So Much For Star Power

#1
orangegrass

orangegrass

Don't Walk on the Grass!
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#1
Reading GVX artilce: Dooley warns Vols: stay out of trouble GoVolsXtra

I found this comment interesting by former coach Trooper Taylor: The Few, The Proud: The transition from Phillip Fulmer to Lane Kiffin to Dooley has taken a toll on what could have been an impressive senior class. Jones was a member of the 2007 signing class that was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.

"(Former assistant coach) Trooper Taylor told me my freshman year, 'look around, all these guys you see now, they won't be here,' '' Jones said. "I'm thinking, 'We're the No. 2 class in the nation, we're gonna be here.'

Star power is not much without some character and then the coaching to develop it. The Vols have had little of either in the past few years. Let's hope this coach and staff turns the ship in the right direction. I guess the trick is finding that right combination often enough to have a few 'game breakers' in each class. It is obvious that it is not as easy as the 'experts' make it out to be handing out those stars.
 
#2
#2
orangegrass said:
Reading GVX artilce: Dooley warns Vols: stay out of trouble GoVolsXtra

I found this comment interesting by former coach Trooper Taylor: The Few, The Proud: The transition from Phillip Fulmer to Lane Kiffin to Dooley has taken a toll on what could have been an impressive senior class. Jones was a member of the 2007 signing class that was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.

"(Former assistant coach) Trooper Taylor told me my freshman year, 'look around, all these guys you see now, they won't be here,' '' Jones said. "I'm thinking, 'We're the No. 2 class in the nation, we're gonna be here.'

Star power is not much without some character and then the coaching to develop it. The Vols have had little of either in the past few years. Let's hope this coach and staff turns the ship in the right direction. I guess the trick is finding that right combination often enough to have a few 'game breakers' in each class. It is obvious that it is not as easy as the 'experts' make it out to be handing out those stars.
Click to expand...

Here's the 2007 signing class:

Complete list of signees:
1. Anthony Anderson ATH
2. Dashaun Barnes DB
3. Eric Berry DB
4. William Brimfield DL
5. Todd Campbell WR
6. B.J. Coleman QB
7. Kevin Cooper RB
8. Lennon Creer RB
9. Chris Donald LB
10. Art Evans ATH
11. C.J. Fleming DB
12. Savion Frazier ATH
13. Cory Hall DL
14. Josh Hawkins RB
15. Gerald Jones ATH
16. Donald Langley DL
17. Tyler Maples ATH
18. Ben Martin DL
19. Nevin McKenzie DB
20. Rolando Melancon DL
21. Darnius Moore ATH
22. Kenny O'Neal WR
23. Ahmad Paige WR
24. Cody Pope OL
25. Dennis Rogan RB
26. Darris Sawtelle OL
27. Rae Sykes DL
28. Daryl Vereen RB
29. Brent Vinson ATH
30. Chris Walker LB
31. Rufus Williams LB
32. DeAngelo Willingham DB
 
#4
#4
Anderson, Cooper, Evans, Flemming, Frazier, Jones, Moore, Martin, Pope, Sykes, and Walker?
 
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#6
#6
Man, that list is depressing.

I don't think anyone, anywhere could have predicted the fallout that that class had.

Imagine if Vinson had his head on straight, Donald lived up to the hype, and the OL's had produced....we'd be talking about a much different team today.

What could've been...
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#7
#7
orangeblood79 said:
Man, that list is depressing.

I don't think anyone, anywhere could have predicted the fallout that that class had.

Imagine if Vinson had his head on straight, Donald lived up to the hype, and the OL's had produced....we'd be talking about a much different team today.

What could've been...
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

Yeah, and if Berry hadn't left. And if Rogan hadn't left. And if.........and if.........and if..............
 
#8
#8
That class really didn't turn out that bad. Lots of guys on that list that are still on the team and will contribute(about 11) and several that did contribute and were kicked off or went into the draft(3-4).

If we get 10-11 guys in every class who can contribute like Rogan, Berry, Jones, Moore, Walker and Martin then we will be just fine. What is glaringly missing from that class are contributions from OL and DT. Throw in 2 DT's and 3 OL out of that class and it would have been VERY solid.
 
#9
#9
No^^. I disagree. If you count the draftees on the positive side, you've got roughly half that contributed, over a four year span. We need half contibuting by year 2, and about 75-85% contributing by year 4.
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#11
#11
orangeblood79 said:
Man, that list is depressing.

I don't think anyone, anywhere could have predicted the fallout that that class had.


What could've been...
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

Looks like Trooper Taylor did...
 
#12
#12
6 DLs in that class, and every one could arguably be called a bust. This has got to be more than just bad coaching. Just bad luck? It's just weird. Also the OLs aside from Pope (who hasn't exactly set the world on fire) no contributers there either. I wonder if any other schools has had a whole class underperform this bad. Except for Mr. Berry there is not one superstar. Usally a class ranked this high would have several.
 
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#13
#13
Ulysees E. McGill said:
6 DLs in that class, and every one could arguably be called a bust. This has got to be more than just bad coaching. Just bad luck? It's just weird. Also the OLs aside from Pope (who hasn't exactly set the world on fire) no contributers there either. I wonder if any other schools has had a whole class underperform this bad. Except for Mr. Berry there is not one superstar. Usally a class ranked this high would have several.
Click to expand...
Linemen are hard to evaluate. Player development was sad also though.
 
#15
#15
Ulysees E. McGill said:
6 DLs in that class, and every one could arguably be called a bust. This has got to be more than just bad coaching. Just bad luck? It's just weird. Also the OLs aside from Pope (who hasn't exactly set the world on fire) no contributers there either. I wonder if any other schools has had a whole class underperform this bad. Except for Mr. Berry there is not one superstar. Usally a class ranked this high would have several.
Click to expand...

CWalker could end up a superstar.
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#16
#16
PMC2726 said:
Here's the 2007 signing class:

Complete list of signees:
1. Anthony Anderson ATH
2. Dashaun Barnes DB

4. William Brimfield DL

6. B.J. Coleman QB

9. Chris Donald LB

13. Cory Hall DL

16. Donald Langley DL

20. Rolando Melancon DL

26. Darris Sawtelle OL


29. Brent Vinson ATH

31. Rufus Williams LB
Click to expand...


The fact that we got basically NOTHING from these guys over 4 years is just mind-blowing. This has to be the biggest class bust of all time. And the beginning of all our depth problems.

If you count the failures in the '07 class, we have essentially recruited 3 DT's in the past 4 years.....unreal
 
#17
#17
The 2007 class is proof that recruiting national championships don't mean a hill of beans. Thats why they don't award a crustal trophy.
 
#18
#18
The 2007 class had sixteen 4*/5* commits. Three were JCs, Berry left early for the NFL and Martin is injured.

Excluding those five, 3 of 11 or 27% will be on the field for the 2010 season.

Ouch!
 
#19
#19
Can't win with this type of attrition. Doesn't matter if your UT, USC, Miami, etc.
 
#20
#20
That's from 1 class. Add in guys dismissed and transfers from 08-09 and its ridiculous. I'd wager its the worst in 'aa.
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#21
#21
With the busts, transfers, didn't get in school, and kicked-off players - we essentially have had 4 straight recruiting classes outside the top 30.
 
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