'20 TN DT Omari Thomas (UT SIGNEE)

[PruittEra]

There is a direct correlation between recruiting rankings and on field success at the highest levels.

If you’re not recruiting elite classes (based on the RANKINGS) you’re not going achieve elite on field results.

Only ONE team has bucked that trend in the last 20 years. That was Auburn, and they had a once in a lifetime QB in Cam Newton.

Clemson did it as well. They won the title in 2016. Their class average between 2012-2015 was 15th. High of 9th and low of 20th.

 

[tbones0711]

Rocker has taken the least experienced group of no name DL and turned them into the best unit on the team. I’d prefer he gets and extension.

Well spoken.

 

[SweetasSoda]

No, they’re not. They are actually statistically relevant.

Especially in the aggregate.

But even at the individual level, higher rated recruits are statistically more likely to have success at the next level.

It’s been proven over and over again.

And with the 25 limit and transfers becoming easier, the gap between excellent and good classes are narrowing. Obviously the higher your classes over a 3 to 4 year span the higher your odds of having more players actually meet the "guess" of how good a college player they will be. It has also been proven that 2 and 3 stars end up in the NFL while some 5 stars do nothing. We happen to have a coaching staff that is doing well finding talent that may be ranked low but has lots of potential. They even have other coaching staffs and recruiting services following them around. We will be fine as we build this team.

 

[tbones0711]

I agree, but he does get a little too gung ho sometimes.

You're allowed to do that when you know your shat. Will Sonnett said,"No brag, just fact."

 

[SweetasSoda]

There is a direct correlation between recruiting rankings and on field success at the highest levels.

If you’re not recruiting elite classes (based on the RANKINGS) you’re not going achieve elite on field results.

Only ONE team has bucked that trend in the last 20 years. That was Auburn, and they had a once in a lifetime QB in Cam Newton.

Clemson does it well.

 

[tbones0711]

The d-line is playing at a real high level. If you can't see that then you don't really know football. Emerson and Middleton are currently playing at a all SEC level. Solomon, Butler, Bumphus and the rest of those guys are really playing high level ball. Rocker is a high level d-line coach, just a sh*t recruiter.

Right you are. What I'm seeing is he's one helluva a developer. Rump, Rocker, and Sherrer are starting to click and the players are buying it. We get all jacked-up over these stars beside a recruits name and they don't mean diddley when a "system" is being taught. Our players, regardless of recruiting rank, are being taught right. We'll be in top 20 defensively next year.

 

[tbones0711]

Next year we can put Nieds on DL if necessary.

Gotta pull that Nevada monster this year. We'll put him on a J.Henderson next year unless Washington converts to edge rusher.

 

[tbones0711]

way to stay positive guys

Just avoided the dreaded waffle house.

 

[tbones0711]

Rocker doesn’t recruit. Not gonna argue that.

We’re “winning”? We’ve beaten the teams we are supposed to not have to worry about. Which is fine.... I’m glad we are.

Florida? Georgia? Alabama?

Gonna need more horses to run with those teams. The “coached up” Kurrot Garlands of the world aren’t going to take us to the top.

We need elite recruiting classes. Those require elite recruiters.

Not necessarily. Zuniga and Greenard, (transfer), haven't played in a lot of games and they're gonna tire. Simply have to have quality depth in the trenches. Move, counter move, like chess. I'll put my fresh on your tired. The Pony Express changed horses for a reason. A.Solomon was high rated and we got him. Butler, Emerson, Middleton are holding their own.They play early when linemen are fresh. Points are being scored on us early in these last games. The teams we beat had a good starting OLine but inadequate depth as compared to our DLine depth. Just awhile back it was our defense wearing down and now it's the opposite.

 

[LittleVol]

Not necessarily. Zuniga and Greenard, (transfer), haven't played in a lot of games and they're gonna tire. Simply have to have quality depth in the trenches. Move, counter move, like chess. I'll put my fresh on your tired. The Pony Express changed horses for a reason. A.Solomon was high rated and we got him. Butler, Emerson, Middleton are holding their own.They play early when linemen are fresh. Points are being scored on us early in these last games. The teams we beat had a good starting OLine but inadequate depth as compared to our DLine depth. Just awhile back it was our defense wearing down and now it's the opposite.

Good observation.
Also, 2 star Garland has been starting those past two games.
Blakely former 4 star OLB is a RSJR who's really come on as disruptive force off the bench. Yeah our Dline is the most improved unit by far this year...

 

[Memphisvol87]

We need kids like big o to help us stay on track. We have to start landing more quality linemen on the defensive side. You guys can argue all you want but our d loses Taylor and Bituli. Other than To’oto’o I haven’t seen anyone else flashing on the front 7. They are improving but we will be abused by teams like Georgia and bama if we don’t start building depth with some elite guys.

 

[WhatInVolnation]

Clemson and the 2010 Auburn team are (or were) the two exceptions to the general rule that it takes top 5 classes regularly to compete for national titles from about the mid-90s on. Clemson does it with stability and excellent player evaluation and development plus landing truly outstanding players at QB, DL, WR, and OL. Those Clemson classes that were discussed usually had 2-5 top 50 recruits in them from memory. It took Dabo several years to get it all together. That’s a recipe for success and now Clemson is recruiting at a Bama level and that will be the key to its continued success. Auburn was an outlier in that it landed Cam Newton (one of the most dominant forces to play college football recently) and Nick Fairley was the best DT in college football and so Auburn was stacked at the two most important positions plus it had an upperclassmen heavy team of very good athletes. Otherwise, each other title team has recruited regularly in the top five or so and frequently has at least one #1 class on campus when it won a title or titles.

All in all, Tennessee should try to emulate the Clemson model. Land some true studs each year (Darnell Wright, Wanya Morris, Henry Too’too, and Q. Crouch are good examples in the ‘19 class and Harrison Bailey is a good example in the ‘20 class) and that needs to include great DL recruiting since that can cover a lot of other shortcomings and do a good job of identifying overlooked players and land some highly recruited players and then develop what you have through continuity of coaches and players and then maybe we will have something good in two or so years. The one area I believe hasn’t been addressed so far is DL recruiting by the guys in staff and I think Rocker has historically been viewed as an excellent coach but poor recruiter and that seems consistent with my observations about him so far.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Bama and auburn have books on each other. They know how to do it but have been caught a few times when NCAA really cared. Now, NCAA just isn’t as big a bully as it used to be and money is rolling. All play the game some are just more willing to play it bigger

Alabama is a weird state..Au and UA operate there with impunity under a mutually assured destruction kind of detente...they completely hate each other, and they each know exactly what each other does..but they will never rat on each other...ever.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

This defensive line has been playing incredible and has allowed our linebackers to make plays. They dont make those plays without the dline controlling the los.

And that is exactly how the 3-4 is supposed to work.

 

[sonofUT62]

Rocker not going anywhere.......UT is developing a system based on rotating. Best have yo'azz 10-12 quality OLinemen. Watch the 4th qtrs. of us playing UK and Mizzou. Our rookie, never played much, DLinemen were blowing dey azz off the line. Simmons, Garland, Blakely,......etc. Get the picture? We don't necessarily need Thomas.

We don’t need Thomas because we have a group of sophomores and juniors playing at a high level??? I wonder if we’ll need him in 2021?

 

[Memphisvol87]

Rocker not going anywhere.......UT is developing a system based on rotating. Best have yo'azz 10-12 quality OLinemen. Watch the 4th qtrs. of us playing UK and Mizzou. Our rookie, never played much, DLinemen were blowing dey azz off the line. Simmons, Garland, Blakely,......etc. Get the picture? We don't necessarily need Thomas.

Without To’oto’o and Bituli Kentucky runs down the field and punches it in to beat us. We need about 5 kids like Thomas. Our dline is not blowing people off the line haha. They are playing better no question but you never stop recruiting linemen unless you want to have our current issues.

 

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

Rocker not going anywhere.......UT is developing a system based on rotating. Best have yo'azz 10-12 quality OLinemen. Watch the 4th qtrs. of us playing UK and Mizzou. Our rookie, never played much, DLinemen were blowing dey azz off the line. Simmons, Garland, Blakely,......etc. Get the picture? We don't necessarily need Thomas.

You always need elite talent. Period. We will lose a ton of guys after next year and need to develop a lot of D linemen before then. And I want to get to the point where beating Mizzou and KY is normal. I want to get to the point of competing for championships and beating UGA and UF. I believe we have the staff to do it but you can always upgrade in some areas.

 

[chavisut]

Bass take

 

[SmokinBob]

Nice edit!

 

[VolGee4]

He also has to make a derogatory remark toward anyone who makes a comment that isn't a direct quote from another site or that isn't 100% positive no matter how true the comment is.



FYP

Ron is harmless. If you’ve been on long enough, you know he is our rah rah guy.

Holding someone to a direct quote is important because it normally gets translated incorrectly.

 

[vol4life03]

Tbones.....rocker is most likely not going to be here... he is a good coach but not a good recruiter and it’s showing!! We need heavy hitter recruiters to get us back...

 

[Joe Dirt]

I want Rocker to stay, but just remember, every coaching move Pruitt has made has made us better. If he moves on from Rocker, it will be an upgrade.

 

[SweetasSoda]

Ron is harmless. If you’ve been on long enough, you know he is our rah rah guy.

Holding someone to a direct quote is important because it normally gets translated incorrectly.

As opposed to the doom doom guys?

 

[jason3713]

Guys you have to have a mix. Not every coach is a great recruiter and every great recruiter isn’t a great coach. Do some of you think every coach at GA, AL and the other great recruiting teams is a top recruiter? You are looking for the perfect mix.
Back when we were rolling Chief barely recruited.

 

[SSVol]

Gee, just a few months back, we were honestly expecting to go 2-10. Now the complaint is that we aren’t recruiting like Bama. Top 15 will be fine this year. If we win out this year and play well next year, but don’t get to top 10, feel free to panic. Until then, relax.