Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXXIV

[BruisedOrange]

Experience against SEC defenses counts for a lot on the OL. That 2012-2013 OL we had that played so well was mostly the same guys for 3-4 years and was pretty bad in 2010-2011.

My hope with the OL is that the experience factor along with what should be better competition and position battles than we've seen over the past few years will lead to them being more solid this year.

We should actually have the depth to rest guys dealing with nagging injuries this year. Hopefully that should help as well.

But yeah, I won't be sold on the OL being a strength until we actually see it this year. On paper, it should be a strong point. But same could've been said last year.

Agree on all counts, but my concern is their lack of experience playing together as a unit. For two seasons, injuries have made it a juggle-roster.

On the other hand, maybe the result is that we now have 8 or 9 guys who can function as a unit. I'll temper my hope with lowered expectations in hopes of a pleasant surprise come this Fall.

Darn! There I went and got hopeful again. Bane of the off-season!

 

[Vols4us]

Amazing to see that I am more of an optimist than many of you this AM.

Like Volatil posted, 11-3 and in SECCG. Primary reasons:

1) A real S&C working with two highly touted recruiting classes whose remaining upperclassmen are very talented and battle tested. Many of which are anxious to prove they are better than the past results as well as over their injuries. They know what it takes.
2) Good talent and increased experience in key positions that was sorely lacking last season. LB and CB as examples. The Wiggins add was big. Good health is bigger.
3) The passing game will actually improve with which ever QB wins the battle. Why - QB coach with better trained passers at the position.
4) O-line improvement.
5) Position coaches and OC Scott. Full implementation of Shoop's D. Big boy ball is about to be played in Neyland.

Losses to Bama twice and one of LSU/UF.

 

[Vols4us]

Oh, and Butch is the SEC COY.

 

[The Breakerboy]

Amazing to see that I am more of an optimist than many of you this AM.

Like Volatil posted, 11-3 and in SECCG. Primary reasons:

1) A real S&C working with two highly touted recruiting classes whose remaining upperclassmen are very talented and battle tested. Many of which are anxious to prove they are better than the past results as well as over their injuries. They know what it takes.
2) Good talent and increased experience in key positions that was sorely lacking last season. LB and CB as examples. The Wiggins add was big. Good health is bigger.
3) The passing game will actually improve with which ever QB wins the battle. Why - QB coach with better trained passers at the position.
4) O-line improvement.
5) Position coaches and OC Scott. Full implementation of Shoop's D. Big boy ball is about to be played in Neyland.

Losses to Bama twice and one of LSU/UF.

We aren't losing to Florida....

 

[Ericvol2096]

I'm thinking 10-2 with Ls @ The Swamp and @Bama.

Certainly could be talked into a W against UF but a new QB in the Swamp just smells like a close L to me.

I think we take back Neyland this yr though.

Not sure if that will get us to ATL but think it would definitely get us to a major top 6 bowl.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

everybody saying we lost too much from 2016 isnt mentioning that we played 70% of the season without most of those guys anyways. Cam, JRM, Kirkland, Kamara didnt get many touches for half the season or more, Hurd quits halfway through. ALL the DL were hurt. Barnett, Dobbs and Malone to an extent were literally the only constants. This team will be better than ppl think. Lots of athletes. And most importantly i actually believe they will have a chip on their shoulder this yr.

 

[The Breakerboy]

I'm thinking 10-2 with Ls @ The Swamp and @Bama.

Certainly could be talked into a W against UF but a new QB in the Swamp just smells like a close L to me.

I think we take back Neyland this yr though.

Not sure if that will get us to ATL but think it would definitely get us to a major top 6 bowl.

A new QB against a defense that's not near the level it's been over the years. Plus this QB has great RB and fast WRs. A veteran TE that will be a security blanket and an experienced talented deep OL that will be more physical. I don't think it will be close. They will flop this year in Gainesville.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

A new QB against a defense that's not near the level it's been over the years. Plus this QB has great RB and fast WRs. A veteran TE that will be a security blanket and an experienced talented deep OL that will be more physical. I don't think it will be close. They will flop this year in Gainesville.

yep. He will throw all over UFs defense. They got nothing back there. Just being honest. This aint Muschamp personnel over on defense at UF anymore.

 

[RikidyBones]

I see 9-3 IMO...LSU is 50/50 with Ed O in charge

If our defense is relatively healthy, we win. All we gotta do is play hard physical defense and you beat Ed O. The running game will determine the lsu game

 

[NeverWe'llSever]

yep. He will throw all over UFs defense. They got nothing back there. Just being honest. This aint Muschamp personnel over on defense at UF anymore.

They have still recruited pretty well at DB. The difference is that the past few years they've had some absolute studs on the D-line. Not much to speak of anymore. At least, not when I checked their roster a couple days ago. We may be able to run the ball on them a lot more than years past. That's huge.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

They have still recruited pretty well at DB. The difference is that the past few years they've had some absolute studs on the D-line. Not much to speak of anymore. At least, not when I checked their roster a couple days ago. We may be able to run the ball on them a lot more than years past. That's huge.

they havent recruited DBs and DTs like Muschamp. Or even close to it.

their best DB returning is Duke Dawson? who got torched by us last yr to the point they couldnt even let him go on the field. Even when Tabor got nicked up. Tabor got it as well but i specifically remember Dawson looking horrible too. Also feels like Duke Dawson has been there like 7 years haha

 

[Vol464]

Oh, and Butch is the SEC COY.

You have gone from 80% NEGAVOL to 80% posivol.

 

[omghulkhands]

Now that Derek Barnett is gone, where do you think he ranks all-time as a vol?

 

[Ron Swanson]

This season is going to be more fun than we've had in awhile. Lowered expectations, better coaches, healthy ballers, chips on shoulders everywhere, schedule sets up well, 9-3 is the floor but I wouldn't at all be surprised if we won the whole damn thing. Would make for a great story.

70 days...

 

[NeverWe'llSever]

they havent recruited DBs and DTs like Muschamp. Or even close to it.

their best DB returning is Duke Dawson? who got torched by us last yr to the point they couldnt even let him go on the field. Even when Tabor got nicked up. Tabor got it as well but i specifically remember Dawson looking horrible too. Also feels like Duke Dawson has been there like 7 years haha

No doubt about that. I must admit that I'm going off talent (i.e. 247 composite) rather than tangible development. There are three other DB's on the roster that definitely have talent. Nick Washington, Chauncey Gardner and Marcell Harris. But there doesn't seem to be any elite guys like Vernon Hargreaves or "Teez" Tabor Jennings back there. Both Hargreaves and Tabor Jennings were composite 5 star prospects who went in the first two rounds of the draft.

 

[OGbabyaviVol]

Now that Derek Barnett is gone, where do you think he ranks all-time as a vol?

Top 5, based on breaking Reggie's sack record.

 

[Volinmem]

Now that Derek Barnett is gone, where do you think he ranks all-time as a vol?

There have been so many great vols, it's really hard to rank. I would say definitely top 5, and probably top 3, along side of Peyton and Reggie.

 

[chavisut]

Nah...I don't think ATL is the expectation this year. We lost too much from 2016.

We didnt lose so much that we shouldn't compete. UF practically lost an NFL defense.

 

[Orange And Garnet]

Man.., we need Butch to take that next step forward as a coach

Agree. I think he can do it. We all forget he is technically still a young coach. There would be nothing better for this program than him figuring it out on the field

 

[Orange And Garnet]

I think we go 9-3 as well.

The West losing streak continues but we either beat UF in the Swamp or make it three in a row vs UGA.

We finish 2nd in the East again and win the Citrus Bowl. And there will still be a fairly large contingent of Vols fans who will want Butch fired after going 10-3.

Unfortunately you're right about the last part.

 

[mrMet]

We aren't losing to Florida....

I agree. I'm anywhere from 8-4 to 10-2.

If we go 8-4 it's injury galore again with losses to UGA, SC, bama and lsu

If we go 10-2 I think it's losses to bama and SC or lsu. SC always plays us tough and it pisses me off

 

[mrMet]

Now that Derek Barnett is gone, where do you think he ranks all-time as a vol?

Top 3. Never had a great defense behind him

 

[nicksjuzunk]

Agree. I think he can do it. We all forget he is technically still a young coach. There would be nothing better for this program than him figuring it out on the field

How many Championships did Saban have by this age? 9-20, right?

 

[NMVol]

everybody saying we lost too much from 2016 isnt mentioning that we played 70% of the season without most of those guys anyways. Cam, JRM, Kirkland, Kamara didnt get many touches for half the season or more, Hurd quits halfway through. ALL the DL were hurt. Barnett, Dobbs and Malone to an extent were literally the only constants. This team will be better than ppl think. Lots of athletes. And most importantly i actually believe they will have a chip on their shoulder this yr.

dat chip

 

[McGeesPub]

Butch gets fired in 2018 if he misses Atlanta the next 2 years, imo. I think he gets there in 2018 though. Having Bama and LSU is bad luck this year, so I think we miss it this year with 3 losses after splitting UGA/UF

It will just depend on who goes pro for 2018. Once the talented 2015 class cycles out, the recruiting since then has not been good enough to compete for an SEC championship. Maybe an East championship if we aren't hit too hard by the draft, because after Georgia the rest of the division hasn't been keeping the necessary talent baseline either. Georgia will have the talent; as we know, coaching will be the question there. But, we haven't shown where we can out coach yet either.