This whole redshirt mentality needs to be gone

[Zues1]

You’re essentially calling for a return to the freshmen rule prevailing in the 60s and really 70s when freshmen weren’t allowed to play collegiate sports. Some schools had jv basketball teams so freshmen could get some playing experience.

Yes, I know and yes I am.

 

[wmcovol]

 

[volfeeva]

For some comparison, Bama juggled 3 different qb's at the start of the year, until they settled on Milroe. Why did Bama experiment with 3 different QB's? Because they were struggling at that position. Milroe won the starting job and has gotten better each game. So Tenn struggles at QB and we can't experiment or try anyone else at that spot for the worn out reasons= 1) Loyalty to JM 2) Nico is still too thin?, too young? too inexperienced ?, and the redshirt debate. We see the result but we will never know what might have been with healthy competition

 

[whobethis16]

It has nothing to do with proving anything to fans. It's about finding out how the guy performs in a real game that is meaningful. You flat out don't know what we have in Nico until he starts against SEC or comparable competition. Do you remember Josh Dobbs? He was buried on the depth chart and wouldn't have ever gotten to play if injuries didn't force him into action and we found out he was a baller despite not being a good practicer. So many guys are like that. Then we have guys that look great in practice and suck in a game. Coaches find this stuff out by playing guys.

****, if that's the case then they need to use an entire quarter in the first couple games to play nothing but freshmen just to see what they all can do in a real game, even if these guys don't know the playbook, blocking assignments, routes, etc. You know, all things that are determined in practice/film room, just to appease LongSufferingVol.

 

[wmcovol]

This team never played a down this yr with their complete offensive team. Mays was out the first 4 games & MCCoy was gone by then. Those were 2 critical players. Since it’s been a Miss- mash of line ups. Especially on the OL

 

[livefaith]

With the transfer portal and NIL, it's the Wild West. There's not any loyalty on players' part anymore. Most players transfer because of a lack of playing time too. So why the heck is the paradigm still that we should sit on generational talents and redshirt them as a default? It's outdated thinking. If Nico is a baller we should play him now! Who knows what his thought process might be in a year or two. And if he is not a baller we need to find that out too. If he is another Bailey or Guarantano we need to find that out and start making backup plans asap. Also, another argument against playing Nico has been his size and lack of physical development. That begs a lot of questions too because I have seen high school weight training programs here in Tennessee help kids add 30 or 40 pounds of muscle over a summer. That's not uncommon at all. So why isn't Nico more physically ready? He has been in the program almost a year now.

WE don't need to find out anything. WE are observers, not decision makers.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

With the transfer portal and NIL, it's the Wild West. There's not any loyalty on players' part anymore. Most players transfer because of a lack of playing time too. So why the heck is the paradigm still that we should sit on generational talents and redshirt them as a default? It's outdated thinking. If Nico is a baller we should play him now! Who knows what his thought process might be in a year or two. And if he is not a baller we need to find that out too. If he is another Bailey or Guarantano we need to find that out and start making backup plans asap. Also, another argument against playing Nico has been his size and lack of physical development. That begs a lot of questions too because I have seen high school weight training programs here in Tennessee help kids add 30 or 40 pounds of muscle over a summer. That's not uncommon at all. So why isn't Nico more physically ready? He has been in the program almost a year now.

We will be sure to send your expert analysis to coach Heupel. He clearly needs it

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I would prefer all incoming athletes must redshirt, ineligible. Go to class and become a student.
One time transfer outside of the conference , after a redshirt season.
Family/ medical transfer would be an exception but must sit that year as well.
NIL money...okay mister hot shot is worth a million or so. Let's do an 80/20 rule on that NIL . 80 for hotshot 20 spilt equality among the rest of the team.

80/20 is flat unconstitutional and immoral. Should someone else get part of your earned money? The answer is no. Earn your own money and don't teach your kids that crap.

As for JV teams, hard transfers, etc..... that would hasten the lawsuits from players to be declared employees and college ball disappearing completely as an amateur sport. The NCAA is toothless now against any lawsuit and pissing off the players will just make more of them want some of the school's big TV revenue.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

With the transfer portal and NIL, it's the Wild West. There's not any loyalty on players' part anymore. Most players transfer because of a lack of playing time too. So why the heck is the paradigm still that we should sit on generational talents and redshirt them as a default? It's outdated thinking. If Nico is a baller we should play him now!

The underlying assumption here is inaccurate to begin with. There was never a plan to "redshirt" Nico, until the end of the season when it would've been stupid to burn his redshirt just to play garbage time against Georgia. If he was the best QB on the roster, he wouldn't have been redshirted.

I actually think Heupel handled the situation perfectly. Set it up from the get-go that there was no expectation of redshirting, but if he wasn't needed much this year, to preserve his RS.

Nico will be in a better position to start next season now that he has a year in Heupel's offense under his belt and has added some weight / muscle to his frame.

 

[TheGoodStuff]

With the transfer portal and NIL, it's the Wild West. There's not any loyalty on players' part anymore. Most players transfer because of a lack of playing time too. So why the heck is the paradigm still that we should sit on generational talents and redshirt them as a default? It's outdated thinking. If Nico is a baller we should play him now! Who knows what his thought process might be in a year or two. And if he is not a baller we need to find that out too. If he is another Bailey or Guarantano we need to find that out and start making backup plans asap. Also, another argument against playing Nico has been his size and lack of physical development. That begs a lot of questions too because I have seen high school weight training programs here in Tennessee help kids add 30 or 40 pounds of muscle over a summer. That's not uncommon at all. So why isn't Nico more physically ready? He has been in the program almost a year now.

if I’m Nico I’ll redshirt and enjoy the 2mil for learning this year. No hurry. Boosters are cool with that too.

If I’m coach… I don't need to take my $2 mil Lambo out in an ice storm to know what I got or prove to my buddies what I got.

I’ll wait until the timing is right (I’ve got the WRs I want an Nico is ready to roll).

I know we all want signs of hope but that’s not really the concern of anyone that’s getting paid to make the big decisions or big $. Either we got it or we don’t. It doesn’t alter the plan.

Everyone will get on board when things roll next year or heads will roll anyway. That makes 2025 make or break.

I think 2024 will be a whole lot of fun. Go VOLS!

 

[Zues1]

80/20 is flat unconstitutional and immoral. Should someone else get part of your earned money? The answer is no. Earn your own money and don't teach your kids that crap.

As for JV teams, hard transfers, etc..... that would hasten the lawsuits from players to be declared employees and college ball disappearing completely as an amateur sport. The NCAA is toothless now against any lawsuit and pissing off the players will just make more of them want some of the school's big TV revenue.

College football is no longer an amateur sport.......
It's just kids wearing whatever uniform will pay them the most and get them to the league. Loyalty is history, so is amateur college football.

 

[Vol8188]

With the transfer portal and NIL, it's the Wild West. There's not any loyalty on players' part anymore. Most players transfer because of a lack of playing time too. So why the heck is the paradigm still that we should sit on generational talents and redshirt them as a default? It's outdated thinking. If Nico is a baller we should play him now! Who knows what his thought process might be in a year or two. And if he is not a baller we need to find that out too. If he is another Bailey or Guarantano we need to find that out and start making backup plans asap. Also, another argument against playing Nico has been his size and lack of physical development. That begs a lot of questions too because I have seen high school weight training programs here in Tennessee help kids add 30 or 40 pounds of muscle over a summer. That's not uncommon at all. So why isn't Nico more physically ready? He has been in the program almost a year now.

No one is adding 30-40lbs of muscle in one summer. Not even steroid users

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

I don't know, OP. There are still like four variables involved: getting to the NFL, getting a degree (or even a master's degree), playing for the university you love, and being with your mates.

We tend to think getting to the NFL is the sine qua non for every player. But it's not. Not always. Those other three things count, too. Sometimes one or more of them count just as much as the NFL payday. Sometimes even more.

We simply can't judge every player as if they're all the 'typical player.' And, anyway, what do we even really know about what's "typical"?

So, no, I don't necessarily agree. A redshirt gets more time with your buds. A redshirt gives you more time for education (read: master's degree or two). A redshirt keeps you one year longer at the place you always dreamed of playing while growing up, maybe.

There are still going to be plenty of players for whom a redshirt year has value.

Go Vols!

 

[Mtnvol80]

No one is adding 30-40lbs of muscle in one summer. Not even steroid users

No kidding. Jayden Daniels is a twig and is one of the greatest players in college if not the greatest. Their build is dang near identical

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

College football is no longer an amateur sport.......
It's just kids wearing whatever uniform will pay them the most and get them to the league. Loyalty is history, so is amateur college football.

Even in pro sports, if Joe Burrow does a commercial (NIL,) his teammates don't get 20% of his pay. That's pure BS.

And once college ball is legally a pro sport, your JV idea goes away. Players, as employees, won't be attending classes at the school they work for. Do the guys who runs the power facilities at UT have to attend classes to keep their jobs? No, and neither will the professional TN Vol athletes.

Blaming the players for the state of college football is BS. All they did was grow up in this era and this is what the game is now. They didn't create this huge business that college football is. We did. My generation wanted every game on TV, wanted championships and would pay coaches millions and build pro facilities to attract recruits, wanted the largest stadiums in the country to play ball in, etc, etc.

All the kids did was be born in 2000 or so. It's not on them. It's us.

 

[Volfan76]

His parents wanted him redshirted if possible. Nico was not ready this year. Most realistic fans know that.

And where did these realistic fans obtain this insight?

 

[TucsonVol]

With the transfer portal and NIL, it's the Wild West. There's not any loyalty on players' part anymore. Most players transfer because of a lack of playing time too. So why the heck is the paradigm still that we should sit on generational talents and redshirt them as a default? It's outdated thinking. If Nico is a baller we should play him now! Who knows what his thought process might be in a year or two. And if he is not a baller we need to find that out too. If he is another Bailey or Guarantano we need to find that out and start making backup plans asap. Also, another argument against playing Nico has been his size and lack of physical development. That begs a lot of questions too because I have seen high school weight training programs here in Tennessee help kids add 30 or 40 pounds of muscle over a summer. That's not uncommon at all. So why isn't Nico more physically ready? He has been in the program almost a year now.

No worries, Nico will start at Florida next year! They will grab him once he is in the portal!

 

[Orange_Vol1321]

His parents wanted him redshirted if possible. Nico was not ready this year. Most realistic fans know that.

Not sure if his parents wanted this or not but he definitely wasn't ready physically. Probably wasn't ready mentally either considering Heupels offense requires the QB to make quick decisions in a matter of seconds looking at the defense.

 

[lexkyvol]

Oh good grief. You people. There was a plan for Nico when he signed and they're working that plan. YOU don't have to see him in a game in order for the coaches to determine if he's a "baller" or not. Games are NOT so the coaches can prove how good players are... to you so YOU can decide when or if they're ready to play. The kind of "thinking" behind your post has NEVER been in date.

I believe I am correct in saying that Nico is 25-30 lbs heavier than when he arrived last year. That is a reasonable rate of gain... and he NEEDED the gain before playing.

THIS. and salute to you for saying this!

 

[lexkyvol]

No worries, Nico will start at Florida next year! They will grab him once he is in the portal!

can they grab u as a fan

 

[Tnphil]

I've not seen that. What were the promises? I thought it was stated early in the season that he would not redshirt.

Nico was named the backup QB before the season...It's hard to name a backup QB and say we are redshirting him at the same time. They didn't need Nico due to injury so it's worked out to redshirt him now.

 

[lexkyvol]

If you polled Vol fans after the Orange Bowl, i think you would have actually found a majority of realistic fans saw him as ready to take the reins. Still don’t know what happened to THAT Joe Milton

i think its not what happened to joe, but what happened to this team. OC change was bigger than anyone gave credit for and heupel tried to ease that change by immediately telling fans via media that he calls the offense and he can, but mainly just vetoes if necessary. then i think there was more of lets maintain while getting some kids thru their last yr on RockyTop letting our recruiting classes develop more in the weightroom and practice field. i think next yr you will see more of heupel's first recruiting class getting major minutes....the ones who have panned out. you may see some portal guys in spots of need, but the transition into heupel's guys starts this spring and a few may even get bowl game reps!

 

[lexkyvol]

For some comparison, Bama juggled 3 different qb's at the start of the year, until they settled on Milroe. Why did Bama experiment with 3 different QB's? Because they were struggling at that position. Milroe won the starting job and has gotten better each game. So Tenn struggles at QB and we can't experiment or try anyone else at that spot for the worn out reasons= 1) Loyalty to JM 2) Nico is still too thin?, too young? too inexperienced ?, and the redshirt debate. We see the result but we will never know what might have been with healthy competition

didnt need to be and would've been completely stupid to do so. Nico's body wasnt ready. eveyone liked a pass or 2 from the spring game, but that's controlled. other teams are trying to win. sometimes that's a cheapshot after the play.......or during. Nico's body was not ready for p5 college football and further more SEC football. the faster fans understand this the less frustrated they will be. but instead......many are so entitled that reality is meaningless!

 

[Rocky Top T]

And where did these realistic fans obtain this insight?

This came from his high school coaches. You're welcome

 

[Rocky Top T]

Not sure if his parents wanted this or not but he definitely wasn't ready physically. Probably wasn't ready mentally either considering Heupels offense requires the QB to make quick decisions in a matter of seconds looking at the defense.

Truth