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Daniel Helm commits to Tennessee

by freak on April 23, 2013 in Vols Football,Vols Football Recruiting

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Class of 2014 Illinois tight end Daniel Helm verbally committed to Tennessee on Tuesday evening.

Helm is listed at 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds according to Rivals.com, who ranks him the 6th-best tight end in the country.

Helm caught 44 passes for 810 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior last season at Glenwood High School, while tallying more than 200 tackles.

Josh Helmholdt saw Helm at the recent Rivals camp in St. Louis and was quite impressed.

“I think he has the ability to play at an elite level,” Helmholdt said. “He is a receiving tight end and won the MVP of the Rivals Underclassman Challenge last year, so we will see what happens.”

Helmholdt said that, along with his physical makeup, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound player has a personality that draws others to him.

“First of all, he is a super-nice kid who is shy in the way that even he is impressed that we think he is a four-star player,” Helmholdt said. “He is respectful and humble.

“As far as being a prospect, I think he has a lot of upside. Right now he has coat-hangar shoulders, and I could see him easily getting up to 240 or 250 pounds.”


Dallas Jackson, also with Rivals, tweeted his prediction of Helm to the Vols after that St. Louis camp.


Helm is the 10th commit for Butch Jones in the 2014 class and the second tight end (Ethan Wolf). Both tight end commits were quoted as being impressed with the way Tennessee’s offense utilizes their position.

The talented prospect visited the Vols’ scrimmage on April 6th and was recruited by Mark Elder.

Tennessee’s newest commit told Scout.com that he doesn’t plan to take other visits.

“No, I’m done. When I say I’m committed, I mean it. I will probably make an official visit to Tennessee in the fall. I will probably go to camp in the summer. But, besides that, I’m through.”

Helm is also well known for making a miraculous shot on the basketball court during his sophomore season. The only problem, it was the other team’s basket.

    Inky Johnson’s motivational speech to the Vols

    by freak on April 16, 2013 in Vols Football

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    “When you say Vol for Life, it takes on a whole different meaning with me.” — Inky Johson


    I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Inky Johnson speak in person. It was during an event for women’s ministries which I was invited to attend by a member of this board.

    I learned about the life and struggles of Inky Johnson that night, both on and off the football field.

    Inky’s story is an emotional one. He’s a fighter, a warrior and a true Vol for Life who is still giving his all for Tennessee.

    Inky Johnson is a man — and I don’t use that word lightly — from whom we call all learn a thing or two.

    If you haven’t already seen it, this video is most definitely worth five minutes of your time. And if it doesn’t bring out some emotion as you’re watching, you best check your pulse.

    I’m thrilled that Butch Jones is surrounding the Vols’ football program with guys like Inky Johnson.

    Thanks Inky, for everything.

      Ethan Wolf: Vol Commit #8

      by freak on April 10, 2013 in Vols Football

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      As you may have noticed, I haven’t done a good job keeping the blog updated with fresh information. Luckily for the Vols, however, Butch Jones isn’t having the same problem updating Tennessee’s roster with young talent.

      Jones picked up commitment number eight for the 2014 class on Wednesday, notching a commit from 4-star (Scout) Ohio tight end Ethan Wolf.

      Wolf has good size, measuring 6-6, 240 and is rated 4-stars according to Scout. Rivals and 247 rate him as a 3-star prospect. He is listed on the 2014 ESPN Watch List.

      Wolf tallied more than 20 offers, according to his coach, including one from Michigan State, who made a late push for his services.

      Even though Wolf claims he hadn’t made a decision to give his pledge to the Vols when he packed for his trip to Knoxville this week, he was serious enough to bring along his custom hand-painted brick (pictured above, #brickbybrick).

      This staff is very familiar with Wolf from their Cincinnati days and vice versa. Wolf understands Butch Jones’ system and is excited by how the tight end is utilized.

      Mark Elder is his primary recruiter.

      EVALUATION

      According to scouting reports posted by Scout and ESPN, the analysts consider Wolf a solid blocker with a good frame who shows “tenacity” but needs to improve technique to maintain blocks. His size could mean a possible move to tackle at some point, but his good hands, speed and ability to attack and catch the football are an asset to the tight end position.

      VIDEO

        The No-Huddle and Bill Walsh

        by bam15 on December 15, 2012 in Vols Football

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        The year is 1967. Two coaching giants are in a chess match. On one side, Tom Landry, the hero of many Dallas Cowboys fans and the face of an organization. He is running one of the most complex offenses of his generation. The great innovator has keys on linebacker rotation, leverage of cornerbacks, and the depth and number of safeties. All of these rules managed by the quarterback, Don Meredith. The other side, Vince Lombardi. Most of his offense revolves around one play, a sweep. It wasn’t the first time they had seen each other. Not surprisingly, two of the all time greatest coaches happened to coach on the same team, The New York Giants. The powerhouse of the 50s had Lombardi running the offense with Landry coaching the defense. Landry saw first-hand what Lombardi had designed. It was something so simple that the players could run it multiple times. They couldn’t forget their rules. They lined up and ran the same play repeatedly. The success of the sweep was rarely impeded. Hence came the “Flex” in which Landry was notorious for. However, the point of this article isn’t to focus upon what Landry advocated nor why the “Flex” countered the sweep. I am focusing this writing upon the art of concision, efficiency, and the nature of no-huddle as it relates to the modern game. The sweep allowed for the players to master one thing. Lombardi and the Packers weren’t going to be a jack-of-all-trades, they were going to be an team proficient at running their ace play, the  sweep. They would run the sweep in the morning, night, practice, against every front, team, player, and coach. It was their trademark, and they were going to run it down your throat. This created the precedent for offenses many years later.

        picture 2

        In his 1997 publication, Finding the Winning Edge, Bill Walsh outlined his ideas for how the game would change in years to come:

        1. Teams will huddle only when the clock is stopped.
        2. Teams will use single-world offensive audibles.
        3. The quarterback will receive direction from the coach at the line of scrimmage. Because the ball can be put into play at any moment, the defense must commit itself with its front and coverage.
        4. The quarterback will look to the sideline the instant the whistle blows on the previous play to see which personnel combination is entering the game. The designated coach indicates the formation to the quarterback and whether he should audible his own play or will receive a play call from the coach. All of these steps will occur without a huddle.
        5. The quarterback will have even more latitude in audibling at the line of scrimmage. His decisions will override those by the coach signaling in a play call. [click here to continue…]

          Thoughts on Coach Jones and His Offense

          by bam15 on December 10, 2012 in Vols Football

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          Part One:

          First some thoughts on our new hire:

          Butch Jones is simply a good hire. His product speaks for itself. A 50-27 record is all that some would need to know. What I look for in a college coach consists of a few things:

          Number one, can the coach relate well with players and effectively recruit? I think the first answer is fairly evident. His players love him. In an early meeting in Cincinnati, his previous players gave him an ovation. They realized that he deserved a better job. They loved their coach and wanted him to succeed. The players knew how hard he worked every single day. He earned his player’s respect, and has the charisma and ability to relate with players that not all coaches have: Hint – His predecessor at The University of Tennessee.

          His recruiting ability, while being closely scrutinized by some, is in reality better or on par with his predecessor at Cincinnati.

          Rivals rankings:

          Brian Kelly:
          2006 – 8th in the Big East, or effectively last.
          2007 – 7th and tied for last with Temple.
          2008 – 6th in the Big East.
          2009 – 4th in the Big East.

          Butch Jones:
          2010 – 3rd in the Big East.
          2011 – 3rd in the Big East.
          2012 – 5th in the Big East.

          This may have much to do with the program not being as successful before Dantonio and Kelly establishing the recruiting base which is noted by the annual increase in recruiting rankings. Jones however, never fell from 5th .

          Number two, does he have a relatively high level of energy? As the previously linked video showcases, Jones is an upbeat, motivated, and animated guy. This does not mean that he has to be Mr. Wonderful. We aren’t always happy. But, you must maintain this in the presence of his players, media, and fellow employees. If so, it isn’t all that out of the question for the players to take on a collective persona of their head coach. I think Jones easily meets this requirement, and as he stated in the press conference earlier today, “I always tell our players, `What are you selling today? You’re either a fountain or a drain.”
          [click here to continue…]

            Derek Dooley fired. Press conference at 2 p.m. (official release)

            by freak on November 18, 2012 in Vols Football

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            DEREK DOOLEY WILL NOT RETURN AS VOLS’ HEAD COACH


            The University of Tennessee announced today that Derek Dooley will not return as the head football coach of the Vols. The announcement was made by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart, who will immediately begin a search for a new head coach for the Vols.

             

            Hart will address the media at 2 p.m. today (Sunday, Nov. 18) at the Stokely Family Media Center at Neyland Stadium. The press conference will also be streamed live on UTSports.com.

             

            “We very much appreciate the effort and energy that Derek Dooley and his staff have poured into our football program at the University of Tennessee,” said Hart. “Derek and I met early this morning, and I informed him that I believed a change in leadership, despite the positive contributions he has made to the overall health of the program, was in the best long-term interests of Tennessee football. We will immediately begin the search for the best possible candidate to assume this leadership role.”

             

            Dooley will not coach the Vols in the season finale against Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 12:21 p.m. Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will serve as interim head coach for Saturday’s game.

             

            “I am sorry we could not generate enough wins to create hope for a brighter future,” said Dooley. “Although progress was not reflected in our record, I am proud of the strides we made to strengthen the foundation for future success in all areas of the program.

             

            “During the last 34 months, I’ve given my all for Tennessee, and our family appreciates all this University and the Knoxville community has given us.”


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