Recruiting Football Talk VIII

[JT3]

Uh... And UT.

That's with a completely different staff and over 5 years ago. We talking about now.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

I’m not underselling Lewis, I was encouraged by what I saw the other night, he just isn’t Sampson.

Lewis is fine as a #2 guy, we need to be patient and wait for an elite RB portal guy, if one enters that’s good enough. I’m fine with who we have if no one enters.

Take away Sampson and our record is around 7-5 or 8-4.

- Take away Sampson’s 2 TDs against UK and the score is 14-18, UK

- Take away Sampson’s 2 TDs against Bama and the score is 13-17, Bama

- Take away Sampson’s 3 TDs against Florida and the score is 2-17

I don’t think Lewis can provide us with those stats next year, and that’s not a knock on him.


An elite rushing game makes this offense click.

Hooker could run
Small
Wright.
Samspon
List goes on

I look at Lewis like I look at our team. He’s good, but not elite…yet.

Come on, man. We saw glimpses of what Wright and Sampson could be during their sophomore seasons but they didn't actually "break out" until the first year they started. Saying Lewis is just going to be a #2 guy after what he did this season is selling him short. Lewis is bigger and faster than both of those guys and poised to be the next great back after Sampson. The coaches think Lewis is going to be elite next season.

 

[rockytop25]

Agreed…we got a terrible draw

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

SIAP…Thornton declaring for the draft. Interesting decision. Hard for me to see him being anything other than a day 3 pick at best.

 

[TrippieRedd]

SIAP…Thornton declaring for the draft. Interesting decision. Hard for me to see him being anything other than a day 3 pick at best.

I don’t think he had anymore eligibility

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

I don’t think he had anymore eligibility

Makes sense then. I thought he had another year or two but that would make sense if he’s out of eligibility.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

And last year Sampson wasn’t Jalen Wright. Hopefully WR’s are better and we don’t have to ride one running back quite as much. Running back would be way down the list of worries for me. We badly need one or two wide receivers that can separate, catch and get some yac. That would open up everything else. We witnessed it in 2022 with our team and Saturday night with OSU. I see some pretty capable guys in the backfield. Time will tell.

Sampson as a true Freshmen - 58 carries 397 yards 6 TDs
Lewis as a true freshmen - 64 carries 339 yards 3 TDs

We're adding Daune Morris and Justin Baker, but Lewis is the only "big body" back we'll have next year since Keith and Seldon are both gone. But I don't think you chase a RB1 when you have 2 guys on the team already that have shown an ability to produce.

But if there is a 1 year RB that is willing to come compete for the starting role that's a 6'0"+ and 210lbs+ body then I say snatch him up for depth.

I like Justice Haynes, but don't think he'll wanna come into a RB room as young as ours.

Fluff Bothwell fits the bill, but also a true freshmen that may not want to join a room full of under classmen to compete with.

CJ Donaldson is a carbon copy of Princeton Fant size wise and far more productive as a rusher...but he lead WV in carries so will he want to be in another RBBC for his final year or is he just wanting to play somewhere for a team that will compete for the playoffs?

 

[Jackcrevol]

@Ericvol2096 Do you see us having to free up some money from older guys leaving before we go balls deep buck ass wild in the porthole?

Please pardon the rhetorical nature of my interrogative statement. But if you could please, so the folks in the back of the club can hear ya!

 

[BarrythesnoUT]

Please - anyone but Georgia win the championship.

Go Ducks. Go Boise. Go Sun Devils. **** everyone else.

 

[Weezer]

I think a "make **** happen" WR is big time needed.

First one we had was Velus Jones Jr. and then Hyatt became that guy...I think they thought Squirrel could become one, but he just hasn't. Too small and also his weird issues with inconsistency when catching the ball.

We had 3 WRs that were all the same big slow off the start types...what we really needed was to leave Seldon at WR and develop him into that sort of WR. 6'2" 220lbs = AJ Brown/Deebo Samuel etc.

And now he's going elsewhere hoping to become that guy. I really wish we would have given him a shot at WR. If he goes somewhere else and turns into a stud WR, that's going to hurt.

 

[PYSCHO]

SIAP…Thornton declaring for the draft. Interesting decision. Hard for me to see him being anything other than a day 3 pick at best.

he get hurt at the combine

 

[PYSCHO]

he get hurt at the combine

if he he is not hurt when it happens

 

[TrippieRedd]

Hmmmmmm, since I know we won’t pay a **** ton for players.

I wonder if O’mega Blake is expensive….led the nation in YPC.

Anyone know if he played against good competition?

Edit: had 5 receptions for 80 yards against UGA in 2023

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Go Ducks. Go Boise. Go Sun Devils. **** everyone else.

Yeah next round a "perfect" weekend for me

Arizona State spanks Texas
Oregon thumps Ohio State
Boise State upsets Penn State
Notre Dame beats Georgia

Georgia and Ohio State are the 2 I'd most hate to see win it all.

 

[Weezer]

Going to be pretty bewildering to me if we don’t try to get a game changing receiver out of the portal (if one is still available). We desperately need one. I want to believe that’s what Mike Matthews will be that for us, but that’s banking on player development. Up to Heupel to determine if Kelsey Pope is the guy to do that or if change is needed.

JMO, but I don't think Pope is the guy. I defended not playing Matthews more this season, but after looking around the college football landscape and seeing WRs like Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams contributing like they did as freshmen, I've changed my mind. If Matthews is the talent we believe him to be, he should have seen the field more. If he's not, then we severely missed on our evaluations.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Hmmmmmm, since I know we won’t pay a **** ton for players.

I wonder if O’mega Blake is expensive….led the nation in YPC.

Anyone know if he played against good competition?

Edit: had 5 receptions for 80 yards against UGA in 2023

3 big games in his 4 years in college man...and actually ONLY those 3 games where he caught 100+ yards. He was a "go long" threat exclusively it seems.

 

[TrippieRedd]

3 big games in his 4 years in college man...and actually ONLY those 3 games where he caught 100+ yards. He was a "go long" threat exclusively it seems.

I was looking thru portal. Saw him.

Didn’t know anything about him, till I saw the 80 yard game against UGA. That’s all saw.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

JMO, but I don't think Pope is the guy. I defended not playing Matthews more this season, but after looking around the college football landscape and seeing WRs like Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams contributing like they did as freshmen, I've changed my mind. If Matthews is the talent we believe him to be, he should have seen the field more. If he's not, then we severely missed on our evaluations.

Maybe it wasn't Pope's call...but whoever thought playing Bru, Thornton, Squirrel, Brazzell, Nimrod, and Webb ahead of Matthews needs to be questioned. Especially when the the first 3 to 4 guys were dealing with nagging injuries.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I was looking thru portal. Saw him.

Didn’t know anything about him, till I saw the 80 yard game against UGA. That’s all saw.

5 catches 86 yards, he got 1 for 41 in South Carolina's second to last drive when they were chucking it trying to make a comeback.

But remember Legette was on the Gamecocks eating up a lot of attention in the passing game.

 

[Weezer]

I was looking thru portal. Saw him.

Didn’t know anything about him, till I saw the 80 yard game against UGA. That’s all saw.

JMO, but Branch and Concepcion appear to be the only two elite WRs left, and I doubt we have traction with either. Maybe there's a diamond in there but searching for diamonds is why we had the receiving corps we did this year.

 

[TrippieRedd]

5 catches 86 yards, he got 1 for 41 in South Carolina's second to last drive when they were chucking it trying to make a comeback.

But remember Legette was on the Gamecocks eating up a lot of attention in the passing game.

Might be in the minority but I’m hoping we open the book a little for KC.

 

[TrippieRedd]

JMO, but Branch and Concepcion appear to be the only two elite WRs left, and I doubt we have traction with either. Maybe there's a diamond in there but searching for diamonds is why we had the receiving corps we did this year.

That Fields kid from Virginia is a bigger body guy. He’s pretty good as well.

SMU: 4 for 42. TD
ND: 4 for 81.
Clemson: 3 for 65. TD
129 yards against Louisville
4 for 64 against us in 2023

 

[Jack Burton]

Y'all seen this? Probably have. Be nice to have some continuity of personnel and player development from season to season. Though I understand. I had wanderlust during my college age years.

Yes, it’s a nice parallel but that roster was LOADED. We don’t have that level of talent going into 2025.

 

[TrippieRedd]

CJ Donaldson to Ohio State lol

 

[Weezer]

Am I the only one who thinks next year feels more like a rebuilding year rather than the "year we put it all together"? At least half the OL will be new. Jenkins announcing he's entering the portal today makes me question the DL even more. Still think we need safety help and no truly proven WRs IMO. A QB can't really be great without a support system around him, and I question the support we're giving Nico next year.