Recruiting Football Talk VIII

[Revived2002]

In other news, I highly recommend waiting till next July to assess the status of our roster

 

[SouthKnoxVOL]

Our biggest issue has been recruiting. We are missing on way too many players. The list of offensive recruits that have been average or better in four years:
1. Nico
2. Squirrel
3. Sampson

That’s absolutely pathetic.

What an idiotic thing to say

 

[Jackcrevol]

These young men have way to much control these days.

Players should be paid for the production on the field, not for making cookie commercials or meet and greet.

Going to open an instagram, no pics of kids, wife, yard, dog. One sole purpose.

Going to invite my boss. When he accepts, will then upload one pic of me holding my work stuff with one foot out the door at office.

Then,

 

[LargePairOfVols]

Signing a 5 star only to sit on the bench and not play a ton of meaningful snaps is dumb. No matter how it shakes it this time. That’s a dumb plan

Nimrod was too good. Had to play him.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

What an offseason by the staff.

Might as well go triple option

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Atleast we got Nimrod all those snaps

 

[Jackcrevol]

Nimrod was too good. Had to play him.

Atleast we got Nimrod all those snaps

lol. WR room has been mismanaged. Really hope we are planning to $.

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

Back to WR

I can’t imagine that the Tennessee coaches would not want him to stay regardless of his position.

Is that not an option with the Vols?

 

[Stepnstone24]

Our biggest issue has been recruiting. We are missing on way too many players. The list of offensive recruits that have been average or better in four years:
1. Nico
2. Squirrel
3. Sampson

That’s absolutely pathetic.

Never ceases to amaze me the people that have zero knowledge of football.

 

[volbeast33]

What an idiotic thing to say

What part do you disagree with?

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

I posted earlier Bama has the same issue we do. Saban knew what was coming and he ducked out. Bama's domination is over. Texas will replace Bama as the premier SEC team.

I can’t abide that future.

It’s like President Reagan destroying the USSR and we think that the world will be a better place. At least with the USSR, we knew and understood the enemy. Once they fell apart, the world’s terrorists weren’t held in check and bad things started happening.

Then a new evil arose with no morals and this evil thinks that all other humans are a lower species. China makes the USSR look like the good guys.

USSR = bama
China = texas
China is the embodiment of all evil things in the world stage currently. texas is the embodiment of all evil things in college football currently.

I need for Arizona State to embarrass texas the way BYU embarrassed Colorado last night.

 

[csprig9]

I think 8-4 or 9-3 is reality next year. We are gonna be young at Oline, LB, Dline backups, probably Safety/Nickel and REALLY young at WR. With a very talented but young QB with only 1 season under his belt.

Keep in mind that Ole Miss and aTm both went 9-3 this year after spending BIG money in the portal and having talented rosters. SC also went 9-3 with the 2 best sack leaders at bookends on their Dline...and a very experienced and solid defense like ours.

If we are smart, we are laying the groundwork for 2026 and gonna spend more in the portal after NEXT season to fill in holes with top shelf players for Nicos junior year when all these WRs, linemen, 5 young LBs etc have more experience. Will be McCoys junior year too. Next season is a lost cause for the playoffs IMO. Making the 12 team tournament is a pipe dream we dont have the roster to accomplish yet at least. If our fanbase goes into 2025 thinking we are gonna make a playoff run, those folks are gonna be very disappointed when they shouldnt be. It means they dont understand our roster. We just signed a 2025 class where about half of them are top 300 players. They are gonna be freshmen next season though. 2025 is a reloading, teaching type year. Experience will be the main thing next season...for about 20 very talented 18 and 19 year old kids. It is what it is.

This program was a damn dumpster fire 4 years ago...and yet some people are acting like a 9-3 or 8-4 season is the end of the world. (Not saying you are bud) We have made more progress in the last 4 years than anyone could have reasonably expected. Each class better than the last...and our bluechip % on roster has steadily increased as well. We should be excited for the future IMO. Not upset. Just my opinion though. I understand that.

If they made the playoffs this year they sure as hell can next year with a young but more talented roster

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

Spreads in CFP Quarterfinal games.

Penn State -10.5 over Boise State
Texas -13.5 over Arizona State
Georgia -1.5 over Notre Dame
Ohio State -2.5 over Oregon.

I am probably jinxing these teams but please let the winners be:

Boise State
Arizona State
Oregon
Sink hole (I can’t root for either nd or uga. I want both to lose badly. If nd would lose the next game badly then I guess I could live with nd embarrassing uga )

 

[RiseToTheTop]

If they made the playoffs this year they sure as hell can next year with a young but more talented roster

As of now we have no playmakers at all

 

[nashvol1]

I think they will lock Mathews up today with Nico confirmed staying.

Talkin Vawls mentioned there was an IG live with a few of the receivers who left and they were saying Pope is an issue. Not sure if they are frustrated or it’s real, either way we have coaching malpractice across our staff.

 

[Jackcrevol]

I can’t imagine that the Tennessee coaches would not want him to stay regardless of his position.

Is that not an option with the Vols?

but WR is just too crowded...

 

[SoilVol]

The fact Matthews entered the portal at the 11th hour tells me he probably wants to stay but needed a renegotiation that we weren't able to come to terms on before the deadline. I'm sure he's getting insane money thrown at him to go elsewhere.

Two other thoughts: 1. Maybe we were the playoff team that had to pay multiple players to not enter the transfer portal before the playoffs. 2. There are still only 3 SEC with fewer players in the portal than us. Ole Miss, Texas, and Georgia. Two of those are still in the playoffs. Just perspective. Mizzou has the same number.

 

[JCVol00]

Regardless if Matthews stays or not, Pope has to go. There has been nothing but regression at the wr position each year, as well as letting everyone but 2 wr’s walk

 

[Jackcrevol]

The issues at WR, with what we know this offense can do. Are simply mind boggling.

Tennessee should never ever struggle recruiting skill guys. Period. We have an offensive guru.

Seven guys are transferring.

Seven.

If guys werent good enough, then wth did we recruit them? Is Pope not a good evaluator?

Why are we struggling to keep our best recruits? We have time to sell.

Why are we seeing YoY degredation at a position we should have literally no issues recruitng?

We should be able to stockpile 4/5 stars moreso than Florida. Something stinks.

 

[csprig9]

As of now we have no playmakers at all

I forgot your all anti CJH and doom and gloom

Who the hell were the playmakers this year????

Sampson, ok but Lewis is gonna be better
We have better oline play potential

I mean I would assume CJH will get some portal help at wr lol
All the guy that left were players that did nothing this year including MM if he stays in

 

[RiseToTheTop]

I forgot your all anti CJH and doom and gloom

Who the hell were the playmakers this year????

Sampson, ok but Lewis is gonna be better
We have better oline play potential

I mean I would assume CJH will get some portal help at wr lol
All the guy that left were players that did nothing this year including MM if he stays in

Youre right

Loaded with playmakers

 

[TheTimeIsNow]

Just curious, what wide receivers are left on our roster? We all considered that a position of strength coming into 2024 but was massively overrated. How do you justify keeping your WR coach after he loses every single player?

 

[ForMyLosses]

I forgot your all anti CJH and doom and gloom

Who the hell were the playmakers this year????

Sampson, ok but Lewis is gonna be better
We have better oline play potential

I mean I would assume CJH will get some portal help at wr lol
All the guy that left were players that did nothing this year including MM if he stays in

Pretty wild you’re that confident in Lewis when Dylan Sampson just had the best season for a running back in Tennessee history….

Most tds scored and most rushing yards

 

[Jackcrevol]

Youre right

Loaded with playmakers

It isnt so MUCH that MM is leaving, yes thar hurts.

MM is the last drive of a spike that has been going all year. We know its an issue.

Recruiting hasnt been good, production is terrible, and now this?

Its really hard to find a silver lining here, folks.

 

[csprig9]

Pretty wild you’re that confident in Lewis when Dylan Sampson just had the best season for a running back in Tennessee history….

Most tds scored and most rushing yards

Very confident
Sampson was great though
RBs can flourish is this offense
Never been concerned about them