'25 WR Zachariah Branch (USC transfer)

#201
#201
NighthawkVol said:
If we win in the swamp and at Tuscaloosa, and also beat Georgia at home, why are we 10-2? Who are the two losses?
Click to expand...

I do not believe we win at Bama AND Florida.... I do think the most likely is we beat Florida in the Swamp.... Do that and losses to Bama and Georgia makes us 10-2...... But if we flip the script on the losing streak to UGA where the game is at Neyland, that's 11-1
 
  • Like
Reactions: NighthawkVol
#202
#202
volbound1700 said:
Ohio State is always a tough sell because they have been dominant in the B1G since I have started watching Football but Georgia is another story. Georgia wasn't seen as that elite of a program prior to Kirby Smart and, to lesser degree, Mark Richt era. We out recruited Georgia all the time prior to 2010.
Click to expand...
Like I said we aren’t recruiting either one of those teams. We aren’t gonna out recruit TX, Oregon, Bama or LSU. It’s just not gonna happen. People saying we need a top 5 class are insane.
 
#203
#203
JMSqb11 said:
I do not believe we win at Bama AND Florida.... I do think the most likely is we beat Florida in the Swamp.... Do that and losses to Bama and Georgia makes us 10-2...... But if we flip the script on the losing streak to UGA where the game is at Neyland, that's 11-1
Click to expand...
Disagree. We are more likely to beat Bama than UF in the swamp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volKano and Vol423
#204
#204
BigOrangeTrain said:
Like I said we aren’t recruiting either one of those teams. We aren’t gonna out recruit TX, Oregon, Bama or LSU. It’s just not gonna happen. People saying we need a top 5 class are insane.
Click to expand...

If we win more and get past our sanctions, we can.

What people are referring to is Sabans 2007 recruiting class at Alabama. Alabama had been mediocre for 10-15 years and Saban came in with a 7-6 opening year but still landed the #1 recruiting class (and best class anyone had signed up to that date).

Kirby Smart made a similar splash starting out with Georgia. He didn't have a great first year (record wise) but landed a top class.

Still, NIL is changing everything at this point. Recruiting classes mean less if they can just jump ship in the transfer portal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NighthawkVol
#205
#205
BigOrangeTrain said:
Disagree. We are more likely to beat Bama than UF in the swamp.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree. We get Florida at an interesting spot though. They are at the end of our season. It may come down to who is motivated and has had a good season at that point. If Florida is failing hard and we are doing well, I think we win in the Swamp easy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr305Vol and BigOrangeTrain
#207
#207
volbound1700 said:
If we win more and get past our sanctions, we can.

What people are referring to is Sabans 2007 recruiting class at Alabama. Alabama had been mediocre for 10-15 years and Saban came in with a 7-6 opening year but still landed the #1 recruiting class (and best class anyone had signed up to that date).

Kirby Smart made a similar splash starting out with Georgia. He didn't have a great first year (record wise) but landed a top class.

Still, NIL is changing everything at this point. Recruiting classes mean less if they can just jump ship in the transfer portal.
Click to expand...
You can claim recruiting classes don’t matter but you would be wrong. Look at the playoffs right now. The teams that are in it and look the best have the most blue chip recruits. HS recruiting is always where you will build your team. Meaning building rosters from the portal isn’t gonna work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr305Vol and volbound1700
#208
#208
volbound1700 said:
I tend to agree. We get Florida at an interesting spot though. They are at the end of our season. It may come down to who is motivated and has had a good season at that point. If Florida is failing hard and we are doing well, I think we win in the Swamp easy.
Click to expand...

Good money says they Sun Belt Billy will be gone by then and we'll be a playing an unmotivated UF team. They are gonna have to upset at least 2 teams in order to just be 6-4 going into our matchup. It's more likely that they will be 5-5 or worse. Texas is the only tough opponent they get at home. They gotta go to LSU, Miami, A&M, and OM.
 
#209
#209
BigOrangeTrain said:
You can claim recruiting classes don’t matter but you would be wrong. Look at the playoffs right now. The teams that are in it and look the best have the most blue chip recruits. HS recruiting is always where you will build your team. Meaning building rosters from the portal isn’t gonna work.
Click to expand...

I agree. Not sure where that came off. My point is that Tennessee can do it. Alabama was basically in a spot not too far different than Tennessee in 2006. A great coach did it for them and got them up and rolling. No one talked about Alabama winning recruiting battles or top classes from 1999-2006 or so.

Georgia wasn't really that high on recruiting pre-Kirby Smart as well.

It is kind of a knock on our coaches that we didn't do that from day 1 but then again they were dealing with sanctions (something Saban and Smart didn't have). We have a great coach. We don't have a Kirby Smart or Nick Saban level coach, however. Not many teams do.

Tennessee, in theory, could land the top classes if Saban or Smart became their coach next year. You say it couldn't happen but I think any top 20 all-time CFB program has a shot at it. Basically any of the following programs could easily land the top class with the right coaches and NIL:

SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M (not sure but Missouri, Ole Miss, and Arkansas could all have a feasible shot)

B1G: Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State, USC, Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and possibly Michigan State and Wisconsin (maybe even Iowa or Illinois)

ACC: Clemson, FSU, Miami, and maybe North Carolina, Virginia, or Va Tech.

Big12: I don't see it based on current structure. Maybe BYU is the closest or one of the Texas teams if they explode on the scene. Colorado maybe having outside chance with Deon if he has additional success.

Other: Notre Dame


So throwing a scenario out there (that is very unrealistic). Say that Heupel got an NFL or College Job offer and jumped ship (I don't think he is anywhere close to being in danger of being fired so going with him taking another job in this scenario) and Saban had this desire in his mind to win a National Title at Tennessee and decided to go back into coaching. Do you think Saban could get the #1 recruiting class in Knoxville? I do.

I do think some programs will never see it happen like Vanderbilt. No way Vanderbilt lands the #1 recruiting class.
 
#214
#214
IMissTheMidRangeGame said:
Miami gonna use the money they were gonna use on Nico on these two and they still don’t have a QB. Why kids go to Miami is beyond me.
Click to expand...
It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of a town like that. They give you a lot of misdirection of yachts, girls, parties and it helps you forget that you play in the worst Power 4 conference, in front of one the worst fan bases in the country. Going to Miami is basically just going to the East Coast version of USC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jpope9
#215
#215
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
I'd honestly sit out this bidding war and instead loading up on trying to land a top 5 class in 2026. I don't think one player is gonna make or break our chances to win a national title. But a top 5 class in 2026 definitely would.
Click to expand...
Idk. You sit out the portal and have you really given Nico anything to help him in 2025? Staff made assurances they were going to add protection and weapons around him it sounded like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: titansvolsfaninga
#217
#217
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
I'd honestly sit out this bidding war and instead loading up on trying to land a top 5 class in 2026. I don't think one player is gonna make or break our chances to win a national title. But a top 5 class in 2026 definitely would.
Click to expand...
If MM is gone then that frees up funds to do this and we absolutely would need to. Our WR depth rn is not ideal
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va
#222
#222
Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va said:
I think Milroe goes there tbh. Either there or FSU for his ACC swan song / get good tape for the draft year.
Click to expand...
Is Milroe really gonna entice elite WR talent to go to Miami lmao. That Miami pay check must hit different to be blind to how crap that program/fanbase is
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va and Ttucke11
#223
#223
Carp said:
Good money says they Sun Belt Billy will be gone by then and we'll be a playing an unmotivated UF team. They are gonna have to upset at least 2 teams in order to just be 6-4 going into our matchup. It's more likely that they will be 5-5 or worse. Texas is the only tough opponent they get at home. They gotta go to LSU, Miami, A&M, and OM.
Click to expand...

He isn’t going anywhere…factor in how strong he finished this year and the top 10 recruiting class he pulled in shows high interest “buy in” the AD said as much publicly….with what we have returning so far…playing in the swamp I’m not optimistic..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smokymtnbullet, volKano and titansvolsfaninga
#224
#224
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
I think recruiting is just about money now. Winning helps but if you cut the biggest check that's what will win the day. To me the transfer portal is like NFL Free Agency while recruiting is like the Draft. I'd rather build my team thru the Draft than Free Agency. We should use most of our funds on elite high school recruits while using the portal to supplement rather than it be the main diet. Let's use the portal to get underrated guys but use our big bucks on landing a top 5 high school recruiting class.
Click to expand...
Problem is even your “Draft” is a one year prop so even your freshman then just become portal plays.

All staffs will have to treat every player on the team as pre-portal players every year they are on campus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Orange_Crush
#225
#225
volbound1700 said:
I tend to agree. We get Florida at an interesting spot though. They are at the end of our season. It may come down to who is motivated and has had a good season at that point. If Florida is failing hard and we are doing well, I think we win in the Swamp easy.
Click to expand...
Then you have UGA early with a new QB, that might be interesting too
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top