'25 Portal Thread

[abacon81]

I'm sure the complaints about Pope are somewhat justified by the departing receivers, but let's wait and see where they end up. It's not like Wake Forest/Maryland are juggernauts that Webb is going to and it will be interesting to see where Nimrod, Squirrel, and Leacock end up.

I think the point that gets lost in a lot of this is that prestigious football schools aren't always the highest bidders. Smaller schools may go more all in on some guys than a "name school". Maryland has UA money now, they're consistently in the mix on guys. Just because it's not Bama or OSU doesn't mean they can't pay and offer playing time.

 

[Blake25p]

Yeah, im not sure I believe this. Matthews is the only good one weve lost.

And he’s probably not leaving

 

[Jackcrevol]

Regardless, he's who we've got.

Do think Huepel needs to address it. He wont. But would make sense. Like 'this is our guy.' Which would let everyone know he's on top if it. You dont lose five players at a position and it go unnoticed.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Uhh...Squirrel and Nimrod played quite a bit.

Uhh…Nimrod wasn’t going to be a factor next year. “Passed up”

I’d be willing to bet Squirrel wasn’t in the cards either. Passed up, let go, told to leave…however you want to say it.

I can always change it.

 

[Orangeslice13]

Tifwiw.
The guys leaving are considered “soft” squirrel was asking too much money and MM is a fighter (dog) with great potential so trying to save him.

We need guys who can get open and are not scared to get physical down field.

 

[Garren04]

The point here is we are dealing with college athletes here who make rash decisions based on emotion. We were never paying Squirrel and we shouldn’t. However, I think you have to do everything to keep MM.

 

[cncchris33]

Uhh…Nimrod wasn’t going to be a factor next year. “Passed up”

I’d be willing to bet Squirrel wasn’t in the cards either. Passed up or told to leave…however you want to say it.

I can always change it.

I don't know why you think he wouldn't he a factor next year. He was a factor this year. Now you can argue he shouldn't have been a factor and shouldn’t be a factor going forward, and I'd agree. But for whatever reason, he played over guys like Staley and Matthews. It seems like you're projecting your preferences but ignoring the precedence. We're on the same side in terms of preference, believe me.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Whether these WR were just a miss or just not being developed will be determined soon enough. If they thrive at their new spots it's probably a decent indication that their coaching here sucked.

 

[TN-POSSUM]

I think we basically said the same thing in two different threads.

I think everyone is starting to see it for what it is. The fans are going to continually get milked out of their money for players that can be bought by the highest bidder.




*I'm not saying they're all like that. I'm sure there are players on our roster that are loyal to the University and want to be a VOL, no matter what. However, there are others that live by the motto "cash is king" and that's how college athletics have gotten to this point. Greed

 

[Midas]

Whether these WR were just a miss or just not being developed will be determined soon enough. If they thrive at their new spots it's probably a decent indication that their coaching here sucked.

Curious to see how it goes. The WRs who left before haven’t done anything at their new schools so far. Merrill, Holiday, and Calloway haven’t done anything at their new schools. But if the recent guys who entered the portal don’t do well it could also mean recruiting evaluations are really bad.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Remaining uncommitted top 100 WRs in the portal. There’s more but I started getting depressed once I reached the 30s.

#2 Branch
#24 Clement
#27 Greene
#28 Wilde (Nebraska bound)
#38 Vaughn
#39 Caldwell
#41 Gilmore
#44 Messer
#47 Norton (top 3 in country in yards per catch)
#52 Stellato

 

[Pawleysvol]

Remaining uncommitted top 100 WRs in the portal. There’s more but I started getting depressed once I reached the 30s.

#2 Branch
#24 Clement
#27 Greene
#28 Wilde (Nebraska bound)
#38 Vaughn
#39 Caldwell
#41 Gilmore
#44 Messer
#47 Norton (top 3 in country in yards per catch)
#52 Stellato

More receivers will go into the portal in the next 10 days or so

 

[TrippieRedd]

More receivers will go into the portal in the next 10 days or so

I posted a list of all the quality WRs on remaining bowl teams!

Other than the playoffs teams.

 

[titansvolsfaninga]

If this is true, he needs to be gone today. Not developing talent is one thing, but pair that with recruiting losses and losing the locker room and you have a serious problem. No room for coaches that aren't delivering. I hate that CFB has become such a business, but if it is, you have to treat it that way. Deliver or go.

CFB has always been a business, where have you been? Any sports for that matter, because High School sports are just as much a business too.

 

[MrVolton]

Whether these WR were just a miss or just not being developed will be determined soon enough. If they thrive at their new spots it's probably a decent indication that their coaching here sucked.

When the whole position group is underperforming or even regressing, I think you’ve got to look at the position coach whether that’s due to evaluation or development.

Same for the OL.

 

[Cosmo Kramer]

All 3 are a little overrated, but damn I wish this was our portal haul at WR.
View attachment 710183

And they will win their usual 8 games

 

[Jack Burton]

Bru is just a guy, to me. He's not garbage, but he isn't dynamic. If he even can come back, not sure I'd go out of my way to keep him. Obviously, we are in a bit of a pickle in terms of just having bodies, so I wouldn't turn him away. I just wouldn't overpay to hold him and then try to force him into the lineup ahead of some others.

This is where I am with him and Squirrel. They’re very good SEC players, and I’m happy they played here, but they aren’t great or elite. We don’t have any great or elite players at WR. Maybe Matthews is that but we’re having to fight to find out.

 

[TrippieRedd]

If Matthews was actually worried about Nico leaving, we’re really gonna have to fight for him NEXT off season.

 

[smokeyz1]

Hyatt didn’t. He was not much of a factor in 2021. He even publicly stated that he didn’t put in the effort in Heupel’s first year.

Either way Pope was the WR room Grad Assistant in 2021 and the WR Coach in 2022. He was involved with Hyatt in the off season between 2021 and 2022 as much as anybody. IIRC, Hyatt stated that seeing Velus Jones success in 2021 motivated him to work much harder that off season.

 

[Midas]

Remaining uncommitted top 100 WRs in the portal. There’s more but I started getting depressed once I reached the 30s.

#2 Branch
#24 Clement
#27 Greene
#28 Wilde (Nebraska bound)
#38 Vaughn
#39 Caldwell
#41 Gilmore
#44 Messer
#47 Norton (top 3 in country in yards per catch)
#52 Stellato

Nico and Branch follow each other on IG btw

 

[TrippieRedd]

Nico and Branch follow each other on IG btw

They always have.

 

[deatojl]

Just a thought....... With all the turmoil and turnover we've had at the wr position I think the reason we haven't hit the portal there was likely to let things settle down, make sure all our ducks were in a row with current players first.

Y'all may not be a big fan of squirrel but with how little we return I find it hard to believe we wanted or encouraged him to leave.

For Nico's development this is horrible news. Breaking in a completely new wr room, having to get in sync and timing with new wr's.

If I take a step back and look at it through his eyes I could understand him contemplating making a move this off season. I think it very likely there was serious from Nico and his family about leaving. The MM situation kind supports this as well.

Wild times, I think we came very close to wheels completely coming off.

I

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you here but wouldn't Nico have to break in a new WR room and get in sync and get timing down with new WRs if he transferred to a new school?

 

[Blake25p]

Good luck to him

 

[Vols2DaWall]

One thing I don’t understand is if pope is so terrible why did we hand to fend off Georgia and potentially even auburn ?

You’d think if the SEC champs want him then he’s gotta be a decent coach. Our receivers block very well and have a lot less drops than some teams. I’m not sure pope is as bad as some people make him out to be. It’s easy to blame assistant coaches when this may really be an issue of NIL and an offense that takes a bit to learn because of reads.

Now it could be pope I’m not sold on him but anyone acting like they know for certain is probably over confident.

I obviously don’t know for certain but if you look at the group as a whole. Regression almost at each position. We had horrible production from the group this year. Not separating. Drops.

Despite bad production, can’t get our 5 star talented freshman on the field. Some reports (verified or not) that the room doesn’t like him.

 

[rockytop25]

Kaleb Webb said the same thing on his live last night. Seems to be a lot of smoke.

If he didn’t like him so much, why did he stay this year?