Recruiting Forum Football Talk IV

[Jack Burton]

Don’t worry about defensive recruiting guys. Our goal is to just score 70 points every game.

 

[lilesrt]

As Eric Cain said last night, transfers are a bandaid, not a long time solution. They certainly help us as Hooker and Velus have, and we should get the ones that we need. But you can't live and die off of transfers. 4 year players are still the way to go and always will be. A lot of transfers are 1 year players. You can't build a team with transfers.

The staff should have recruited as if transfers were not the solution. I can only conclude that they have confidence in patching roster spots with portal players. Or maybe Josh Heupel is learning as he goes. Not sure.

 

[bluegrasser]

Transfers fill immediate holes, which in turn gets you more wins, which in turn gets you better high school recruits., which in turn means you dont need as many transfers.

I just got want to highlight this as an example of a positive feedback loop that I think we are going to benefit from.

The second one I want to point out - WE ARE HAVING PRACTICES IN DECEMBER!!!
For a first year coaching staff, still installing O and D, still evaluating players, still getting younger players reps, etc. … we are basically adding a whole ‘nother season of practices to our upcoming spring and fall next year.

The dividends this will pay as this team continues to gel, continues to learn new schemes, continues to get more efficient and successful- I just think puts us on a much improved footing come next Fall.

Start off on better foot than last year, win another game or two over last years results, recruiting pitch gets easier… feedback loop.

 

[bignewt]

Recruiting is year round. Talking about recruiting is year round. That is why there is an entire forum for it. SMH

Boy did you miss the point. Someone draw this kid a map.

 

[VolzMan53]

4 year players are still the way to go and always will be

My 6 yr old grandson will probably see 4 yr players go the way of the dinosaur, except possibly punters or practice squad. This transfer cluster is a game changer and time will tell by how much !

 

[Bruce Wayne]

As Eric Cain said last night, transfers are a bandaid, not a long time solution. They certainly help us as Hooker and Velus have, and we should get the ones that we need. But you can't live and die off of transfers. 4 year players are still the way to go and always will be. A lot of transfers are 1 year players. You can't build a team with transfers.

I think that's just not true and an odd position for Eric to take. Most 4 year kids don't really contribute all 4 years so what's the difference? I think in this new world of college football, you have to have both. Obviously 4 year players should be the foundation of your team, but you have to be trying to bring in as many talented players as you possibly can regardless of where they come from or how long they have.

Now if all things are equal and you can get a guy that has 4 years vs 1, you take 4 years, but you just have to get as much talent as you can where you can find it. Cause stars just need to align for one year to be special.

 

[JCP201]

If the Transfer portal thing doesn't change, will anyone stay for 4 years unless they start from day one? (And the coach is favorable to them)

 

[Jimmy Football]

Honestly, if we end up with a Top 25 class, I'll be stunned with how well this turned out for Tennessee. Between my concerns about Heupel, the never ending investigation, and our one millionth coaching search in the last decade, it's a great place to start

Yeah, we were a shovel full of dirt away from the program being completely buried at the start of the year. That being the case, I’m overall pleased with the way things are heading.

Defensive recruiting has turned out to be a problem, but you can’t start where we did and not run into problems. Thankfully, it’s something that can be remedied before fall camp next year. Let’s hope they do it.

 

[OptimusPrimerib]

There's a 72.9% chance that all statistics are made up.

5 out of 4 people don’t understand fractions

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Don’t worry about defensive recruiting guys. Our goal is to just score 70 points every game.

Lol hey I’ll take it.

But seriously I think what makes our “defense look bad” to recruits or what people have been saying about our defense playing so many snaps is a misrepresentation of our defense.

if our defense found a way to get off the field on crucial 3rd downs they wouldn’t of played half the time they did this year. Hopefully next year we find a way to get off the field on those crucial 3rd downs.

That in itself will help defensive recruiting in my opinion.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Well that Florida team lost to two teams we beat…. So… I’m going to chalk that up to a bad day for Tennessee. Next year, different story that program is in shambles.

That my friend is called an excuse. Florida was better is better for now. Year 3 will be the bug breakthrough when he hopefully add some talent in the next class.

 

[UT4LIFE86]

I have YouTubeTV. That would suck. What’s the next best service to get if they can’t agree to terms?

Definitely not charter spectrum … they suck

 

[chavisut]

I really like the idea of Trinity Bell on the DL. Interesting to see if that works out.

 

[orangejuice]

As Eric Cain said last night, transfers are a bandaid, not a long time solution. They certainly help us as Hooker and Velus have, and we should get the ones that we need. But you can't live and die off of transfers. 4 year players are still the way to go and always will be. A lot of transfers are 1 year players. You can't build a team with transfers.

Problem is, the 4 year player is dying due to the transfer portal. Now players are looking elsewhere after 1-2 seasons if they aren’t getting playing time. The transfer portal has completely changed college football.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

That my friend is called an excuse. Florida was better is better for now. Year 3 will be the bug breakthrough when he hopefully add some talent in the next class.

An excuse? Lol how so? It’s a fact. But whatever.

 

[31VFL]

The defensive side of the staff has more proven names and recruiters. If we are struggling to recruit on that side of the ball, then that likely means the investigation/uncertainty is playing a role.

Additionally, most kids being recruited now are going to have to see UT sustain some success. Every time there has been hype around UT in the last few years, the results have not followed.

Heupel has done a great job so far, and he appears to be building a successful culture. I just do not have any faith that our fan base has the ability to show any patience with him and recruiting.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

An excuse? Lol how so? It’s a fact. But whatever.

Nope their roster was more talented and still is. Will take 1 more year of roster turnover. The defense will be weak next year.

 

[VFL92]

The defensive side of the staff has more proven names and recruiters. If we are struggling to recruit on that side of the ball, then that likely means the investigation/uncertainty is playing a role.

Additionally, most kids being recruited now are going to have to see UT sustain some success. Every time there has been hype around UT in the last few years, the results do not follow.

Heupel has done a great job so far, and he appears to be building a successful culture. I just do not have any faith that our fan base has the ability to show any patience with him and recruiting.

Honest question. Why would the investigation/uncertainty only affect our defensive recruiting?

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Transfers fill immediate holes, which in turn gets you more wins, which in turn gets you better high school recruits., which in turn means you dont need as many transfers.

Yes. If you get the right transfers.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Nope their roster was more talented and still is. Will take 1 more year of roster turnover. The defense will be weak next year.

Umm you following Florida football? They are losing their starters to the portal…. they have a new coach….. their recruiting class is in the tank….

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

We don’t have a choice. We need help now, and we didn’t get enough in the high school ranks, even if we signed everyone we’re still in on (which isn’t going to happen).

Agreed

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Yeah, we were a shovel full of dirt away from the program being completely buried at the start of the year. That being the case, I’m overall pleased with the way things are heading.

Defensive recruiting has turned out to be a problem, but you can’t start where we did and not run into problems. Thankfully, it’s something that can be remedied before fall camp next year. Let’s hope they do it.

A top 25 class this year would be absolutely amazing. I thought we would be somewhere around 30-35.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

I disagree. Good players aren’t going to wait 3 years to play. Hell many don’t wait one. And the portal is an easy way to get playing time. I think college football is changing and you have to account for 25% or more of your classes to be portal players now. It’s free agency now and no rules to stop it. Ole Miss and Michigan state changed their team with portal players and JUCO. It’s the quickest way to winning.

I'm not against transfers. I want us to rack up in the portal every year. But you cannot discount high school recruiting because "we'll just get the guy in the portal!" Hopefully we do get the help that we need in the portal, and we should be targeting the right guys, but high school recruiting will always be the most important.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Yes. If you get the right transfers.

Bingo. But it seems that some think the portal is full of elite studs just waiting to for a team to get them. That’s not the case. There are a lot of really good players though. I think the portal will showcase a staffs evaluation abilities.

 

[lilesrt]

The defensive side of the staff has more proven names and recruiters. If we are struggling to recruit on that side of the ball, then that likely means the investigation/uncertainty is playing a role.

Additionally, most kids being recruited now are going to have to see UT sustain some success. Every time there has been hype around UT in the last few years, the results have not followed.

Heupel has done a great job so far, and he appears to be building a successful culture. I just do not have any faith that our fan base has the ability to show any patience with him and recruiting.

Wouldn’t the investigation impact both sides of the ball? Our offensive haul is impressive. I think our offensive speed is being used against us in recruiting defensive players.