Recruiting Football Talk VIII

[BigOrangeTrain]

For the 26 class. I think we have to get
Faizon Brandon
Tristan Keys
Dunham
Hiter

All 4 should end up as 5*.

You know that’s not gonna happen. We aren’t UGA or OSU. We don’t pay enough.

 

[A.J.]

Was ONL suspended for the first half of the game for conduct? Or was it a coach’s decision not to play him?

-Hubbs

For some reason I’m not surprised, if that’s true. He teetered on the edge of being out of control several times on the field this season. Pretty bad if he did something stupid to miss being there for his team in the biggest game of their time wearing the Orange.

 

[Vols4us]

People forget how badly we were hurting at OT at Okie and Arkie.

We have not forgotten. We note that in a head coach's 4th season he should have quality back-ups ready to go. He did not. Recruiting or development or both are the only questions.

 

[MarcoVol]

 

[marcusluvsvols]

Well yeah, he's fielding HC positions, he's done so damn well.

2016 - 28.8 ppg
2017 - 29.1 ppg

Mr Defensive Genius:
2018 - 27.9
2019 - 21.7
2020 - 30.1

Banks:
2021 - 29.1
2022 - 22.8
2023 - 20.3
2024 - 16.1 (fewest since 1999)

Hubbs said this morning that Banks already has headcoaching offers sitting on his desk. Hopefully he chooses to wait for an SEC job and stays.

Hubbs also said that assuming the schools are being honest, OSU paid $21-22 million for their roster this year. Allegedly best roster money can buy etc. He said that is $5-6 million more than UT paid its roster. It showed. $5M+ more per year could buy us probably 6 or maybe 7 ELITE players. WRs, Olinemen, and a top shelf safety. Will we spend the $$$ for next year? Who knows. Maybe every other year? Keep in mind that Ole Miss spent BIG money in the portal...bet their roster is close to $20MM if not 20...and they went to a bowlgame. Didnt even make the playoffs. We did...in what was supposed to be a 9-3 or 8-4 reloading type year according to vegas, sportswriters and normal reasonable UT fans. The over/under for our wins was 8.5....next year likely to be the same or maybe even 8wins predicted from vegas due to @FU and @bama.

 

[99Vol]

Someone asked how I’m feeling after that loss……
Well, we made the playoffs, Womens BBall are undefeated, Mens BBall are undefeated and ranked #1, and Baseball won the Naty.

Doing pretty good compared to every other College Sports Programs in the Country…

 

[headhunter15]

Is Coastal Carolina going through transfer portal issues? Down 24-0 on their home field in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

 

[headhunter15]

 

[MrVolton]

View attachment 708819More talent

Need better coaching on the offensive side too. I think we miss Golesh more than expected. O looks completely different without him, Hooker, Hyatt, and Wright.

 

[Checker_the_Shire]

For the 26 class. I think we have to get
Faizon Brandon
Tristan Keys
Dunham
Hiter

All 4 should end up as 5*.

My undiagnosed dyslexia totally saw another name there on that last one…

 

[Jack Burton]

A few random post season thoughts I have

• I was deployed to the Middle East last time we won a national championship and we’ve been wandering through the desert of mediocrity the vast majority of my adult life. So despite being disappointed in HOW we lost, I am forever grateful and thoroughly enjoy 10 win seasons and beating Florida and Alabama.
• Im not 100% sold on Nico. Kid is tough and he does make some high level throws at times, but a lot of the time he looks almost panicked back there. I don’t have access to all 22’s so I don’t know what is happen down the field - maybe no one is open - but he rarely looks comfortable in the pocket, hesitant to throw, and generally has happy feet. I hope there is an honest QB competition in the offseason. Not because I’m writing Nico off - by no means - just that iron sharpens iron.
• Im genuinely disappointed in Chris Brazzell. Outside of that touchdown vs Alabama, I don’t remember him making a noteworthy play this year.
• Not sure I’m buying the squirrel to the portal rumors. But I won’t cry if he does. I appreciate the player and he’s made a ton of plays for us. But at the same time, the slot should feast in this offense and he really hasn’t. The sentimental part of me hopes he sticks and is a rotation guy because I want him to finish out here and be a true VFL. The logical part of me hopes Staley is an upgrade and we go back to the slot being dangerous.
• I think so much of our defensive woes against quality teams is our lack of speed/athleticism at safety. It’s a lot to ask true freshman linebackers to contribute but hopefully they can because we need speed there.
• Like most, I want upgrades at OL coach and WR coach. Doubt we see it.
• Unfortunately it feels like 9 wins is our ceiling next year. I have zero confidence in us beating good teams on the road next year and if they schedule us vs a bad team on the road at night, odds of us pissing down our leg is strong.
• I have more thoughts but it’s time for me and I wipe and flush before my leg falls asleep.

I think Nico would look better with more talented OL and WRs. Many of us have discussed the lack of playmakers at WR and lack of recruited OL for a while now. It’s finally caught up and seems to be limiting Nico. Give Nico 1 of OSUs top 3 WRs and we look different right away.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

I think Nico would look better with more talented OL and WRs. Many of us have discussed the lack of playmakers at WR and lack of recruited OL for a while now. It’s finally caught up and seems to be limiting Nico. Give Nico 1 of OSUs top 3 WRs and we look different right away.

And look how many easy throws Howard gets. OSU ran more easy crossing routes in that game than ive seen in the entire heup era. They threw to ebugka out of motion, to the backs, TE and they actually realize youre allowed to use the middle of the field. We do none of that. Every route is slow developing and straight to the sidelines.

 

[Volsdeep4]

I don’t understand our OL pass protection. We get killed on stunts cuz CGE has the gaurds and center punch as soon as they break stance. So instead of dropping back and picking up the next guy coming in. They are already behind and immediate pressure.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

I think Nico would look better with more talented OL and WRs. Many of us have discussed the lack of playmakers at WR and lack of recruited OL for a while now. It’s finally caught up and seems to be limiting Nico. Give Nico 1 of OSUs top 3 WRs and we look different right away.

Yes, get Nico weapons

PERIOD. The dude is a stud and he fought harder than anyone out three Saturday.

You give him weapons and he dominates next year and there won't be a single game we can't win because he is that good.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Hubbs said this morning that Banks already has headcoaching offers sitting on his desk. Hopefully he chooses to wait for an SEC job and stays.

Hubbs also said that assuming the schools are being honest, OSU paid $21-22 million for their roster this year. Allegedly best roster money can buy etc. He said that is $5-6 million more than UT paid its roster. It showed. $5M+ more per year could buy us probably 6 or maybe 7 ELITE players. WRs, Olinemen, and a top shelf safety. Will we spend the $$$ for next year? Who knows. Maybe every other year? Keep in mind that Ole Miss spent BIG money in the portal...bet their roster is close to $20MM if not 20...and they went to a bowlgame. Didnt even make the playoffs. We did...in what was supposed to be a 9-3 or 8-4 reloading type year according to vegas, sportswriters and normal reasonable UT fans. The over/under for our wins was 8.5....next year likely to be the same or maybe even 8wins predicted from vegas due to @FU and @bama.

Omigosh. $5 Million isnt that much more. Give to Spyre! Go recruit the elite. End of story.

 

[Jimmy Football]

The Numbers that Wouldn’t Die

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Ya get rid of the bs seeding and we would have gotten SMU in Neyland.

We'd still be in it. Wouldn't embarass ourselves on a Neutral field either. Horrible seeding, horrible timing for everything.

Not an excuse. All we had to do was not get totally embarrassed. That's it.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Omigosh. $5 Million isnt that much more. Give to Spyre! Go recruit the elite. End of story.

Yeah, but we were also mentally weak and physically beat up.

We had literally no skill players healthy. Kinda makes sense you get killed when your best offensive players are just done.

 

[Volsdeep4]

Omigosh. $5 Million isnt that much more. Give to Spyre! Go recruit the elite. End of story.

5 million is about 3 elite players. That’s a huge difference.

 

[CobbVol]

This table I saw on another site pretty much sums up the OSU game
5 stars on roster: UT (4) , OSU (16)
4 stars on roster: UT (37) , OSU (55)
3 stars on roster: UT (41) , OSU (14)

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Hubbs said this morning that Banks already has headcoaching offers sitting on his desk. Hopefully he chooses to wait for an SEC job and stays.

Hubbs also said that assuming the schools are being honest, OSU paid $21-22 million for their roster this year. Allegedly best roster money can buy etc. He said that is $5-6 million more than UT paid its roster. It showed. $5M+ more per year could buy us probably 6 or maybe 7 ELITE players. WRs, Olinemen, and a top shelf safety. Will we spend the $$$ for next year? Who knows. Maybe every other year? Keep in mind that Ole Miss spent BIG money in the portal...bet their roster is close to $20MM if not 20...and they went to a bowlgame. Didnt even make the playoffs. We did...in what was supposed to be a 9-3 or 8-4 reloading type year according to vegas, sportswriters and normal reasonable UT fans. The over/under for our wins was 8.5....next year likely to be the same or maybe even 8wins predicted from vegas due to @FU and @bama.

Banks needed to take one. The SEC isn't calling.

 

[Visidog]

And look how many easy throws Howard gets. OSU ran more easy crossing routes in that game than ive seen in the entire heup era. They threw to ebugka out of motion, to the backs, TE and they actually realize youre allowed to use the middle of the field. We do none of that. Every route is slow developing and straight to the sidelines.

Crossing routes become incrementally more difficult as the WR alignments get wider. If you’re outside the numbers, it’s 20 yards minimum just to get over the ball, and it’s all happening in front of safeties who have time to track it. Timing that up with a WR coming from the other side isn’t a practical reality.

OSU ran a lot of routes inside out. That’s not really a part of a wide-aligned offense.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

And look how many easy throws Howard gets. OSU ran more easy crossing routes in that game than ive seen in the entire heup era. They threw to ebugka out of motion, to the backs, TE and they actually realize youre allowed to use the middle of the field. We do none of that. Every route is slow developing and straight to the sidelines.

Definitely not saying our scheme was great at OSU, but thats not the real problem IMO.

We missed on WRs Thornton and Brazzell...tho Brazzell is only a sophomore. Our WRs this year are nowhere CLOSE to as talented as NFL receivers Hyatt, Tillman, Payton, or even Keyton. Not close. I am actually not upset that Squirrel is likely leaving. He is elite in 5yd quickness...but hes also 5ft9in and 170lbs soaking wet. You see any WRs like that on OSU, Oregon, UGA, etc? Me neither. Time for a serious upgrade at the WR position. We have landed 5 legit studs in 24 and 25...but they are gonna be too young to contribute. We need to be tampering right now like Bama Oregon Flarda and everyone else is doing. We need a couple BIGTIME receivers to shoulder the load until these 5 grow into the job. Matthews should start next season...Staley hopefully takes a BIG leap and makes a difference at Slot. Dodson likely backs him up as a freshman. We need a Tillman/Payton guy and probably another WR from the portal also. Need serious help on the Oline also. Time to spend some money if we want to compete with the top 2 or 3 programs...are we gonna do that now OR a year from now? Thats the question IMO.

 

[Butch Jones]

Omigosh. $5 Million isnt that much more. Give to Spyre! Go recruit the elite. End of story.

Yeah I'm not buying those figures at all. 30-40% more in the NIL budget gets you THAT roster instead of ours? We started 2 walk ons this year. We're either mismanaging our NIL funds badly or OSU is spending way more than 5-6M more than us. I'm thinking it's the latter.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Crossing routes become incrementally more difficult as the WR alignments get wider. If you’re outside the numbers, it’s 20 yards minimum just to get over the ball, and it’s all happening in front of safeties who have time to track it. Timing that up with a WR coming from the other side isn’t a practical reality.

OSU ran a lot of routes inside out. That’s not really a part of a wide-aligned offense.

Thats why the offense needs a major adjustment. The route tree is so limited.