'22 TN DT Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)

#6,176
#6,176
mrorange211 said:
I didn't want him in August, and I don't want him in December. Rankings be damned.
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When Tennessee was trending hard with Nolen back in September all of the national guys were saying that they wouldn't want to be the school that Nolen commits to first since he likely wouldn't end up there.

That only apply if he was committing to Tennessee first?
 
#6,178
#6,178
Prior to this visit, Nolen had attended two games in Knoxville and also visited a few times during the summer.

"Good as usual," Nolen's father Walter said of their latest trip. "Heupel was very hands on this weekend."

"That surprised me," Yolunda Nolen, Walter's mother said. "Out of most of our visit, every activity he was right there with us."
Heupel is a guy the parents feel very comfortable with.

"Seeing how much of a normal every-day person he is," Walter Sr. said.

"Coach Heupel is very, I feel he is very genuine and down to earth, very straight forward," Yolunda said. "I appreciate those things about him. He seems to be very honest. I appreciate all that about him."

The elder Nolens appreciate Tennessee altogether.

"Tennessee of course is Tennessee," Yolunda said. "It's home. Us originally being from Memphis thats the one positive thing about it. The coaching staff is very friendly and open, very hospitable."

Nolen will return to Texas A&M one more time next weekend before making a final decision. The Vols remain in this one.

"Going into the season with a lotta transfers and still being able to make a bowl game being under (Heupel)," Walter Sr. said. "I assume they're still in it because he took the official this late in the year."

"Coach (Rodney) Garner and Coach Heupel," Yolunda stated. "Coach Garner one of the best coaches in the country and them being so hands on and letting us know how much Walter means to their program all that is very helpful."
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-Wiltfong
 
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#6,183
#6,183
Majors said:
In years past we lost out on guys like Harrison Smith, Tee Higgins, Cade Mayes, Rogers and Bryn Tucker. Our best in-state is #14 while other schools have 1-13 currently. Walter is a key piece for in-state recruiting to move us in the right direction and stop the bleed of other schools coming in and taking out top tier kids. Tennessee could have shut it down at any point if they felt he was not going to work out. The Pruitt situation is a moot point until NCAA does anything if they do anything at all. Call it timing with the NIL deals and our pending NCAA issues, but it would be hypocritical to hand down anything at this point.
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the obvious ratings comparison blast from the past would be McKenzie and most recent in state for DL recruiting noise was Hardy. We need wins for sure, but we had to get very late in the season to even change the direction narrative for the program, and I am not surprised we could not close ground on any of the top 15 or so. We still can't deny the potential for NCAA still being shared by our competition, it is real till it is not. I am hoping for a bowl win to keep the positive trend line flowing out of the talking heads mouths to help us with 23' guys since we will have a whole year to work on them, and maybe some NCAA closure. I am sure we will get to revisit the production or lack thereof of this years in state misses since it has been such a hot topic for a while. Would guess there will be an array of results to kick around. We might get lucky and find some less emotional depth guys at other schools in the portal if we have room under the 85 and a path to playing time and some portal exits to offset. I still believe it will be fall camp before we can grade this years efforts. Might get a few more Hooker and Payton impact level guys. Their success should give Coach the credibility on this front.
 
#6,187
#6,187
Joe Dirt said:
When Tennessee was trending hard with Nolen back in September all of the national guys were saying that they wouldn't want to be the school that Nolen commits to first since he likely wouldn't end up there.

That only apply if he was committing to Tennessee first?
Click to expand...

I don't know and I don't care. I really do not want him on the hill.
 
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#6,189
#6,189
zooguy said:
He’s been actively recruiting other top players to A&M. The evidence currently doesn’t show a flip. Weirder things have happened.
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His father said,

"I assume they're (Tennessee) still in it because he took the official this late in the year."

His commitment to Texas A&M sounds anything but firm, and I don't know how much I would read into him recruiting for A&M either. That is expected of commitments. It's not unusual to see a flip under those circumstances. WR Tee Higgins, from Oak Ridge, was recruiting for Tennessee while he was committed, but then reneged and signed with Clemson.

This update from Wiltfong is encouraging. It's clearly not over.
 
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#6,200
#6,200
I think his was a peer pressure commit to A&M. I mean he was there with a bunch of other top commits. Guys he probably respects and wants to fit in with. It would be natural for him to want to please them and be part of that class in the moment. Realities of family, opportunity and other factors may have brought him back to thinking on us.
 
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