UT Ranked No. 17 on Team Talent Composite for 2024

[unfrozencvmanvol]

The 247 Team Talent Composite for 2024 is out. The 247 Team Talent Composite ranks teams overall talent based on recruiting rankings and includes both high school and transfer players. It also keeps track of roster attrition from year to year, which is why it usually only comes out a day or two before kickoff.

It has only existed since 2015. Historically during that time period, UT has usually underperformed its talent ranking. The only 2 times it hasn't underperformed were under Josh Heupel, where in 2022 we overperformed, and in 2023 where we essentially finished right on the nose, right on or with a space or so after our ranking, depending on the poll.

Last year, we were No. 16, the current recruiting class (for 2025), is not included in these rankings because they are not on campus yet, but if we hold where we are in those rankings, we can expect a bump up next year.

This year there are 4 teams on our schedule deemed to have more talent that UT:

Alabama, # 1 overall in team talent
Georgia, # 2 overall in team talent
Oklahoma, # 8 overall in team talent
Florida, # 12 overall in team talent

Tennessee has the 8th most talent in the conference, so top half in the new SEC. The SEC has an incredible 13 of 16 teams ranked in the Top 25. Needless to say, the SEC remains a tough neigborhood.

2024 College Football Team Talent Composite

In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating.

247sports.com

 

[FBtime]

The 247 Team Talent Composite for 2024 is out. The 247 Team Talent Composite ranks teams overall talent based on recruiting rankings and includes both high school and transfer players. It also keeps track of roster attrition from year to year, which is why it usually only comes out a day or two before kickoff.

It has only existed since 2015. Historically during that time period, UT has usually underperformed its talent ranking. The only 2 times it hasn't underperformed were under Josh Heupel, where in 2022 we overperformed, and in 2023 where we essentially finished right on the nose, right on or with a space or so after our ranking, depending on the poll.

Last year, we were No. 16, the current recruiting class (for 2025), is not included in these rankings because they are not on campus yet, but if we hold where we are in those rankings, we can expect a bump up next year.

This year there are 4 teams on our schedule deemed to have more talent that UT:

Alabama, # 1 overall in team talent
Georgia, # 2 overall in team talent
Oklahoma, # 8 overall in team talent
Florida, # 12 overall in team talent

Tennessee has the 8th most talent in the conference, so top half in the new SEC. The SEC has an incredible 13 of 16 teams ranked in the Top 25. Needless to say, the SEC remains a tough neigborhood.

2024 College Football Team Talent Composite

In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating.

247sports.com

Worth noting

 

[IndianaVol]

17th...wonder where this staff would be if they had been handed a half decent roster and no recruiting restrictions or scholarship reductions.
In other words, 17th right now ain't real bad.

I bet in the next 2 to 3 years we are top five in this ranking.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

17th...wonder where this staff would be if they had been handed a half decent roster and no recruiting restrictions or scholarship reductions.
In other words, 17th right now ain't real bad.

I bet in the next 2 to 3 years we are top five in this ranking.

The key is this staff actually gets the talent out of players. Tennessee has consistently had Top 15-25 talent this whole time but the clowns we had before Heupel were going 5-7 with it half the time.

 

[LouderVol]

importantly our average went up, and the gaps between us and Bama and Georgia decreased overall.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Worth noting
View attachment 670526

I've been in the camp that we should handle them. The only way we don't is if Grayson McCall just really has an outstanding year and is truly a top shelf quarterback. It could get hairy then since QB play can elevate a team but I think we still win, I don't expect our guy to be too shabby either!

 

[FBtime]

I've been in the camp that we should handle them. The only way we don't is if Grayson McCall just really has an outstanding year and is truly a top shelf quarterback. It could get hairy then since QB play can elevate a team but I think we still win, I don't expect our guy to be too shabby either!

Agree that it will definitely be a competitive game.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Of note, Michigan was 14th last year.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Agree that it will definitely be a competitive game.

Hopefully our DL can really assert itself in that game. Most ACC teams are considerably weaker along the LOS than we what we are used to seeing in conference play.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Of note, Michigan was 14th last year.

They only played 2 teams with more talent than they had last year, which is never a luxury Tennessee has.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

They only played 2 teams with more talent than they had last year, which is never a luxury Tennessee has.

But they still beat them. Which goes to show that this ranking isn't infallible. Also the other team in the final last year (Washington) was also nowhere near the top of these rankings and they beat Oregon (twice) and Texas.

Recruiting rankings are cool as a forward looking metric. But once guys have played actual games in college it becomes irrelevant. Your talent is then measured by production and not a recruiting website.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Of note, Michigan was 14th last year.

This was my first thought . I knew Michigan was not in the top echelon of rosters, but they had a ton of guys developed that got drafted.

 

[VolDave53]

Of note, Michigan was 14th last year.

I guess they didn't think Connor Stallion was very talented.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

But they still beat them. Which goes to show that this ranking isn't infallible. Also the other team in the final last year (Washington) was also nowhere near the top of these rankings and they beat Oregon (twice) and Texas.

Recruiting rankings are cool as a forward looking metric. But once guys have played actual games in college it becomes irrelevant. Your talent is then measured by production and not a recruiting website.

No one said they were "infallible", but if you look at every year these rankings have been in effect, your odds of winning it all are much better if you are higher ranked here. One could also argue that last year was a bit of an outlier where a large number of the so called "covid seniors" were on rosters like Michigan's and Washington's. Last year was probably the peak year for that rule making rosters older. The great deal of experience those 6 year players really strengthened those teams. The impact of the COVID rule will decrease to nothing here the next year or two.

 

[NighthawkVol]

They only played 2 teams with more talent than they had last year, which is never a luxury Tennessee has.

They also had more players drafted (13) than any college in America. They evaluated well and developed.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

They also had more players drafted than any college in America. They evaluated well and developed.

They weren't s**t recruiters either. They were one of 15 teams last year with more blue chip players than non-blue chips and they also had 6-7 guys who were draftable off the 2022 team come back for senior or super senior years.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I guess they didn't think Connor Stallion was very talented.

My theory. Harbaugh knows we would’ve exposed the Wolverines secondary bc we were better than they were in 2022. And wait for it…. 2021 also.

 

[NighthawkVol]

They weren't s**t recruiters either. They were one of 15 teams last year with more blue chip players than non-blue chips and they also had 6-7 guys who were draftable off the 2022 team come back for senior or super senior years.View attachment 670547

Huh? I didn’t say they were **** recruiters. They were 14th in blue chip ratio. Just like they were 14th in composite talent. Yet they won a NC and had an insane number of players drafted.

Any way you slice it, they were more talented than their recruiting rankings.

 

[NighthawkVol]

The 5 classes that comprised the roster were ranked 8, 10, 13, 9, 17 by 247.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Huh? I didn’t say they were **** recruiters. They were 14th in blue chip ratio. Just like they were 14th in composite talent. Yet they won a NC and had an insane number of players drafted.

Any way you slice it, they were more talented than their recruiting rankings.

I wasn't cracking on you, I was just saying they recruited well, just not the best. In the 9 previous seasons of this ranking they were definitely the lowest ranked team to win it all at No. 14. I think the # of covid seniors (many of whom they made a concerted effort to entice back with NIL) played a role. They had 44 seniors and super seniors. Only 2 other teams outside the Top 5 have been champions 2018 Clemson (No. 6) and 2016 Clemson (No. 9).

 

[Brave Volunteer]

The key is this staff actually gets the talent out of players. Tennessee has consistently had Top 15-25 talent this whole time but the clowns we had before Heupel were going 5-7 with it half the time.

I wouldn't say they get talent out of players. I would say they get production.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I wouldn't say they get talent out of players. I would say they get production.

Yeah, that would be another way to say it. They take a player and help him reach his potential and it shows up with us generally being as good or better than our ranking.

 

[njvols]

The key is this staff actually gets the talent out of players. Tennessee has consistently had Top 15-25 talent this whole time but the clowns we had before Heupel were going 5-7 with it half the time.

Definitely. Not sure where we were with Hooker but he definitely showed that high level QB is the equalizer. 2021-2022 we had one. 2023 we didn’t but it wasn’t a train wreck because of coaching and continuity. Appears we are in pretty good shape to elevate the next few years.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Definitely. Not sure where we were with Hooker but he definitely showed that high level QB is the equalizer. 2021-2022 we had one. 2023 we didn’t but it wasn’t a train wreck because of coaching and continuity. Appears we are in pretty good shape to elevate the next few years.

Agree.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

No one said they were "infallible", but if you look at every year these rankings have been in effect, your odds of winning it all are much better if you are higher ranked here. One could also argue that last year was a bit of an outlier where a large number of the so called "covid seniors" were on rosters like Michigan's and Washington's. Last year was probably the peak year for that rule making rosters older. The great deal of experience those 6 year players really strengthened those teams. The impact of the COVID rule will decrease to nothing here the next year or two.

I guess you misunderstood my point. I never said recruiting rankings don't matter. They're good for measuring talent when nobody has seen them play. But once guys are on campus it's their production that begins to take precedent over their stars. Most of the time a guys play coincides with his star ranking. Which is why as you astutely pointed out typically the teams at the top of this talent index tend to do the best. But there are times it doesn't coincide. And in those cases you would be better off judging players based on their production than still banking on star ratings.