Walker Merrill in portal

#76
#76
He’s a decent wr. If he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough to crack the starting lineup why should we be concerned?
 
#77
#77
HuntlandVolinColo said:
Holiday was the one I really hated to lose. He could be special!
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I think Holiday had a better case for leaving than Merrill. He'd benefit from more reps at WR and was unlikely to crack the rotation next year (as a 4th year player). He might be better off at a G5 type of school where he can get more playing time.

Whereas, Merrill has a decent chance at starting in '24. And if you're a starter in this offense at WR, you're going to rack up some yardage.
 
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#78
#78
mtvols said:
Our lack of a rotation at receiver is going to cause problems at some point. Lost three to the portal already. Merrill hurts, the other two not so much.
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I got to ask since I don't watch other teams too much but do any of the top teams rotate their WR corp out a lot during games or do guys sit, get garbage time play time knowing next season they're likely to move up to starting...
I know the RB group subs out regularly.
 
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#79
#79
DaddyChad said:
He’s a decent wr. If he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough to crack the starting lineup why should we be concerned?
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I am HOPING that his decision was based on his own comparison of skills with the rest of the room and the lack of serious efforts by the staff to dissuade him from using the portal. Don't have any reason to think they ran him off per se. 85 is 85 and with this window of the portal closing soon I am guessing we will see several more jump in pretty quick and will open up room to catch some too.
 
#83
#83
I hate to see him go, bit I wonder if he realized some of the freshmen might be overtaking him. I know many coaches have post season meetings with layers to assess the year, the future, etc and I wonder if we see players like Merrill and Parker are entering the portal now, perhaps after a post season meeting.

Just my speculation.
 
#84
#84
Does this bode well for what Walker saw in bowl practice from the incoming Early Enrollees? I hope so.

We just have to understand that our players are gonna go everywhere every year and were gon pick up replacements in the portal, until the NCAA puts reasonable limits on xfers. I can also see how a UT WR would see themselves on the outside looking in. Basically a 3 WR rotation and since we don't substitute those top 3 stay on the field the entire time.
 
#86
#86
MadWorld said:
According to Joe Rexrode @ The Athletic, the staff said Nimrod would have had a major role THIS year if he wasn't hurt early on.
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Believed. I remember the camp hype.
 
#88
#88
livefaith said:
Does this bode well for what Walker saw in bowl practice from the incoming Early Enrollees? I hope so.

We just have to understand that our players are gonna go everywhere every year and were gon pick up replacements in the portal, until the NCAA puts reasonable limits on xfers. I can also see how a UT WR would see themselves on the outside looking in. Basically a 3 WR rotation and since we don't substitute those top 3 stay on the field the entire time.
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Don’t KNOW anything for certain, but coaches (Heupel in particular) parceled out praise for Leacock…unusual in the short timeframe we’ve had with bowl practices under this crew.
 
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#90
#90
TheVolsFrog said:
I got to ask since I don't watch other teams too much but do any of the top teams rotate their WR corp out a lot during games or do guys sit, get garbage time play time knowing next season they're likely to move up to starting...
I know the RB group subs out regularly.
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Asked that about Ohio State a week ago. Never received an answer. Marvin Harrison Jr finished just short behind Hyatt for the Belitnikoff…that’s a lot of catches and TARGETS for a dude in a regular rotation.
 
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#92
#92
butchna said:
Asked that about Ohio State a week ago. Never received an answer. Marvin Harrison Jr finished just short behind Hyatt for the Belitnikoff…that’s a lot of catches and TARGETS for a dude in a regular rotation.
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Yeah I'm going to say if you crack the WR starting rotation you're pretty much playing the whole game unless there's garbage time for the majority of the better schools.
 
#93
#93
This kind of thing is why I am losing my enthusiasm for college football. I know the realities of the situation but I am beginning to miss having the unheralded guy who comes here and by his junior year he's a highly rated SEC player. Now that same player is going to say WTF, I learn more from playing than practicing and leaves after one year for a Liberty or one of the other schools that live off the transfers.

I constantly say in here that you have to get the 4 and 5 stars now. The development structure just doesn't work any more. And that's sad. I know it was a long time ago and recruiting evaluations are much better now, but Raynock Thompson came here as the 102nd rated LB and left for the pros four years later. I miss watching that happen.
 
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#94
#94
livefaith said:
Does this bode well for what Walker saw in bowl practice from the incoming Early Enrollees? I hope so.

We just have to understand that our players are gonna go everywhere every year and were gon pick up replacements in the portal, until the NCAA puts reasonable limits on xfers. I can also see how a UT WR would see themselves on the outside looking in. Basically a 3 WR rotation and since we don't substitute those top 3 stay on the field the entire time.
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I think Merrill may have been behind Bru, Keyton, Squirrel, Nimrod, Leacock, and Thorton (if we get him) and just realized he was an odd man out. I think Merrill could have been Squirrel's backup in the slot, because the rest of those guys are outside X or Z receivers in our scheme. If Nimrod and Leacock were outplaying him in bowl practice, he saw the writing on the wall. Merrill can probably start for 4 or 5 bottom-half SEC teams or most ACC teams next year, so it's smart for him personally, to get more playing time.
 
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#98
#98
BreatheUT said:
He would've never gotten a chance to play.

Signed,
Keyton
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Keyton likely wouldn't have gotten much playing time without Tillman's injury. Guys don't want to sit around hoping a team mate gives them their chance by getting hurt. Either way, you can't feel good about it- a team mate gets hurt or you don't play.

Not stating this because of any lack of support or respect for Heupel... but UT is going to bleed potentially good/great WRs unless he rotates them more.
 
#100
#100
sjt18 said:
Keyton likely wouldn't have gotten much playing time without Tillman's injury. Guys don't want to sit around hoping a team mate gives them their chance by getting hurt. Either way, you can't feel good about it- a team mate gets hurt or you don't play.

Not stating this because of any lack of support or respect for Heupel... but UT is going to bleed potentially good/great WRs unless he rotates them more.
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Let em bleed.
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