Please recall that the primary reason everybody gave for why 2017 was gonna be such a stellar recruiting class for Tennessee is because of all the great in-state talent. If the top players in your own state won't come to play for you, what message does that send to the top players you're recruiting from out of state? The answer...it speaks volumes and it becomes a primary source of negative recruiting for rival coaches.
I think we're gonna wind up with a decent in-state haul and a good class overall. But it could've been an all-time legendary, top 2 or 3 class in the country had we been able to get top in-state guys like Higgins, Rodgers and Stevens to sign with us.