'25 Portal Thread

#1,011
#1,011
marcusluvsvols said:
This.

Go watch the film breakdown of the Arkansas game. They make fun of Heard because he was absolutely horrible. Guys running right around him like he wasnt there. Then, when we are trying to get downfield at the end of the game to clock the ball...Heard was so out of shape he couldnt get up off the ground and get 20 yards downfield like EVERY other 300+lb guy on our Oline. He graded in the low 40s...which is absolutely HORRIBLE vs both Arkansas and UGA. We just so happened to lose both those games...and Nico ran for his life in both.

If Heard is not greatly improved by spring then he should 100% be replaced in my opinion...but thats up to the coaches. This was his 1st year starting. Theres no excuse for the conditioning BS though...none. Our players have the best nutritionists and strength coaches that money can buy. Campbell had a few bad games this year also...but he was hurt all season and only played about half the snaps. Go look at Heards grades from PFF for each game. Not good.

We have historically done an amazing job in the portal. All these players have made big plays for us, from the top of my head:

Bru
Thornton
Brazzell
McCoy
Norman Lott
These are all just on THIS years team. We do a great job evaluating talent from film apparently. That said, Heard was a "bottom third of the SEC" Left Tackle this season. If he cannot improve quite a bit for next season, then he needs to be replaced. Left Tackle can and will absolutely cripple an offense. We need better Oline play next season in passing situations. We did well running the ball, as usual. Even Heard has done quite well sometimes in the run game. He has also been an absolute liability in passing situations, especially in both of our losses.
Click to expand...
All of this further emphasizes how bad of an idea it is to just go window shopping for the “best available” in the portal, pay them exorbitant amounts of money and promise them a starting position.

I don’t know if Heard was promised a starting position, but it sure seems he was. If so, what leverage does a coach have to hold him accountable for his conditioning and play?

Just paying whatever player A wants, just to get them on campus is a bad idea imo. There has to be some kind of balance between talent and actual desire to play for the University of Tennessee Volunteers vs just being mercenary trying to get paid imo.

Coaches and administrators have their work cut out for them trying to navigate these waters.
 
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