This is the most talented team we've had since 2016...

#108
#108
Brave Volunteer said:
As I posted earlier, we ranked 47th in transfer portal rankings in 2022 and 36th in 2023. I just don't think this staff makes it a huge priority. Plus, how were they not overhauling our secondary with transfers from the get go? I would've been bringing in anybody I could find! Why didn't we bring in a transfer QB last year to push Milton? Why was someone as talented as Walter Nolan not a take for us?? Why is a guy whos practically a walk on likely to be our back up QB this season? Why didnt we bring someone to shore up more depth at RB? Just some very head-scratching decisions made by this staff IMO.
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So, you are OK with just bringing in bodies whether they fit your scheme or not. That will not work. That was the downfall of Phil Fulmer as he started going for stars and did not look at fit. Butch Jones used that philosophy as well, and we know how that turned out. If you feel you have a better method, put together a proposal and submit it. I do not want them to mess up what they are doing to try and take advantage of a system that s very flawed at the moment. Most in the transfer are in the portal for a reason, and there is no guarantee that they will not jump right back into the portal if they don't get their way. I prefer to not turn every aspect of our team into pure chaos. Let those who do know prove whether they actually do know.
 
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#109
#109
Kinda going position by position, I would say the top end starters I would typically take 2016 guys, but depth is NON-existent in some spots (OL, LB, WR a little thin too actually)

2016 Rb (Kelly and Kamara, right now 2024 is a little unproved)
2016 WR (Malone, Callaway, Jennings)
2016 TE (wolf brothers, and croom) 2024 unproven.
2024 OL, 2016 best OL was maybe Drew Richmond, Jack Jones?
2016 QB, just based on proven commodity of Dobbs, and 2024 being super thin
DL Push, so many names on both, maybe slight favor to 2016 because of Barnett being our all time sack leader (Barnet, Phillips, Tuttle, Kongbo, Darrel Taylor, Vereen had stats across from Barnett, big Moseley, PAUL BAIN, Mckenzie)
LB push, maybe 2024. after Maybin no one great, 2024 has to prove it.
2016 DB (Sutton, Martin, Kelly, Abernathy, Warrior, Moseley, Gaulden)

but again after the guys mentioned its a HUGE drop off, and 2024 won't have that problem. it will allow to stay in games in 2016 we couldnt.
 
#111
#111
Pride85 said:
So let's get upset about random rumors from someone who has been known to throw out unsubstantiated click bait just to stir the pot? Nahhhh. He just has to make it through the year as he is gone next year anyway.
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I agree just wondering if there’s any substance to his story
 
#113
#113
Jeez it MUST be getting close! I'm starting to have football Dreams! Last night I dreamt that we played LSU (and got demolished lol).
 
#114
#114
BigOrangeTrain said:
My point is 2016s failures weren’t all on Butch. He definitely is to blame for a lot of it. But in our losses that year, infield play was very subpar. That’s not all on coaching.
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Lol. If the team plays poorly, that’s on the coach. Dude came up with the idea to line up 382 yards off the ball against GT. He’s not fit to manage a Burger King, much less a football team.
 
#116
#116
LouderVol said:
Kinda going position by position, I would say the top end starters I would typically take 2016 guys, but depth is NON-existent in some spots (OL, LB, WR a little thin too actually)

2016 Rb (Kelly and Kamara, right now 2024 is a little unproved)
2016 WR (Malone, Callaway, Jennings)
2016 TE (wolf brothers, and croom) 2024 unproven.
2024 OL, 2016 best OL was maybe Drew Richmond, Jack Jones?
2016 QB, just based on proven commodity of Dobbs, and 2024 being super thin
DL Push, so many names on both, maybe slight favor to 2016 because of Barnett being our all time sack leader (Barnet, Phillips, Tuttle, Kongbo, Darrel Taylor, Vereen had stats across from Barnett, big Moseley, PAUL BAIN, Mckenzie)
LB push, maybe 2024. after Maybin no one great, 2024 has to prove it.
2016 DB (Sutton, Martin, Kelly, Abernathy, Warrior, Moseley, Gaulden)

but again after the guys mentioned its a HUGE drop off, and 2024 won't have that problem. it will allow to stay in games in 2016 we couldnt.
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Disagree with some of those. I think 2024 WR and 2016 WR is a push. I think we are deeper at WR this year than 2016. 2016 may have had more proven talent, but we have talent this year too, they are just young.

As far as the OL goes, I am going to give the nod to 2024, both in talent and depth.

QB- I think we have the potential to be better in 2024, but yet to be determined…but better depth and a higher ceiling for the position in 2024 definitely.

DL- I think we have just as much talent if not slightly more in 2024. We definitely have better depth in 2024 than 2016.
 
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#119
#119
csheaton said:
Disagree with some of those. I think 2024 WR and 2016 WR is a push. I think we are deeper at WR this year than 2016. 2016 may have had more proven talent, but we have talent this year too, they are just young.

As far as the OL goes, I am going to give the nod to 2024, both in talent and depth.

QB- I think we have the potential to be better in 2024, but yet to be determined…but better depth and a higher ceiling for the position in 2024 definitely.

DL- I think we have just as much talent if not slightly more in 2024. We definitely have better depth in 2024 than 2016.
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For a lot of these it will depend on how the young guys do in 2024. if they play good/up to standard, then yeah it slides things that way. but its tough to make that assumption across the board. I saw a lot of names on the 2016 roster and remember thinking they were going to be so good when they had their chance, and turned to nothing. so I don't feel comfortable making the same assumption, even with a better coach, there are dudds.

also 2016 had Butch Jones as a coach, that would have been such a better team with just Heupel being their coach.

I can definitely agree with the WR being at least a push.

OL i was definitely saying 2024, I was just shocked with how bad 2016 was.

QB we have Nico (1 start), Merk (true freshman), and a couple former walk ons. not sure how that equals depth. that is vs 4th year starter Dobbs, Dormady (So with 10 games of back up play), Sherion Jones (Rs-FR 1 game of "experience"), JG (FR). yeah those other guys didn't win us many/any games, but there is depth there, plus no comparison with the experience and resiliency of Dobbs.

DL I agree 2024 has better depth, but 2016 was proven across the board on those starters. Pearce vs Barnett is a fun debate.

one thing that wasn't covered is that we don't have an Evan Berry type returner that 2016 had. and he was a junior that year and already had an All-American award doing that. hopefully Boo Carter can have similar impact.
 
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#121
#121
If Hooker's speculation really is about Heupel's decision not to take Pearce to SEC Media Days, everything I recall reading or listening to essentially said it was because he's young and he doesn't handle media interviews all that well yet. Seems like a non-story to me but I'm not the one who needs to come up with a story for people to click on.
 
#122
#122
Nationdom said:
Going back and looking at the 2016 roster makes me a little sick. Butch wasted a lot of talent. I do think this team has more front line talent and depth almost everywhere.

This team should go 11-1 regular season. 10-2 is acceptable, but 9-3 is a disappointment.
Tennessee should not lose in Neyland for the next 5+years.
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9-3 is acceptable. Nobody is predicting this team going 11-1. If people start calling for the coach after a 9-3 season it will be foolish.
 
#124
#124
Nationdom said:
No one’s calling for the coach with 9-3 that I’ve seen
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If fans believe they should be disappointed with 9-3 they may just do it. I understand your point. But with a Freshman QB I really think we should slightly temper expectations. No matter how good he is there are normally growing pains (I hope I’m wrong tho, ya know?)
 
#125
#125
LouderVol said:
For a lot of these it will depend on how the young guys do in 2024. if they play good/up to standard, then yeah it slides things that way. but its tough to make that assumption across the board. I saw a lot of names on the 2016 roster and remember thinking they were going to be so good when they had their chance, and turned to nothing. so I don't feel comfortable making the same assumption, even with a better coach, there are dudds.

also 2016 had Butch Jones as a coach, that would have been such a better team with just Heupel being their coach.

I can definitely agree with the WR being at least a push.

OL i was definitely saying 2024, I was just shocked with how bad 2016 was.

QB we have Nico (1 start), Merk (true freshman), and a couple former walk ons. not sure how that equals depth. that is vs 4th year starter Dobbs, Dormady (So with 10 games of back up play), Sherion Jones (Rs-FR 1 game of "experience"), JG (FR). yeah those other guys didn't win us many/any games, but there is depth there, plus no comparison with the experience and resiliency of Dobbs.

DL I agree 2024 has better depth, but 2016 was proven across the board on those starters. Pearce vs Barnett is a fun debate.

one thing that wasn't covered is that we don't have an Evan Berry type returner that 2016 had. and he was a junior that year and already had an All-American award doing that. hopefully Boo Carter can have similar impact.
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I think the TE position has a chance to be a lot better in 2024 too. We have good talent there. Do not discount Ethan Davis. Holden Staes is probably better than anyone we had on the 2016 roster too. I’m also hearing great things about Kitselman’s blocking ability to boot.

We are very well rounded at that position and I believe we will be better this year than we were in 2016.
 
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