Chase Rettig’s commitment to BC has set off a minor explosion in the Vol community. It wouldn’t be so bad for most folks if it didn’t look like Jesse Scroggins was headed to USC, or if Jake Heaps wasn’t already committed to BYU. Andrew Hendrix and Tommy Rees offered the Vol fans a double dose of depression when they both committed to Notre Dame. Never mind the fact that Tennessee’s in state talent is going to play for West Virginia. Right now the QB situation doesn’t have that “We have the best recruiting staff in the nation” kind of feel to it.
It is a good thing that “right now” is July 14.
There are many things that can happen between now and next February to change the outlook of this QB conundrum. Remember Josh Nunes? He was committed to the Vols around this time last year, but he will be suiting up for Stanford in September.
Once the season starts there is always attrition with recruits. While the onus is certainly on David Reaves, Jim Chaney, and Lane Kiffin to put a worthy offense on the field, other teams will have to compete well to keep their commitments on the hook.
When the dust settles in places like Notre Dame and West Virginia it is quite possible that recruits will be running for the nearest exit. In recruiting there are no guarantees. One bad season can destroy a proud recruiting class. Luckily, the converse is also true.
If this Tennessee coaching staff can turn Nick Stephens or Jon Crompton into a game ready QB that can manage a football team and minimize mistakes it will bode well for the 2010 recruiting class across the board. If either of these guys can complete 60% of their passes with a modest improvement in their touchdown to interception ratio, Kiffin, Chaney, and Reaves will all be credited for successfully creating a QB career along with reviving the UT offense.
Without giving specific stats (it is just too painful to look at) think back to last year’s Vanderbilt game. I believe that Crompton was 4-9 passing the football, and that included 2 interceptions. If one were to go down the list of games you would see very similar performances. It is not good. In fact, it is really bad. So bad, that even the more optimistic Vol fans are skeptical of such a turnaround. If it occurs it will be considered a miracle, and recruits definitely recognize super natural.
Any recruit considering the Vols understands the need, and if they are worth having, they are smart enough to understand the pressure cooker they are walking into. What they need is proof that this coaching staff can teach the position effectively and efficiently.
In the end, the QB situation provides another indication that the time for talk is over. There will be attrition with other teams, but at kickoff this staff will be under intense pressure to prove that they can coach an offense and teach a QB how to play the game.
“Controlling your own destiny” may be trite and overused. It is definitely not thrown around in the recruiting world very often. If this staff develops Crompton or Stephens, they will sign a prominent signal caller in February. If not, 2011 may be a long year.