SEC's best situation for recruiting sccess series: Tennessee

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WilliamDuVOL

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SEC’s best situation for recruiting success series: Tennessee | Saturday Down South

Quick little article, but good.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

HOME STATE TALENT: “B” – The state of Tennessee is in the lower tier of producing talent–at least when compared to other SEC schools. Though there are gems that come from the state, like Jalen Hurd in February’s signing class, the state can’t support an SEC power by itself. The Volunteers must put down deep recruiting roots in Georgia, Florida and elsewhere.

RECENT SUCCESS: “B” – Two years ago, this would be a ‘C’, but there is a buzz about the program thanks to its recruiting successes and the energy around the staff. Also, even these young recruits aren’t so removed from Tennessee’s glory days that they don’t know that the Vols can post double-digit win totals every year if the program gets rolling.

FAN EXPECTATIONS: “A” – Obviously this can work both ways, but when Tennessee fans are fired up about how things are going–which they appear to be thanks to the amazing recruiting classes the Vols are assembling–the fan base can be a huge part of impressing recruits. When Rocky Top is truly rockin’, it is a sight to behold–and it’ll make quite an impression on a 17-year old blue chip prospect.

COACHING STABILITY: “A” – It looks really good right now with Butch Jones and his staff making quite an impression around SEC territory. He will be given some time to build this program back to the point where it was before the Kiffin-Dooley phase. Minus a 2-10 type of year, recruits will know that Jones will be around a few more years at the least. And recruits love this guy.

SUM IT UP: There’s no question Tennessee has to work harder than some of its SEC brethren. They can’t just sit back like Ohio State or the Texas schools and just hand pick their future roster, they have to dig and claw and fight to get stars onto their roster. But the Vols, over the years, have been able to execute this plan and became a ‘destination’ program. If they can keep the recruiting momentum going that they already have under Jones, things will get back to normal.
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#2
#2
Good article.

Only thing i disagree with is "Two years ago this would have been a C."

If a C was that easy to come by, then my GPA would have been a lot higher than it was.

Two years ago was a F-
 
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#4
#4
The failure to include Fulmer in the "Kiffin-Dooley" phase is incorrect. Kiffin didn't inherit a deeply talented team. He inherited some very good upperclassmen who were mostly gone by the time Dooley took over.

Jones will start to have pressure if he does not make a bowl game this fall. The author is WAY overestimating the patience of a program with high expectations and one that invests as much as UT.
 
#5
#5
The much maligned '11 class by Dooley included Cam Clear who will start for A&M, Coleman, Couch, Crowder, Downs, M Jackson, AJ, Kerbyson, Lane, Maggitt, Randolph, Tiny, Saulsberry, Williams, Worley, and Young.

That is NOT a bad group of contributors. The '12 class was pretty awful though and the '10 class is almost gone.

The worst thing DD did was set Jones up to fail with the '13 class.
 
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#6
#6
TNHopeful505 said:
Good article.

Only thing i disagree with is "Two years ago this would have been a C."

If a C was that easy to come by, then my GPA would have been a lot higher than it was.

Two years ago was a F-
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Lets just call it a D for Dooley
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#7
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sjt18 said:
The failure to include Fulmer in the "Kiffin-Dooley" phase is incorrect. Kiffin didn't inherit a deeply talented team. He inherited some very good upperclassmen who were mostly gone by the time Dooley took over.

Jones will start to have pressure if he does not make a bowl game this fall. The author is WAY overestimating the patience of a program with high expectations and one that invests as much as UT.
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-gnm: Thank you as well, and you're welcome :)

-sjt: I agree, but I think what most people do realize is how young we are, and as long as a nice recruiting class comes in again this year, I don't think Jones will feel too much pressure. However, if there is no improvement next year, I can't imagine how hot his seat will feel.

That being said, I think we see a major improvement in talent next year, and this year will be pleasantly surprising as well. We will see flashes of the future, moments of greatness and elite talent, but we will also see 18-19 year old kids playing upper classmen who have more experience. It will surely be interesting.
 
#8
#8
TNHopeful505 said:
Good article.

Only thing i disagree with is "Two years ago this would have been a C."

If a C was that easy to come by, then my GPA would have been a lot higher than it was.

Two years ago was a F-
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I think an F- would be a situation like Kansas where 2-3 wins total seems a ceiling and you're losing to MAC-tier schools.
 
#10
#10
sjt18 said:
The much maligned '11 class by Dooley included Cam Clear who will start for A&M, Coleman, Couch, Crowder, Downs, M Jackson, AJ, Kerbyson, Lane, Maggitt, Randolph, Tiny, Saulsberry, Williams, Worley, and Young.

That is NOT a bad group of contributors. The '12 class was pretty awful though and the '10 class is almost gone.

The worst thing DD did was set Jones up to fail with the '13 class.
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Agree with your last statement regarding recruiting and the '13 class. I would add 3 straight losing seasons, a losing mindset, a poorly conditioned team, fractured recruiting and player relationships and a general malaise throughout the program caused by an incompetent, arrogant coach not committed to building a program.
 
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#13
#13
I like to think that the talent pool in TN is growing. Slowly but surely. It's up to our staff to make sure that we're very hard to turn down to these instate kids.
 
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#14
#14
Top prospects normally want playing time as Freshmen. When the top NCAA teams are 3 deep in many if not all positions, these top prospects look for up and coming teams. Right now, we fit that bill - an up and coming team. We are not proven but we are also not unproven. Go Vols!
 
#15
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Volador said:
Top prospects normally want playing time as Freshmen. When the top NCAA teams are 3 deep in many if not all positions, these top prospects look for up and coming teams. Right now, we fit that bill - an up and coming team. We are not proven but we are also not unproven. Go Vols!
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Exactly. With all we have to offer, and with the direction people perceive we are headed, what do these young kids want to be a part of? Something new and adventurous, the next big thing, and we most certainly are with recruiting at this level.
 
#16
#16
It may be nitpicking but Tennessee doesn't have to recruit well in Florida. As a matter of fact, we have never made a living recruiting that state and that will likely never change. Tennessee needs to recruit Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina well in addition to getting all that the state of Tennessee has to offer on an annual basis. This piece also makes no mention of the growth of middle Tennessee over the last few years and how that is changing the dynamic of in-state recruiting for UT football. This makes it sound like a talent the caliber of Jalen Hurd in TN will be an anomaly. I don't think so at all. This was a lazy bleacherreport style fluff piece.
 
#17
#17
It wouldn't hurt to pull an occasional recruit out of Florida. We have done that in the past but we won't make a living in Florida. Georgia, metro Atlanta in particular, is a fertile ground we should be heavily recruiting. North Carolina is a must. South Carolina used to be good but lately harder to go there. Virginia, can't recall ever having a heavy presence there.
 
#21
#21
WilliamDuVOL said:
-gnm: Thank you as well, and you're welcome :)

-sjt: I agree, but I think what most people do realize is how young we are, and as long as a nice recruiting class comes in again this year, I don't think Jones will feel too much pressure. However, if there is no improvement next year, I can't imagine how hot his seat will feel.

That being said, I think we see a major improvement in talent next year, and this year will be pleasantly surprising as well. We will see flashes of the future, moments of greatness and elite talent, but we will also see 18-19 year old kids playing upper classmen who have more experience. It will surely be interesting.
Click to expand...

Way too many people make the mistake of underestimating what a second consecutive losing season would have on recruiting. The difference in a mediocre class and another really good class could hinge on just a single win... of getting to a bowl game or not. It isn't just "some" fans that want to see tangible, on the field improvement. Recruits want to see it. They want some sign of progress toward the promised better days.

There are some here who qualify their acceptance of a 5-7 record with "if he brings in another great class". The thing they seem to ignore or fail to think through is the two are connected.

To survive at UT, Jones needs to be an elite... not just good coach and certainly not just a good or even great recruiter. Frankly, a 6-8 win season this fall would point toward him being an elite coach. The schedule is THAT tough. The roster issues are real.

If he gets to six wins this fall... I'm on board with him. If he doesn't then I simply don't think he'll make it no matter how much I would like for him to do so.
 
#22
#22
BowlBrother85 said:
It may be nitpicking but Tennessee doesn't have to recruit well in Florida. As a matter of fact, we have never made a living recruiting that state and that will likely never change. Tennessee needs to recruit Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina well in addition to getting all that the state of Tennessee has to offer on an annual basis. This piece also makes no mention of the growth of middle Tennessee over the last few years and how that is changing the dynamic of in-state recruiting for UT football. This makes it sound like a talent the caliber of Jalen Hurd in TN will be an anomaly. I don't think so at all. This was a lazy bleacherreport style fluff piece.
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Very good post. UT has also picked up some very good players from SC and Miss. I have always believed the successful formula for UT would to be to GA what OU is (or used to be before A&M's move to the SEC) to Texas. At one time, Texas and OU fought over the best players in Texas with everyone else picking over the scraps.
 
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