The future is Bright, the Future is Now

We’re 3 games into the season and, so far, things have been anything but consistent. We’ve had a dominate win, a devastating loss and even a so called “moral victory.” Effort, play calling, intensity, defensive schemes and offensive strategy have seemingly been total opposites from that of the previous week. One aspect, however, of the 2009 Tennessee Volunteers has remained constant: our freshman have played, they’ve played consistently and they’ve played consistently well.

During the Fulmer era, it was nearly impossible for a “pup,” as Kiffin refers to his youngsters, to see any playing time. In the Kiffin regime, however, players are given the opportunity to step in and contribute immediately on both sides of the ball, and these freshmen have definitely risen to the challenge. Several big plays by these “pups” are burned into my memory: Bryce Brown scoring his first touchdown while dragging 3 Hilltoppers across the goal line in his introduction to Neyland Stadium. David Oku pounding home not one, but two scores during his first collegiate action and his kick returns where he’s seemingly inches from breaking away and taking one to the house. Marsalis Teague gliding towards the corner of the endzone and hauling in a picturesque fingertip grab for 6 in his NCAA debut. How about Montori Hughes stripping two-time national champion, All-American and Heisman Trophy winning Florida QB Tim Tebow during a critical moment in one of the most hostile environments in the nation? Or, maybe, Janzen Jackson laying the wood Brandon James, UF’s senior running back, to save a touchdown right before the half.

These are only a few examples of how our freshmen have contributed, and contributed early. The impact and buzz these kids are creating on the field, however, doesn’t compare to what it’s doing off of it. What 17-year old prospect isn’t paying attention to the immediate playing time and notoriety these kids are generating? What 17-year old wouldn’t want to start or, at least, play as a true freshman in front of 100,000+ spectators and face SEC competition weekly? The answer: none. Currently, Sout.com has our 2010 recruiting class ranked 3rd nationally, and 1st in the SEC. We’ve received commitments from 6 ESPN 150 recruits, including 3 Under Armor All-Americans. 3 of these are some of the most sought-after receivers in the nation and a quarterback that won the Nike Elite 11 camps Most Accurate award (which, by the way, included Jesse Scroggins, Jake Heaps, Nick Montana, and Barry Brunetti), both position are glaring weaknesses in our offense.

Bottom line, if this trend continues and we maintain the type of production from our incoming classes as we’ve received thus far from our current freshman, memories of 1998 will disappear into history, replaced by recurring trips to Atlanta and a stash of crystal football’s in our trophy case.