Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[Bassmaster_Vol]

This is why I wonder if they don't keep Steele and get Garner.

We need Garner for sure

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I will also say watching Heupel's first day meeting the UCF team and his first day presser for us, he's grown more comfortable in front of the camera.

I honestly don't get too wrapped up in recruiting, feel like if you are winning at UT with an exciting offense you'll have to turn away kids. We've had some great recruiting coaches in here (Butch & Pruitt) but seems like they just didn't know how to truly develop that talent or they didn't properly derecruit them or something. If nothing else I feel like Josh will be a straight shooter with the kids he brings in, and the culture will improve regardless of how many stars they have because of it.

 

[I4Jay]

Lebby is the new UCF coach

let me retract that.
It’s just contact.
Sorry. Don’t want to put out erroneous information

 

[ChattaTNVol]

I’m just wondering aloud if we can expect the same kind of offensive jump under Heupel in year 1 that Ole Miss had under Lane in year 1. I think we can

Generally speaking this is my take. I posted some tables earlier this morning showing the UCF W/L record against the defensive rankings of their opponents. UCF scored below their average points against better defenses. No real surprise, right? Those were also the games they most often lost. So while I think our offense will likely be better, more consistent, and put up more points overall, we’re going to be facing better defenses more often than UCF faced. jmo.

The other thing is that UCF’s opponents were generally not superior in talent as measured by the 247 composite. That will be the other major headwind we could face in a few games. We’re going to be outmatched in some, mostly evenly matched in others, and will likely have the superior talent in a few. I think we win when we have the clear talent advantage, maybe mixed bag when it’s more even, and struggle when we’re outclassed. jmo.

 

[jakez4ut]

Yep, it's clear the plan is to long-term this one. I'd like to see them stretch a bit... but I think it'll be a fair amount of familiar faces with working relationships already established. When it comes to building for the rebuild, this feels more tortoise than hare.

yep, and once this thing started going down the path it went down, i all but conceded this would be the case....there's no easy button for what we've done here...lol....just gonna have grin and bear it, and keep an eye on a few years down the road, and try reallllllly hard to ignore some of what happens in the immediate future.....as hard as that may be....lol.

 

[AppStVol]

Yeah, UCF fans don't like him for a couple of reasons that I think are valid.

He's not the face of the program that Frost was - he doesn't inspire the way he did. Frost is good looking and seems to be much more comfortable in front of a camera. Heupel is also kind of a redneck it seems, and I think that will play here better than it did at UCF.

He doesn't seem to be a willing recruiter - not saying he's bad at it, he just doesn't enjoy it or isn't focused on it. That's something to put a pin in if we're struggling in a couple of years. We are going to need to put some recruiting hounds around him, as you said.

Problem is if the head coach doesn't eat, sleep, and breath recruiting the mercenaries only get you so far.

Exhibit A. Dan Mullen.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Here's what I'd like to see, in an ideal world:

Elarbee and Golesh are non-negotiables for me. Those guys have to be here.

Kodi Burns is a good recruiter, bring him as well. Kodi Burns, Wide Receivers Coach (FB), Auburn Tigers

I hope Steele stays because I want someone with Tennessee ties on staff. Garner is a great recruiter, so is Brick Haley. All three are great football coaches too. I'd put Haley in the outside linebackers role, have Steele as inside linebackers. Garner can have the defensive line.

JJ McClesky and/or Willie Martinez as secondary coaches. Montario Hardesty as RBs coach. McClesky can recruit Louisiana, Hardesty covers the Carolinas.

No on Martinez. I’m good with the rest

 

[Catbone]

Beckwith as the H Back in this system gonna be yummy af

Please never use that expression again

 

[Ace]

Lebby is the new UCF coach

Good

 

[engineerVOL]

New t-shirt idea:

“Tennessee’s All-Portal Team would beat your All-Portal Team.”

Guys?

 

[Kingston Vol]

He may have a great offensive system but if he doesn’t have the Jimmy’s and Joe’s that Alabama does, that will hurt. You have to recruit, recruit, recruit at UT.

Yep, the offense will not work if we can't win skill position match-ups on offense. We are going to have to recruit with Florida and Georgia to beat them.

The offense we're going to run is not new to the SEC. SEC defenses know how to defend it. They won't be able to if we're recruiting as well as we're running tempo.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Listening to the Basilio show from yesterday and they had that reporter on from Orlando. We’re going to find out if TN really recruits itself. Obviously UCF is not a recruiting juggernaut. But, Following their success, in 2020, he barely recruited anyone inside the top 100 in the state of Fl, and those guys were ranked in the 90’s. That’s concerning. We better put a team of recruiters around him.

That being said, it’s amazing how much he got out of that talent, even putting guys in the NFL that many believes couldn’t even be division 1 players. So if we can get talent for him, sky’s the limit

I think it’s gonna have a wait and see kind of effect. I think more than anything we have to be very dynamic on offense so kids can see that we’re going to put them in a great position to succeed and put up some big #’s. Once that happens I think we can create some urgency on the defensive side of the ball by selling that you can come here and play early.

 

[VFLPastor]

No on Martinez. I’m good with the rest

I'm getting that Martinez is a no go for several regulars in here. I'm neutral on it, but willing to be swayed to the dark side on that.
What's the beef?

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

I get it. I certainly expect we will be much improved - just not sure Ole Miss is the comp.

I think they said Briles and Arkansas run a system much closer to what we are going to run than what's happening at Ole Miss right now.

Well I know we have more talent than Arkansas

 

[Deebowbear]

Here's what I'd like to see, in an ideal world:

Elarbee and Golesh are non-negotiables for me. Those guys have to be here.

Kodi Burns is a good recruiter, bring him as well. Kodi Burns, Wide Receivers Coach (FB), Auburn Tigers

I hope Steele stays because I want someone with Tennessee ties on staff. Garner is a great recruiter, so is Brick Haley. All three are great football coaches too. I'd put Haley in the outside linebackers role, have Steele as inside linebackers. Garner can have the defensive line.

JJ McClesky and/or Willie Martinez as secondary coaches. Montario Hardesty as RBs coach. McClesky can recruit Louisiana, Hardesty covers the Carolinas.

No willie is awful coach

 

[GVol1966]

I might be in the minority but I don’t think that bringing Randy Shannon or anyone else from UCF like Willie Martinez is a smart move. I also think that retaining Steele is a mistake as well. Steele is used to running a 4-3 hybrid defense with big nastys up front and we are so far away from having an Auburn D line of lately, I don’t think that his schemes would work with our personnel. Steele has also been running the same schemes for a while and is prob stuck in his ways considering he is in his 60’s. I truly think we need to find a young mind and someone willing to think outside the normal SEC defensive models. I think that if Heupel is so innovative on one side and we find someone of the same mold on defense this thing could work. We always here on offense that the key is to get our athletes in space with room to make a big play. We never say that about our defensive athletes for the most part. I wish we can find that innovative play caller on defense that can take our lack of size but utilize our strengths whether that be smaller guys on the field playing downhill and flying to the football. I watched undersized teams like Coastal etc flying around the field and slipping blocks of bigger O lineman because they trusted their instincts and coaches to fly in and make a play.

I don’t think bringing anyone from the D side is logical. It was bad.
The O was very good and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If he’s comfortable with them bring anyone from the O.
He needs to hire a solid D coordinater that can coach and recruit

 

[Kingston Vol]

No on Martinez. I’m good with the rest

I don't really care for Martinez either, but VQ seems pretty adamant he's coming along.

 

[OrangeDrip]

Generally speaking this is my take. I posted some tables earlier this morning showing the UCF W/L record against the defensive rankings of their opponents. UCF scored below their average points against better defenses. No real surprise, right? Those were also the games they most often lost. So while I think our offense will likely be better, more consistent, and put up more points overall, we’re going to be facing better defenses more often than UCF faced. jmo.

The other thing is that UCF’s opponents were generally not superior in talent as measured by the 247 composite. That will be the other major headwind we could face in a few games. We’re going to be outmatched in some, mostly evenly matched in others, and will likely have the superior talent in a few. I think we win when we have the clear talent advantage, maybe mixed bag when it’s more even, and struggle when we’re outclassed. jmo.

I see what you’re saying, but on paper we have more talent than anybody not named Georgia, Bama and maybe Florida. I think Florida struggles this year with Jones at QB.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

New t-shirt idea:

“Tennessee’s All-Portal Team would beat your All-Portal Team.”

Guys?

Can we get some 2021 Big 12 Championship Buddy Bands or Something?

 

[I4Jay]

If your Jeff Lebby, would you take take an OC job at Tennessee or head coach at UCF?

 

[Ericvol2096]

Ok so stab at roster left over. If I am correct doesn't everyone stay in what class they were the year before. So Bailey is just a freshman all over again?

I have put a few notes on questions I have, everyone give me tips and I'll keep editing it and then can start a new thread for discussion/tracking once we have it closer to correct.

Offense

QB
1 - Harrison Bailey - FR
2 - Hendon Hooker - RSJR
3 - Kaidon Salter - FR
4 - Brian Maurer - So

RB
1 - Tiyon Evans - SO
2 - Jabari Small - FR
3 - Dee Beckwith - FR
4 - Len Whitehead - FR
5 - Tee Hodge - FR
6 - Cody Brown - FR

WR
1 - Velus Jones Jr - SR
2 - Jalin Hyatt - FR
3 - Cedric Tillman - SO
4 - Malichi Wideman - FR
5 - Ramel Keyton - SO
6 - Jimmy Holiday / Calloway - FR
7 - Jimmy Holiday / Calloway - FR
8 - Walker Merrill - FR

TE/Flex
1 - Austin Pope - SR
2 - Princeton Fant - JR
3 - Jacob Warren - So
4 - Miles Campbell - FR
5 - Dee Beckwith - FR

OT
1 - Darnell Wright - SO
2 - Cade Mays - JR
3 - K'Rojhn Calbert - JR
4 - Jackson Lampley - FR

OG
1 - Jerome Carvin - JR
2 - Riley Locklear - SR
3 - Javontez Spraggins - FR
4 - Chris Akporoghene - FR

C
1 - Cooper Mays

DEFENSE

DL (hard to know how it all fits not knowing DC)
1 - Matt Butler - SR
2 - Darel Middleton - SR
3 - Greg Emerson - SO
4 - Tyler Baron - FR (if traditional 4-3 he fits here)
5 - Latrell Bumphus - SR
6 - JaQuain Blakely - SR
7 - Elijah Simmons - FR
8 - Omari Thomas - FR
9 - Kurrott Garland - SO
10 - Katron Evans - FR
(Solomon is heading to NFL right?)

LB
1 - Jeremy Banks - JR
2 - Solon Page - JR
3 - Tyler Baron - (If 3-4 he fits here)
4 - Roman Harrison - FR
5 - Morven Joseph - FR
6 - Martavius French - FR
7 - Bryson Eason - FR
8 - Aaron Willis - FR
9 - Byron Young - SO

CB
1 - Alontae Taylor - JR
2 - Kenneth George Jr - SR
3 - Warren Burrell - SO
4 - Doneiko Slaughter - FR
5 - Shawn Shamburger (He is back right?) - SR
6 - DeShawn Rucker - FR
7 - Tys Fields - FR
8 - Tamarion McDonald - FR
S
1 - Jaylen McCollough - So
2 - Theo Jackson - SR (did he come back)
3 - Trevon Flowers - JR
4 - Kareem Marley - FR

 

[jakez4ut]

I think there was definitely some back and forth with Franklin, but it never made much sense for him to come here regardless of the money involved. One perhaps overlooked fact with Franklin - he still has lots of friends (in high places) in the Nashville area from his time at Vandy. Going to TN would have severely damaged those relationships (in a way that leaving for PSU did not). Not saying that alone would have prevented it, but at the end of the day, I just can't believe it ever got to the money stage.

that's fine, and i have no idea on where it got, other than to say i do think there was mutual interest on some level, and it played out the way it played out. no idea on the nashville stuff for vandy, but even taking that in to consideration, throw our current circumstances with the roster and the pending sanctions/self imposed penalties etc....then it adds up to a "no thanks" on his side.

my only point in all that was to say, while you can't argue we got what we went after, you can argue that the process of the search was very sound....and that being the case, the result wasn't unexpected, no matter where we landed. and for us, that's a good thing. lol.

 

[jpope9]

let me retract that.
It’s just contact.
Sorry. Don’t want to put out erroneous information

easy Jimmy.....lol

 

[Kingston Vol]

If your Jeff Lebby, would you take take an OC job at Tennessee or head coach at UCF?

That UCF job is one of the best in the country. It's a no-brainer.

I imagine they are getting 10x the interest we did for our opening.

 

[BruinVol]

I don't really care for Martinez either, but VQ seems pretty adamant he's coming along.

I don’t get why everyone has a memory of him Being bad here. He had Cam Sutton and the boys balling out and he and the rest regressed when he left