Hey, Nancy... Ever tried looking at something subjectively without circling around only to put a negative connotation on it? I understand not trying to get your hopes up, not drinking the kool-aid, don't count your chickens and all that jazz.... But you just poop all over everything. I just watched a 20 min practice video (only because I played WR for a couple years in JUCO down in MS before catching the "Malfunctioning-Maggitt Disorder" and had to hang it up) that showed VAST improvement in a lot of areas. Am I saying we have arrived and UT will be winning championships again soon? No, no I'm not. What's that midget down in Tuscaloosa always talk about? Dislike him immensely, but he always preaches of "the process". You don't build champions over night. Everything is pointing in the right direction, all we need to see now is the play on the field to start improving each year, heck, each week, and we'll climb that mountain, Nancy.
Here's what jumped out at me:
Worley isn't going to win the Heisman, which I know let's a lot of you down to hear, but it's night and day the way he is running that offense compared to last year (I know it's just a practice, but that's where it starts). He was decisive, he went through his progressions/looked off coverages more times in this one video than he did all last season, and his arm strength is VASTLY improved. He's no Favre, but I saw him put some zing on it tonight that I didn't think he had.
The receivers looked much, much more crisp on their routes, which also comes with becoming more comfortable /confident in the offense. We should all enjoy North while we can, cause that kid is the real deal, and it's not even a maybe if he will be a star. He is the complete and total package, and it's a thing of beauty to see him run past a DB then turn around and abuse him when they try to press. If you're big and strong, USE IT! Which leads me to Croom. He made a couple of nice catches, but he's just a every-now-and-then type guy that blows my mind. He's 6'5" 235.... Just go look at the size of the corners on this team. Every time they try to put a hand on him he should rip their arm off and beat them with it. He should be bullying those kids. Classic case of looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. It seems like a mental thing for him, and I hope the light comes on and STAYS ON, because right now he's workin with a short circuit. Love how Pig fights for every ball even though he's the smallest one out there. Josh Smith is hands down the best route runner on that team, and it's not close. If he can lose the gator arms during games, he could be very effective for them. Pearson makes it all look easy. He jogs at 4.4 speed it seems like. Very fluid athlete. If Malone's work ethic gets to the level of his natural athletic ability, he's gonna be following North in the 1st round some day.
Helm and Wolfe are the type of tight ends the game of football is steamrolling towards, and they give that position a dynamic that was completely non-existent last season. Creamer has the size/frame/speed to be a major problem for opposing defenses if he can learn this position and get more consistent with his hands. He's a freak athlete.
The DB's look so much quicker/aggressive/physical. They have the catch 22 of covering one of the BEST receiving cores in the nation (I'm kidding, Nancy, calm down). But no, they are one of the largest in the nation for sure, and that makes these DB's have to come out and play physical every. single. day. (and that you can't deny) Josh Smith is 6'1" and he looks like a 4th grader up next to those guys.
There ya have it. I read every website, all the message boards, every magazine, you name it... But I rarely post on these things, so when I do, I got a lot to get out. I apologize for this monster post, but sometimes.... You just gotta let it all go, guys.
Ain't that right, Nancy? Go Vols, baby
