Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXXIII

[Glitch]

It sounds like UF doesn't really believe in Franks. Part of the national media hype was that they finally had a QB in Franks.

I think McElwain is a decent coach. He gets more credit than he deserves though because we have handed him the East the past two years. He is the HC at the University of Florida. He should be able to recruit lights out, especially with the supposed success he has had. He either can't evaluate talent or simply can't convince the talent to come play for him. He gets a few top players simply because it is Florida but he should be killing it at Florida if he is the amazing coach that the media makes him out to be. Instead, he has to search the rubbish bin for a QB every year. I hope he drags UF down into the crapper even farther before they fire him. He will not win the East this year. That title will belong to dem Vols.

 

[bignewt]

I wish florida nothing but the worst forever.

 

[RikidyBones]

I wish florida nothing but the worst forever.

I have been hoping for a sink hole to consume their stadium but that would just improve it.

 

[RockyTop85]

I'm actually encouraged by the fact that Florida is out looking at other teams' castoff backups at the most important position on the team.

Shows they're not sure what they have.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Pretty sure that was all of their media hype. No body is sure they will continue to be good on defense. In fact, if I had to guess, everybody believes they will backslide on defense this year. I'm looking forward to an abysmal year for them.

I don't think anybody expects them not to be "good" on defense. The question is: with all the talent they lost from their starters, in their two deep, and at DC, can they continue to be elite? Their defenses the past two years have been great. Had they been just "good" or "solid," UF would have been facing 6-7 win seasons.


I expect them to still put a solid to above average defense at least on the field this year. If their OL/QB game has finally caught up, then I think it's bad news for us (that being said, I'm not really expecting to see that).

I imagine we'll see a UT team with a more balanced offense this year regardless of whether Zaire can transfer. But I also expect to see them out a top 30-40 type defense on the field instead of a top 10 like we've seen the past few years. Should be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[volfanCLT]

I'm actually encouraged by the fact that Florida is out looking at other teams' castoff backups at the most important position on the team.

Shows they're not sure what they have.

Plus they don't have that defense to carry another subpar offense this year

 

[LynxVol]

The latest catchphrase Tennessee football debuted during the spring was "DAT way," and you probably heard head coach Butch Jones and players reference a collective focus on details, accountability and toughness.

I suspect that will be a continued emphasis as the Vols near the start of the season, while another focus will be on starting fast -- I have no idea if there's a slogan coming for that.

The bottom line is this: Tennessee opens the season with three games in 13 days, and two of them are those could-go-either-way kind of contests that could be the difference in, say, going 7-5 and 9-3.

Certainly the game with Indiana State between the Monday night opener against Georgia Tech and the huge trip to Florida will give the Vols a little bit of a breather, but Tennessee can't afford to require a couple of games before finding some answers, whether it's at quarterback or the secondary or the passing game or whatever.

The Vols must be ready to go from the opening kickoff of the season, and the challenge for Jones and his coaching staff is hitting the right buttons during preseason training camp to have their team operating at a high level right from the start. The balance, of course, will be also ensuring the Vols can handle three games within a two-week span mentally and physically.

I thought one of Jones's big mistakes last season was treating an experienced, veteran team with a handful of star players with kid gloves during August, and I wouldn't expect it to happen again with this team. Jones likes this team's work ethic and attitude -- "workmanlike" is the word he's used in his rare public forays -- and doesn't mind if they're flying under the radar a little bit compared to last season.

The trick is he can't push this team too much in August and risk injuries or going into the start of the season with a tired team.

- 247 (Patrick Brown)

 

[LynxVol]

Recently I was talking to a former player who was in Knoxville for a couple of practices during the spring, and he told me two players really stood out to him were Jauan Jennings and Trey Smith.

Neither of those choices should be a surprise, although Smith continues to manage to exceed the considerable hype with which the prized freshman came to Tennessee in January.

The former player told me Jennings is by no means a polished, perfect wide receiver, but his competitiveness and playmaking ability are impossible to ignore.

"Special" was the word used over and over again to describe Smith, who the former player compared to Willie Roaf.

If you need a refresher on Roaf, he's both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame after an NFL career in which he was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and nine All-Pro teams and earned a spot on two NFL All-Decade teams (1990s and 2000s).

That's high praise for Smith, who simply showed anyone and everyone he's no ordinary freshman. There's a reason Alabama wanted him, after all. I continue to find it hard to envision a starting offensive line combination without him.

- 247 (Patrick Brown)

 

[LynxVol]

Also if you missed it, Larry Scott the Tennessee Offensive Coordinator is going to make $650,000 in 2017, or $280,000 more than Larry Scott the Tennessee Tight Ends Coach made in 2016.

If that seems like a steep number for a first-year coordinator, consider it would have tied Kentucky's Eddie Gran for the eighth-highest salary for an SEC offensive coordinator, based on 2016 salary numbers.

Among new SEC offensive coordinators, Scott's 2017 salary will be lower than LSU's Matt Canada ($1.5 million), Alabama's Brian Daboll ($1.2 million) and Auburn's Chip Lindsey ($700,000) and higher than Ole Miss's Phil Longo ($600,000).

I understand why Tennessee fans are apprehensive about new coordinators going into a head coach's pivotal season -- the ghost of Sal Sunseri still haunts you, I get it -- but I am bullish on Scott. I think he's a really good coach. He's coached just about every position on the offense, has head coaching experience from his time at Miami and was in the mix for two head coaching jobs after last season.

With a new quarterback and no proven playmakers beyond Jennings, John Kelly and Ethan Wolf, it wouldn't surprise me if there are some early growing pains on offense, and there's always the question of how much will Scott really be able to put his fingerprints on Jones's preferred offensive system.

Since arriving at Tennessee, Scott has proven himself to be one of the Vols' coaching commodities, and now the question is whether he can be a good coordinator. Certainly because you're a good position coach doesn't always mean you'll star as a play-caller. As a coach and recruiter, Scott's a commodity, but as a coordinator he's a complete unknown, so in that sense it's a risky move by Jones.

Scott's work is cut out for him. Despite all the aforementioned question marks from a personnel standpoint, Tennessee's offense has continued to improve the past four seasons. In the SEC total offense ranks, the Vols were 12th in 2013, 11th in 2014, seventh in 2015 and fifth in 2016. Tennessee ranked third and second in the conference in scoring under Mike DeBord.

If the Vols stay around that level, Scott will be making more than $650,000 in 2018, but if there's a drop-off, well ...

- 247 (Patrick Brown)

 

[LynxVol]

If you're gotten the sense Butch Jones has kept a lower profile this offseason than in the past, well, you're right. And I think it's been the right move after what he said late last season got him skewered by national folks and his own fan base -- some of it unfair, most of it not so much. I mean, every word he said was being analyzed and overanalyzed and what have you.

I couldn't understand the reaction to his press conference and interviews because he's basically been the same since he was hired.

Jones rarely talked between the Music City Bowl -- I recall a conference call when Mike DeBord left, but that's about it -- and signing day, then went silent after making the signing day rounds until the start of spring practice. He only spoke once a week during the spring. Since the spring ended it's basically been the SEC teleconference and one random radio spot last week.

In the past Jones has done sitdown interviews with some of the local folks who cover the Vols on a daily basis, but those haven't happened.

It would make my job easier if the head coach spoke more, but I think him speaking less is the right move, particularly in the wake of the overblown life championship nonsense and the innocuous five-star heart comment.

I bring this up solely because Jones is going to be breaking his silence twice this week with the SEC spring meetings on tap in Destin, Fla., and the start of the Big Orange Caravan in Chattanooga.

- 247 (Patrick Brown)

 

[zhangliao04]

Would love to go into the Swamp and beat them by 3-4 TDs.

Depending on our QB's progression as the starter, it could happen. Won't rule it out at all.

 

[snowvols]

You can see the difference in McElwains recruiting if you look at the projected depth chart for the defense this year.

It would feature 1 5 *, 5 4*s, and 5 3*s as starters.

 

[Aesius]

You can see the difference in McElwains recruiting if you look at the projected depth chart for the defense this year.

It would feature 1 5 *, 5 4*s, and 5 3*s as starters.

Still see a lot of talking heads saying UF will have a stout defense because they have a couple of good pieces here and there.

Odd how other teams get the benefit of the doubt and only needs 2-3 playmakers to be really good on one side of the ball, but the Vols need to be 4-5 deep at every position and every starter needs to be All-SEC caliber to even have a shot at being decent.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

- 247 (Patrick Brown)

I am hoping that the less talkative Jones also signifies a move to allow his new and improved coaching staff handle more of the responsibility, while Jones takes more of a caretaker role. The offense will always come back to Jones, and he will always have a hand in the Special teams and of course, Recruiting, and that's fine considering the results on that side of the ball and on signing day. But he doesn't need to micromanage the rest of the team, and he needs to let his shiny new coaching staff do it for him. This is at least my hope.

Conversely, lets hope Orgeron hasn't learned this lesson. At least not by November 18, 2017.

 

[SeanJean]

Still see a lot of talking heads saying UF will have a stout defense because they have a couple of good pieces here and there.

Odd how other teams get the benefit of the doubt and only needs 2-3 playmakers to be really good on one side of the ball, but the Vols need to be 4-5 deep at every position and every starter needs to be All-SEC caliber to even have a shot at being decent.

Hyperbole much?

I wonder what the difference is....hmmmm.....

 

[scvolfan7]

Conversely, lets hope Orgeron hasn't learned this lesson. At least not by November 18, 2017.

He doesn't have to learn anything. He has arguably the two best young coordinators in the country on his staff. All he has to do is recruit and manage the team.

 

[drvenner]

I'm actually encouraged by the fact that Florida is out looking at other teams' castoff backups at the most important position on the team.

Shows they're not sure what they have.

I agree. I think that we would all be worried if we tried to get Zaire to come here.

 

[drvenner]

Hyperbole much?

I wonder what the difference is....hmmmm.....

Negavols gon nega.

 

[volfanCLT]

He doesn't have to learn anything. He has arguably the two best young coordinators in the country on his staff. All he has to do is recruit and manage the team.

Exactly. On paper, I love what LSU did. Now we'll see if it produces results in the long run.

 

[Catbone]

Live and die by QB play and limiting injuries this year. First 3 games will be critical as Patrick said.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

He doesn't have to learn anything. He has arguably the two best young coordinators in the country on his staff. All he has to do is recruit and manage the team.

Did you read my quote? That's exactly what I was saying. He has to Learn to let his very qualified assistant coaches handle their jobs and get out of the way. It's a hard thing for a lot of coaches to learn.

 

[Nash_Vol97]

He doesn't have to learn anything. He has arguably the two best young coordinators in the country on his staff. All he has to do is recruit and manage the team.

It's easy to say I'll just let my coordinators run this and I'll sit back and recruit or handle CEO type duties, it's another thing to actually do it. Pride is hard to swallow for a lot of head coaches.

 

[scvolfan7]

Did you read my quote? That's exactly what I was saying. He has to Learn to let his very qualified assistant coaches handle their jobs and get out of the way. It's a hard thing for a lot of coaches to learn.

That's not how I read it. Difference between butch and orgeron: O knows he isn't smart and doesn't care. He's comfortable where he is. Butch is insecure and is trying to prove himself which means his offense has to be his.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Still see a lot of talking heads saying UF will have a stout defense because they have a couple of good pieces here and there.

Odd how other teams get the benefit of the doubt and only needs 2-3 playmakers to be really good on one side of the ball, but the Vols need to be 4-5 deep at every position and every starter needs to be All-SEC caliber to even have a shot at being decent.

bingo!

 

[Big Gucci Sosa]

Let's get this new thread started