No Great Players This Year???

#1
J

JMiah

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#1
What is going on with the football recruiting this year? I keep looking on rivals and elsewhere, but we don't seem to be getting anyone worth a damn!

No top QB... no top HB... no top WR... What is up?

Does anyone have any good news concerning prospects??
 
#2
#2
Don't really need a QB.
Crompton, Stephens, Coleman

Rb - Poole is a legit prospect and highly sought after
Foster, Coker, Hardesty, Creer, Vereen, Rogan, Poole
How many RB's do we need?

WR - might take another plus Bell is a good get
Should be fine here...we took in alot last year

Lineman & DB's are our main concern
 
#3
#3
Hens67 said:
Lineman & DB's are our main concern
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Amen to that! Which kind of makes me wonder why UT has only one verbal from a lineman on either side (2* Carson Anderson) and no verbals from DBs. Frankly, I am much more concerned with the linemen since some of the plethora of LBs, ATHs and RBs that Phil seems to be so keen on recruiting each year may be converted to a DB position. It is lineplay where UTK has been losing the battles the past few years. Why is it so difficult for the Vols to recruit linemen? Everyone else in the SEC seems to understand that games are won in the trenches, for example, in the 2008 class:

Bama has verbals from five linemen
UF ( with only 4 commits) has two linemen
UGA has commits from 6 linemen
even Vandy has verbals from 5 linemen.

I just don't get it.
 
#4
#4
Do not get too worried guys, it is only July. We still have some very good prospects seriously considring us.
QB Terrelle Pryor ***** OSU, Michigan, Penn State, UT dark horse, but it could happen, remember Ben Martin.
OG Kenneth Page **** South Carolina, Clemson, UT
OT Barrett Jones **** prolly Bama, but UT is 2nd
OT Antoine McClain **** Auburn, Bama, UT
OT Preston Bailey **** near UT lock
OG David Spurlock *** UT, Bama
DE Leon Mackey **** UT leads over NC State, Pitt
LB Marlon Walls **** UT slight edge over Fla
ATH Lamaar Thomas **** OSU, UT, Fla
WR Rod Wilkes **** UT, Fla
DT Terrence Cody **** UT leads over Ole Miss
LB Bradly Roussell *** wants to commit to UT
We could still end up with a top 10 class.
 
#5
#5
Hens67 said:
Don't really need a QB.
Crompton, Stephens, Coleman
Click to expand...

agreed. still, it's a luxury to get at least one QB per year if something doesn't pan out with another one... look at USC, QB U, they have taken 1 QB each year for the past 4 years... that is how you create a plug-n-play offense.

Rb - Poole is a legit prospect and highly sought after
Foster, Coker, Hardesty, Creer, Vereen, Rogan, Poole
How many RB's do we need?
Click to expand...

Poole is a little underrated, imo. he's drawn interest from some good schools... and on rivals he's a 5.7 RR. a 5.8 RR gives you 4*. I have to believe that Poole will be a 4* back by the end of the season. The RB stable is full at UT, and Poole will be the only back that CPF will take this year.... that's all he needs. however, Poole seems a bit shady to me in his commitment and may be poached at some time... let's see how things pan out.

WR - might take another plus Bell is a good get
Should be fine here...we took in alot last year
Click to expand...

Bell is a solid pickup, but he will need time to develop and fill out. Vinson and O'Neal were arguably the top WR duo pulled in by any team in the nation last year, so WR isn't a major priority, but UT doesn't seem to be a player for any top flight prospects. I am shocked that UT doesn't have a hand in more elite WR prospects given their pedigree. IMO, Bell isn't going to be a huge name in CFB in years to come... it would be nice to lock up a top-flight WR.[/QUOTE]

Lineman & DB's are our main concern
Click to expand...

it's still early, so it's hard to see how things are going to pan out here. that being said, there hasn't been much success on this front. a LOT of top flight talent is already off of the board and it doesn't seem like UT is a player in a lot of premier talent here.


Regardless of the current situation, it's well known that CPF and staff had made a reputation on being recruiting masterminds, so give it time.
 
#7
#7
BTW, my own opinion is that Leon Mackey is going to be a great college football player.
 
#9
#9
Well... I guess I am not saying that we are in extreme NEED of QB, RB, WR, etc... as I think we have some pretty good players in house right now... but...

Looking at the other top schools around the nation and this years batch of players, it seems that all the top guys are going to other schools...

Sure, USC doesn't need another HB, but they always sign a few really good ones... ND didn't need another QB, but Crist is still going there... etc...

What I am trying to say is... it seems like other schools are grabbing up the 5 and 4 star guys now, while we are not gaining any...

Again, maybe it is early, but many of the other schools sure are getting an early jump on us!
 
#10
#10
this class will not be sexy.....we need the big uglies...the o-line and d-line is the big need for 08
 
#11
#11
PIVOL said:
this class will not be sexy.....we need the big uglies...the o-line and d-line is the big need for 08
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skill positions don't make a class sexy. you want to know who has a sexy class? try OSU with 5* brewster (beastly OL), 4* mike adams (dominating OL from Orlando), 4* JB shurgarts (OL from Tx), 4* Stoneburner (extremely fast and athletic TE), 4* Sweat (a top LB), and 4* Nate Williams (DE from OH). these are some big nasties, but man.... talk about quality. OSU's OL is fearsome, and the LB/DE combo of Sweat/Williams is very nice.

USC is looking good too, they have 5* OL matt kalil AND 5* OL tyron smith (one of the most versatile and dominant OL in quite some time), 4* OL dan campbell from aldine TX, 4* OL Matt meyer, 4* TE blake ayles (#3 TE overall), and 4* DE wes horton from sherman oaks (dayne crist's school). Big uglies... great rankings. beautifully talented class.

ND has also been stocking big uglies. one of the OLs in the land in Lane Clelland (4*), 2 of the top 3 centers in Mike Golic (underrated b/c of his weak Connecticut competition) and Braxston Cave, Omar Hunter (incredibly quick and dominant 4* DT from Georgia), 4* Ethan Johnson (#3 DE in the nation), 4* DE Darius Fleming from Chicago (who projects as a DE/OLB hybrid... or straight OLB in ND's new 34), 4* Sean Cwynar from Illinois (one of the nastiest pass rushers in the nation), Brandon Newman (3* DT from KY who fits their 34 NG position perfectly), and vastly underrated Hafis Williams. Not to mention the #1 TE in the country in kyle rudolph (who UT was after...), and a mountain of a man in Joe Fauria (4* TE), with 2 4* LBs (Anthony McDonald - from Dayne Crist's school, and #2 MLB in the nation, Steve Filer). i've heard rumors that 4* LB etienne sabino, who is visiting ND this weekend, is a strong lean to the irish. AND ND is looking at grabbing Trevor Robinson (incredible 4* OL) who originally committed to Nebraska but renegged.





these 3 schools are stocking up on big boys, but all 3 classes are just insanely talented. these birds got out early and got their worms.
 
#12
#12
We have more of a limited number of schollies this year also. We grabbed up to many people last year.
 
#13
#13
govols182 said:
We have more of a limited number of schollies this year also. We grabbed up to many people last year.
Click to expand...

We didn't think we were gonna get so many commitments from 4 and 5 star guys at the end of the season that's why. Besides if you get a bunch one year and a little less the next year it's no big deal. Tennessee rarely recruits really well from the outset, they are better once they get the guys on campus to see a game. That's how we get commitments. Just be patient because it's not that difficult to get a top 20 class at UT.
 
#14
#14
Quit worrying about recruiting in July. Damn, signing day isn't for 7 months. Players will fall and climb. We will pick up interest in some and lose others. We will also sign alot of linemen which aren't easy to evaluate.
 
#15
#15
When January comes around, and we are drooling over the linemen we captured, I'll be able to rest. Until then, spread the word!
 
#16
#16
hvwarrior58 said:
Quit worrying about recruiting in July. Damn, signing day isn't for 7 months. Players will fall and climb. We will pick up interest in some and lose others. We will also sign alot of linemen which aren't easy to evaluate.
Click to expand...


what else have we got to worry about right now? just wait, when practice starts we'll all be worrying about Ainge's knee or somebody's ankle...so for now as 5* and 4* guys make waves by committing early (and to schools other than UT) some of us will fret over recruiting.
 
#17
#17
Everyone needs to listen to HV, he knows what he is talking about. With a good season, comes a good recruiting class, no worries.
 
#18
#18
hvwarrior58 said:
Quit worrying about recruiting in July. Damn, signing day isn't for 7 months. Players will fall and climb. We will pick up interest in some and lose others. We will also sign alot of linemen which aren't easy to evaluate.
Click to expand...

I agree, seriously we had a top 5 class this year, and last July it looked the same as this one does
 
#19
#19
Last July was horrendous. We were getting commits from Maples, Anderson, Hawkins. It would have been a complete disaster if the coaches did not work their magic with Martin, Donald, O'Neal, Paige, Jones, Berry, Creer, soforth.
 
#20
#20
I am generally less concerned about recruiting rankings with d lineman and o lineman. To me lineman are the biggest crapshoot in the recruiting process.
 
#21
#21
hvwarrior58 said:
Quit worrying about recruiting in July. Damn, signing day isn't for 7 months. Players will fall and climb. We will pick up interest in some and lose others. We will also sign alot of linemen which aren't easy to evaluate.
Click to expand...
hv, it does seem like UTK has had a problem recruiting elite linemen lately and it shows on the field. This is particularly true vis a vis UF and UGA who should be viewed as the Vols' primary competition. To illustrate the point:

In 2007, UF got 5**** linemen and 3***** linemen. UGA took 7**** linemen. Meanwhile UTK, in what we all consider to have been a stellar recruiting class, got 4**** linemen (two of whom had to go JUCO, Rolo and Sykes) and 1*****. In fairness I do not know how many of the 4&5* linemen that UF and UGA signed made it on campus but I suspect it's a decent number. Any thoughts ony why UTK seems to be getting outrecruited in this area?

For the record, I am not saying that the Vols have not gotten some good prospects for the lines. Just not in the volume that divisional rivals seem to be getting them.
 
#22
#22
Well, while that may be true hillbilly, here is a little bit of comfort. Recruiting linemen is a real crapshoot for the most part. Stars and rankings are nice, but it is way harder to predict how good an OL will be than a QB or TB.
 
#23
#23
is it me or does it seem like we sign twice as many highly ranked lineman that turn out to be duds.
 
#24
#24
rexvol said:
is it me or does it seem like we sign twice as many highly ranked lineman that turn out to be duds.
Click to expand...

Things are always better when your program has momentum and you can recruit up...in other words recruit highschool d lineman to become o lineman, and DE that become tackles etc. UT has been worn so thin that this is a luxury that cannot afford right now.

Lineman on both sides are such an unknown, because they are usually asked to add more strength and weight than is required at any other position. Lets face it, there are not many kids out of highschool that are 6'2" (or taller), weigh 280, and run a 4.9 40. Most of the time lineman are developed rather than recruited.
 
#25
#25
soooooo what you're saying is that we have done a poor job of developing o-lineman? if that's what you're saying then I agree 100%, which is even more distressing when you consider our head coach's background. I honestly think that Jimmy Ray killed us in that area.
 
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