform 4 stars. Unless a 5 star is a head case he should hold up. But there are some every year that don’t but they are forever in the historical STAR WARS RECORDS.

The best news is they can only put 11 of their 85 out there at a time. A couple of busts or injuries stacking up at a few positions can help others close ground. Bennett was a what star?

 

[SoullessGinger32_]

If you concede things stolen from you so easily, and ha ha about it, best to steer way clear of this foxhole.

You absolutely make no sense lol. But when you make up records because you can't accept the real results it just seems weak IMO. Steer clear all you want just don't make things up lol

 

[benholt06]

The fines and scholarship limits have no bearing on this. The NIL money is separate from the fines and it's only 2 losses scholarships a year. We also aren't going to get into bidding wars for a HS senior.

Lol I’m amazed at how many here don’t get this.

We self imposed an 18 scholarship reduction. You can’t just say they’re "accounted for" and it magically goes away. The remaining 10 amount to 2 less per year over the next 5. People seem to think the 10 are all we had reduced and we voodooed the rest away somehow. Any way you slice it it’s 28 scholarships that can’t be used on players. It forces the staff to be a bit more selective.

It’s also hard to believe an $8 million fine isn’t felt when the entire recruiting budget is 3 million.

I’m not overly concerned about this stuff but to say it has no bearing is just naive.

Some info here: Josh Heupel reacts to NCAA ruling on Tennessee infractions, avoiding bowl ban

 

[knoxvol52]

Any chance on this young man picking the good guys ?????

 

[Ryals525]

Any chance on this young man picking the good guys ?????

Noooo

 

[Ryals525]

Noooo

Take that back..Probably bout 3%