WASH OG Nate Kalepo

[CAVPUT]

So is this dude any good? Or maybe better than what we have?

 

[jakez4ut]

I agree with that, but I still think that if Elarbee is a good OL coach we should not NEED the portal to fill 2-3 holes on the OL in year 5. Will we use the portal? It’d be stupid to rule it out. Just saying by year 5 we should have more than a couple good OL on our roster.

Lol. We do.

I think if you've just made up your mind to mad about something, I guess that's fine.

It doesn't change what's true. This is the system we have. 3 years in we just don't have the depth. The past two classes bring in some good young talent.

Me, I'm glad we don't have to play guys before they're ready. Saw enough of that during Jones and Pruitt's tenures.

 

[SweetasSoda]

The portal is gonna allow the ol from these last two classes to develop. That's the point. These last two classes will add talent and depth. They're just young, and getting older guys from there portal let's them develop vs having to play freshmen/RS Freshmen for lack of other options.

I remember the good old days when a sophomore that started for Fulmer was a first round draft pick.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

We’ve done very well in the portal. Just saying it would be nice to also benefit from HS recruiting and player development.

Do you (and anyone else who didn’t like my previous post) disagree with that?

Well we have developed players...Elarbee has made every dude he's coached here better. These true freshman and redshirt freshman aren't ready yet.

I would get complaining about this in a year if none of the young guys are any good, but for now it's not a big deal that some guys may not be ready yet and we've opted to upgrade in the portal. Makes sense when OL is the most developmental in football.

It's also understandable that Dayne, Ollie, Lampley and guys like that beat out the young guys because they've been in college for 5+ years. It's very normal.

 

[jakez4ut]

I remember the good old days when a sophomore that started for Fulmer was a first round draft pick.

And that was usually a RS soph...3 years in the program.

These are not those days. Every year is free agency. And I think we've done pretty good with it so far

 

[SweetasSoda]

And that was usually a RS soph...3 years in the program.

These are not those days. Every year is free agency. And I think we've done pretty good with it so far

We definitely have! My point was I don’t expect them to be ready when they walk on campus. Not the next year unless desperate. We are doing what is necessary to have a good line next year while the others develop like you said.

 

[VolunteerVandiver]

And that was usually a RS soph...3 years in the program.

These are not those days. Every year is free agency. And I think we've done pretty good with it so far

This staff definitely hits the sweet spot between traditional recruiting and portal additions. Don't see a lot of our bluechippers transferring out of UT over the next few years.

 

[bpalmer28]

Well we have developed players...Elarbee has made every dude he's coached here better. These true freshman and redshirt freshman aren't ready yet.

I would get complaining about this in a year if none of the young guys are any good, but for now it's not a big deal that some guys may not be ready yet and we've opted to upgrade in the portal. Makes sense when OL is the most developmental in football.

It's also understandable that Dayne, Ollie, Lampley and guys like that beat out the young guys because they've been in college for 5+ years. It's very normal.

I didn’t complain

 

[allvolrecruiting]

I agree with that, but I still think that if Elarbee is a good OL coach we should not NEED the portal to fill 2-3 holes on the OL in year 5. Will we use the portal? It’d be stupid to rule it out. Just saying by year 5 we should have more than a couple good OL on our roster.

Not coaching well and not recruiting well are two very different things

 

[SoullessGinger32_]

I hate to say it, but if we NEED the portal to fill holes on the OL in year 5, Elarbee hasn’t done a good job. Especially considering that the hole being discussed is not the result of injuries or portal entries. Right now, to me, it looks like we’d be pretty screwed without the portal. Who would be our projected starters for 2024 if it weren’t for getting Campbell, Karic, and Heard from the portal? It’s be Umarov, Lampley, and Davis and Elarbee would be getting roasted by Vol fans and local media.

Joe Moore Award candidates the last 2 seasons. Back to back. Pretty solid job if you ask me. His oline is stacked for 24 season.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

And that was usually a RS soph...3 years in the program.

These are not those days. Every year is free agency. And I think we've done pretty good with it so far

Bingo!

The legion of the miserable do not like logic that reflects on a situation positively. No matter how objectively true it is lol.

By 2025

Heard will be a junior starter, Karic may be back as a 6th year senior starter.

Brian Grant, Johnson and Reddick 4th year.

Umarov, Bussell, Lang 3rd year.

Warren, Satterwhite, Perry, Anderson 2nd year.

One 5th year walk on Kirvosh and Gus Hill will be a 4th year walk on. (Always possible old walk ons can provide depth)

So right now we project to have 14 guys with a year or 3+ years in college, next year's class and then whoever we want from the portal. This is before we pick up a LG that may or may not start in 2025.

We are so doomed!

 

[jdogvol]

Bingo!

The legion of the miserable do not like logic that reflects on a situation positively. No matter how objectively true it is lol.

By 2025

Heard will be a junior starter, Karic may be back as a 6th year senior starter.

Brian Grant, Johnson and Reddick 4th year.

Umarov, Bussell, Lang 3rd year.

Warren, Satterwhite, Perry, Anderson 2nd year.

One 5th year walk on Kirvosh and Gus Hill will be a 4th year walk on. (Always possible old walk ons can provide depth)

So right now we project to have 14 guys with a year or 3+ years in college, next year's class and then whoever we want from the portal. This is before we pick up a LG that may or may not start in 2025.

We are so doomed!

Quality and well-informed post!

 

[bpalmer28]

Lol. We do.

I think if you've just made up your mind to mad about something, I guess that's fine.

It doesn't change what's true. This is the system we have. 3 years in we just don't have the depth. The past two classes bring in some good young talent.

Me, I'm glad we don't have to play guys before they're ready. Saw enough of that during Jones and Pruitt's tenures.

I’m not mad

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Ole Miss thinks they have him. Apparently visiting today

Jesus, how many players can Ole Miss take???

 

[SoullessGinger32_]

I hate to say it, but if we NEED the portal to fill holes on the OL in year 5, Elarbee hasn’t done a good job. Especially considering that the hole being discussed is not the result of injuries or portal entries. Right now, to me, it looks like we’d be pretty screwed without the portal. Who would be our projected starters for 2024 if it weren’t for getting Campbell, Karic, and Heard from the portal? It’s be Umarov, Lampley, and Davis and Elarbee would be getting roasted by Vol fans and local media.

Also, this was just year 3 for Elarbee and company. Took over an offensive line that was non existent

 

[MarcoVol]

Jesus, how many players can Ole Miss take???

They’ve got 15 committed. Not that crazy of a number when you look at some others. A&M has 23. FSU has 14. L’ville 26. SCAR 20.

They’ve lost 3 commits to Louisville

 

[GoodTimeVol]

Ole miss must have lost a lot on the OL

 

[jakez4ut]

Bingo!

The legion of the miserable do not like logic that reflects on a situation positively. No matter how objectively true it is lol.

By 2025

Heard will be a junior starter, Karic may be back as a 6th year senior starter.

Brian Grant, Johnson and Reddick 4th year.

Umarov, Bussell, Lang 3rd year.

Warren, Satterwhite, Perry, Anderson 2nd year.

One 5th year walk on Kirvosh and Gus Hill will be a 4th year walk on. (Always possible old walk ons can provide depth)

So right now we project to have 14 guys with a year or 3+ years in college, next year's class and then whoever we want from the portal. This is before we pick up a LG that may or may not start in 2025.

We are so doomed!

Yup. And there's the unknowns... Anybody goes to the NFL... Players leave via the portal... Etc. So many unknowns make it almost impossible not go after certain positions that require quality depth in this league.

Yes you always want to recruit and develop from prep ranks, and that should still be the core.

But bemoaning portal additions as being a weakness... Just isn't reflective of the sport today, and demonstrates either ignorance or short sidedness.

Two weeks ago it was 'we couldn't get good players out of the portal'. Now that we are, it's that we needed them is the problem.

No winning. Just different levels of losing.
So, How bad do you want to lose today?

 

[rdavis007]

Believe Heup has a different philosophy on how to run his program

Not sure that’s the more successful philosophy in the long run , based on history.

 

[MarcoVol]

Not sure that’s the more successful philosophy in the long run , based on history.

For building a program? I think it may just be.

For taking over a program already built? Maybe not.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Bingo!

The legion of the miserable do not like logic that reflects on a situation positively. No matter how objectively true it is lol.

By 2025

Heard will be a junior starter, Karic may be back as a 6th year senior starter.

Brian Grant, Johnson and Reddick 4th year.

Umarov, Bussell, Lang 3rd year.

Warren, Satterwhite, Perry, Anderson 2nd year.

One 5th year walk on Kirvosh and Gus Hill will be a 4th year walk on. (Always possible old walk ons can provide depth)

So right now we project to have 14 guys with a year or 3+ years in college, next year's class and then whoever we want from the portal. This is before we pick up a LG that may or may not start in 2025.

We are so doomed!

would have loved to have all this already on campus. but huge tip of the cap to huep and staff for work in the portal

 

[Vol8188]

I agree with that, but I still think that if Elarbee is a good OL coach we should not NEED the portal to fill 2-3 holes on the OL in year 5. Will we use the portal? It’d be stupid to rule it out. Just saying by year 5 we should have more than a couple good OL on our roster.

By year 5, I think we will.

LT: Heard
LG: Sham/Warren
C: Lang
RG: TBD
RT: Sham/Warren

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Quality and well-informed post!

I just wanna thank my teammates and my coaches and a special shoutout to utsports.com

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Yup. And there's the unknowns... Anybody goes to the NFL... Players leave via the portal... Etc. So many unknowns make it almost impossible not go after certain positions that require quality depth in this league.

Yes you always want to recruit and develop from prep ranks, and that should still be the core.

But bemoaning portal additions as being a weakness... Just isn't reflective of the sport today, and demonstrates either ignorance or short sidedness.

Two weeks ago it was 'we couldn't get good players out of the portal'. Now that we are, it's that we needed them is the problem.

No winning. Just different levels of losing.
So, How bad do you want to lose today?

They must really go out of their way to make their normal lives as pessimistic as possible.

Like if someone gifted them with some free milk for some cereal, then after they eat the cereal

" ah well, now I've just wasted all this leftover milk. Just unacceptable."

 

[swampfoxfan]

Nobody. We haven’t went after the same dudes. That’s not what I’m saying.

I’m saying those are the places he’s showing interest. Leads me to believe his priority is to make money. He’s at Miami right now. Does he even have a visit set up to UT?

Unfortunately almost every quality player that enters the portal is doing it for money, at least in my opinion.