TN finishes with all 4* and 5*

#1
M

MikeHamiltonFan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
6,366
Likes
0
#1
If we need room against the 28 cap (which I see as increasingly likely due to the quality of guys still showing interest) Pair is the first to "decommit" and go to South Carolina. Broussard also could end up somewhere else (LSU if they offered).

At QB I truly believe they are done. Some people think this space is the surprise, but I think Kiffin believes that if he gets a very strong QB in who does not have demons but is getting a fresh start he thinks he can mold him into something great. Following Bray I think we get a very big time QB recruit in 2011.

At RB I am convinced they will get Dyer or Lattimore. We would love to turn Mack Brown from UF. I think Seastrunk is LSU bound, and if UT misses on all 4 I think they will not need to bring in a RB this class.

ILB
Luc, if not then CJ Mosley if not then Vic Burnett.
I want to say we get Luc, I hope and pray that we do. This staff exceeds our expectations over and over, but it is hard to say we get a Florida kid who FSU and Florida are after hard. He is still a Seminole lean from what I read, but if you look at the team FSU has coming back on defense and the reputation of Mikki Andrews versus the reputation a Monte Kiffin led defense with Orgeron helping a great deal could have I have to think we get the better. Even the unfortunate UCLA QB injury I think fires up defensive players. You won the game but you lost your QB with a broken jaw on a safety. For Luc to be effective he needs DTs who can take the OL out of the play and give him space to operate. Kiffin scheme wise puts him a great spot, and now he knows he can come in with all this other talent on D? Has to be attractive.

OLB
Khairi Fortt if not then Christian Jones, if not then Josh Shirley. Only other player I see on this board at this point is Corey Nelson. If Mike Sherman at Texas A&M trips before October (unlikely) or gets drilled in October by Arkansas, Okie State, and Texas Tech then ends the year losing to Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor (I think this is possible) he could be in trouble. Alot depends on the scores. If Texas and Oklahoma and Arkansas win by 21+ each game I think his seat is hot and I think we are back into it with Corey Nelson.

I would say the likely player is Josh Shirley.

CB
Not a great need position for UT. Cody Riggs is top of the board I think for us at this point. We would also be happy to take Wright. If we get John Fulton away from SC (which would really mean that Spurrier cannot hold on to anyone from in state. Fulton plus Byrnes means on the recruiting field Kiffin just slapped Spurrier around) or Victor Hampton away from UF we take them.
Victor Hampton decommiting and coming here is kind of a wash for us in a way because it would almost certainly send Riggs to UF.
Terrence Mitchell is probably FSU bound.

Toney Hurd and Dale Trimble may be casualties of us running out of room.

Demtrius Wright to USC
Joshua Shaw to tOSU.
Cody Riggs follows in the footsteps of Gerald and wears Orange!

Safety
Dietrich Riley or no one. Janzen Jackson and Darren Myles give you that luxury. Also Ted Meline can move over here and be incredible probably.

DT
We finish with Kelcy Quarles.

Strongside DE
We are probably done. We get Brandon Willis, we would still take J.R. Ferguson, we would also take Ronald Powell. RP probably to USC (we better hope not to UF) and J.R. to Miami with Arie K. Fre'Shad Hunter is a possible surprise but unlikely at this point.

Weakside DE
We have Corey Miller, J Smith and JC Copeland. We were in the middle of it for Lemonier, but we do not need him at this point. Is that freaking shocking to say? An athlete of that caliber and we do not need him? He is the only guy left on the board I think they would even think about at this spot.

Center
I want Linder, but everyone is saying he will not follow his teammate and that Jose Jose will fill that slot admirably so the staff takes no one.

OG
We have Fulton who the staff loves, and Jose Jose. Only other guy here I think we are really after is Torrian Wilson. Rumor he is a silent to Stanford, but he is still as far as I know taking an official to us. Michigan and Stanford are our main competition. It does not help us losing to a Pac 10 school.

OT
John Cullen is a VERY high priority for this staff because he is a Juco who could contribute immediately. This position is our greatest need left on the board and we will take several guys. We are also in the middle of it for lots of EXCELLENT talents. Making a weakness into a strength is something this staff excels at.
I have not heard how TJ Leifheit liked his trip, he is a potential early enrollee in December so the staff would love to have him in.
James Stone loves the academics of Vandy, he kind of likes ND, he is interested in Alabama, but we are right there in it with him.
Damien Robinson seems like a UT lean and we would love to have him.
JaWuan James is an Alabama decommit who many people think is a silent to us.
Arie Kouandjio is a guy who we would love, but he is heading to Miami in all probability.

TE
If we beat out UNC for Ethan Farmer, we take him IMO. I think that is all we have.

WR
Kenny Stills is IMO the only person we have left as a possibility. Why take another WR? Because as I said, Meline is moving to safety.

Luc
Shirley
Riggs
Riley
Dyer
Quarles
Cullen
D Robinson
J Stone

And with those 3 OL, Pair decommits.

This class ends up top 3 definitely.

We do better than Saban year one and end with 8 wins.
If we had the Houston QB, or the Central Michigan QB we end up with 10 wins, but that cannot happen.
 
#4
#4
I dont know much about the OL recruits we are going after, but i feel confident in us landing Riley, Riggs, & Bernard. Other than those 3 idk who else we could possibly get.
 
#6
#6
I hope we don't run off any OLs this year. Chaney talked about ideally how he wanted 3-man-deep on OL before he shift his focus to depth of WRs. Looks like we are doing everything backward: stacked on WR and RB (FB I would also say), good on TE, but NO depth on OL and QB

good analysis overall!
 
#7
#7
I think Bernard just is not coming. Thanks for the comments. I should have at least discussed Gio and he is the only possible commit I can see who I left off for discussion at least.

Guys, when we took Pair the staff liked him, but not as much in the upside department as Jose Jose and Fulton.

Do you have any idea how turned around our OL will be with a class that looks like
John Cullen, JaWuan James (who we all thought was solid Bammer), Damien Robinson or James Stone, Jose Jose and Zach Fulton? I think we are in it for Stone and Robinson which is why I think Pair may decommit. It will not be a public thing, and gamecocks may come on here to crow that Spurrier stole one from us.
 
#10
#10
Since Rivals has been doing the rankings no one has ever cracked the magic 4.0 star average. Florida, LSU, USC, Alabama are all programs to finish up there, but Tennessee is not going to sign all 4* players this year and possibly ever.

Reasons why:

1) the star ratings aren't law. we would still take a guy like Dillon Bonnell (3* at Rivals) and a pledge to Stanford because of his ability.

2) early enrollment. many of our guys who are on the cusp of moving up (from 3* to 4* and 4* to 5*) are enrolling early. what does that mean? it means they won't be going to All-Star events and combines where they can improve their ratings. they will already be on a college campus and unable to participate in these events.

the UA ESPN game is Jan. 2nd. the AA game is Jan. 9th.

if I was a coach I'd want my guys on campus working out under the supervision of the strength coach, rather than off at a combine where they could get injured.

3) the people who rate prospects aren't often guys with coaching or scouting experience. looking at USC's success in Carroll's time on campus, why wouldn't you just give anyone with a USC offer a 4th star? it's a loaded program which takes elite talent in order to get on the field. even the Southern Cal's of the world take 3* players every year.

4) we have Michael Palardy. Rivals.com won't rank a kicker above a 3*, so we can't possibly sign all 4* players with a 3* prospect in the class.
 
#11
#11
Tennessee Jack said:
Since Rivals has been doing the rankings no one has ever cracked the magic 4.0 star average. Florida, LSU, USC, Alabama are all programs to finish up there, but Tennessee is not going to sign all 4* players this year and possibly ever.

Reasons why:

1) the star ratings aren't law. we would still take a guy like Dillon Bonnell (3* at Rivals) and a pledge to Stanford because of his ability.

2) early enrollment. many of our guys who are on the cusp of moving up (from 3* to 4* and 4* to 5*) are enrolling early. what does that mean? it means they won't be going to All-Star events and combines where they can improve their ratings. they will already be on a college campus and unable to participate in these events.

the UA ESPN game is Jan. 2nd. the AA game is Jan. 9th.

if I was a coach I'd want my guys on campus working out under the supervision of the strength coach, rather than off at a combine where they could get injured.

3) the people who rate prospects aren't often guys with coaching or scouting experience. looking at USC's success in Carroll's time on campus, why wouldn't you just give anyone with a USC offer a 4th star? it's a loaded program which takes elite talent in order to get on the field. even the Southern Cal's of the world take 3* players every year.

4) we have Michael Palardy. Rivals.com won't rank a kicker above a 3*, so we can't possibly sign all 4* players with a 3* prospect in the class.
Click to expand...

good post.
 
#12
#12
Jack, I believe the OP just meant that UT will finish these last few spots of the class off with all 4-5stars...
 
#13
#13
Tennessee Jack said:
Since Rivals has been doing the rankings no one has ever cracked the magic 4.0 star average. Florida, LSU, USC, Alabama are all programs to finish up there, but Tennessee is not going to sign all 4* players this year and possibly ever.

Reasons why:

1) the star ratings aren't law. we would still take a guy like Dillon Bonnell (3* at Rivals) and a pledge to Stanford because of his ability.

2) early enrollment. many of our guys who are on the cusp of moving up (from 3* to 4* and 4* to 5*) are enrolling early. what does that mean? it means they won't be going to All-Star events and combines where they can improve their ratings. they will already be on a college campus and unable to participate in these events.

the UA ESPN game is Jan. 2nd. the AA game is Jan. 9th.

if I was a coach I'd want my guys on campus working out under the supervision of the strength coach, rather than off at a combine where they could get injured.

3) the people who rate prospects aren't often guys with coaching or scouting experience. looking at USC's success in Carroll's time on campus, why wouldn't you just give anyone with a USC offer a 4th star? it's a loaded program which takes elite talent in order to get on the field. even the Southern Cal's of the world take 3* players every year.

4) we have Michael Palardy. Rivals.com won't rank a kicker above a 3*, so we can't possibly sign all 4* players with a 3* prospect in the class.
Click to expand...

yes they have. FSU 2002, USC in 2004 and 2007. In 2007 USC had an avg. of 4.22
 
#14
#14
hampdawgg said:
yes they have. FSU 2002, USC in 2004 and 2007. In 2007 USC had an avg. of 4.22
Click to expand...

I thought some 5* players didn't make it into school, which upset their 4.00 rating.

You could be right, though, but I thought read/heard a piece from a Rivals rep stating the difficulty of hitting that number in the past year.
 
#15
#15
Lord Vader said:
Jack, I believe the OP just meant that UT will finish these last few spots of the class off with all 4-5stars...
Click to expand...

When he started talking about 3* players like Pair defecting, it seemed like we were expected to be trading up. You could be right, though.
 
#17
#17
Tennessee Jack said:
When he started talking about 3* players like Pair defecting, it seemed like we were expected to be trading up. You could be right, though.
Click to expand...

Vader was correct, I meant we finish with 4* and 5* guys.

I also think Pair may well be a defector because I think we may want his spot to go to Damien Robinson or James Stone. Cullen and JaWuan James are going to take a very thin position and make it an absolute strength.
 
#21
#21
i say go after all lineman except luc riggs and dyer and we have a number 1 class
 
#22
#22
SuperVol said:
I really enjoyed your write up, thanks.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

Thanks! I am so excited about this season within a season. I think we will do better than Saban his first year in terms of wins and I think we are going to be top 5 year after year after year instead of Fulmer where we would be top 5, then 28, then top 5 then 18 then top 5 then unranked.

But to everyone who thinks Stars are all that matter and not player development, Jonathan Crompton was a 5 star and was rated close to Mark Sanchez coming out of high school along with a guy named Ryan Perriloux who has flamed out even more spectacularly than JC.
 
#23
#23
MikeHamiltonFan said:
Thanks! I am so excited about this season within a season. I think we will do better than Saban his first year in terms of wins and I think we are going to be top 5 year after year after year instead of Fulmer where we would be top 5, then 28, then top 5 then 18 then top 5 then unranked.

But to everyone who thinks Stars are all that matter and not player development, Jonathan Crompton was a 5 star and was rated close to Mark Sanchez coming out of high school along with a guy named Ryan Perriloux who has flamed out even more spectacularly than JC.
Click to expand...

Perriloux was good he was just a really bad thug.
 
#25
#25
MikeHamiltonFan said:
Vader was correct, I meant we finish with 4* and 5* guys.
Click to expand...

apologies.

MikeHamiltonFan said:
I also think Pair may well be a defector because I think we may want his spot to go to Damien Robinson or James Stone. Cullen and JaWuan James are going to take a very thin position and make it an absolute strength.
Click to expand...

you have to factor in the number of misses. I'm not calling any position with unproven players a "strength" no matter how deep, until the players prove something in actual games.

some guys won't work out. some guys will take longer to hit their stride.

we need guards in the worst way and many people seem to think we're going to take a half-dozen tackles.

The interior part of our line is in bad shape and we have no center for next season. I expect 2 more tackles in this class, but we need more guards as well.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top