Most improved players to date.

#51
#51
Baylen Buchanan...the guy was pathetic before Pruitt got here. Couldn’t cover, wouldn’t hit, just all around bad. Now he looks like a pro prospect, kudos to him for taking to coaching
 
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#53
#53
Maybe I haven't been watching him that closely but from what I've seen he has great closing speed, hit like a damn truck, and can locate the ball and make plays on it. It's either him or Alontae that's the best on the team, but Bryce plays like an SEC Db should.
Thompson definitely has potential, but he hasn't improved much to date. He will be good. I agree with you about Alontae Taylor. He gets my vote. He has been solid all year after moving over from offense.
 
#54
#54
Gooden keeps showing up to me - they don't fall forward when he hits them
Thompson and Taylor - stars in the making
Phillips - having the year I always thought he could have
Palmer - making big plays and catches he did not do last year
Warrior - starting to see some potential
Glad someone included Gooden. I have to go with the WRs as a group too.
 
#55
#55
"Most improved" IMO would be Kyle Phillips. I'm tempted to say Chryst as a runner up, but he's gonna have to string together more data points.

If I'd seen this thread after the AU game it would've been Guarantano, but at this point that game looks like an anomaly.

The true freshmen triplets on D have come a long way since week 1 as well. The future is bright. GBO
 
#56
#56
Gooden keeps showing up to me - they don't fall forward when he hits them
Thompson and Taylor - stars in the making
Phillips - having the year I always thought he could have
Palmer - making big plays and catches he did not do last year
Warrior - starting to see some potential[/Q

Whoa Nellie............how is it that A. Johnson on the D Line is continually penetrating the opposing offense and you don't see it....this guy is going to be a pro...and he did it against auburn, ga and bama.....
 
#57
#57
No doubts that JG has improved since last season BUT he absolutely MUST improve on 1 thing or he'll never take the next step.

JG simply can NOT read the D at the line and make pre-snap adjustments for the right protections.

That's 1 of the main reasons he takes such a beating in every game.

If our coaches can get JG to learn to read the D correctly and make the right protection calls pre-snap then next season he'll really take a huge step up in his game as a really good SEC QB.

I'm also really happy to see Phillips getting so much better.

1 guy that's made serious progress since Pruitt and staff got here is Paul Bain and I've seen him 3 to 5 times get within inches of making a sack and I sure wish he's gotten there just a second faster but he put some serious pressure on those QB's.

It's almost a miracle what Pruitt and staff have accomplished so far this year.

Considering that the first day Pruitt walked in he met with a bunch of guys that had just made history as the worst team Tennessee had ever fielded and they were beaten down as badly as any team we ever had.

Their mental attitudes were that they were just horrid as a player and they had zero confidence in themselves or as a team.

You can build muscle with a good S&C program but rebuilding a mental attitude is much harder, takes lots more time and solid, consistent messages by all coaches to get them to BELIEVE in themselves personally and as a Team.

In addition to having to get the players to believe in themselves they had to get the kids to believe in them as coaches and mentors that knew how to help them play footVol the right ways.

Then they had to get them to buy in and really believe in the new O and D schemes and playbooks.

That my friends is a HUGE task because it's so hard to get a person to believe in themselves and regain their confidence after they're so badly beaten down and feel hopeless.

I see improvements all over the field now and I see them becoming more confident and starting to really BELIEVE again.

Getting the WIN against allbarn was a huge step only to get stomped and having the worse loss in Tennessee history the very next week.

The worst of the gauntlet is over but it's VERY hard to rebuild their confidence and belief back so fast to be ready to fight and WIN against USCe and the rest of this season, another HUGE task for Pruitt and staff.

This next game is critical for our kids confidence and belief in themselves for the rest of this season.

I believe that if our kids get back up and WIN against USCe that we can carry that over the rest of this season and we'll have a legit chance to get 6 WINS and make a bowl game.

Those extra 15 practices will sure come in handy right when we really need to improve and take the 1st step towards getting ready for a solid offseason to hit it hard next season..

To our beloved footVol Team...get up and get going boys...all us fans still BELIEVE in you!!!

VFL...GBO!!
This has been going on for 2 years now... one would have to think he could pick up a blitz but that does not seem like its part of his focus. He has earned the tough man moniker but it is not necessary for him to take those hits. I have to think the coaches practice or review this over and over with him. There is zero progress in that regard. So... how can so many jump out there and say he is one of the most improved players out there. Just does not show in W-L column or stats. By the way... as discussed by a few here, those passing yds vs. Aubie should be attributed to the great athleticism of his receivers... most of the long passes were just 50-50 balls, hung out there for the best man to catch.
 
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#58
#58

No doubt that Johnson has done well, but Gooden has more tackles for loss (5 to 3.5 for AJ) and this is with less playing time. AJ does have 9 more total tackles, but you could easily argue that Gooden has been more disruptive.
 
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#59
#59
Kyle Phillips, JG, Nigel Warrior, almost all of our WR’s
I believe Warrior has improved greatly since the first 3-4 games. He’s been really solid and more decisive in run defense. But my God the kid has hands of stone. He’s dropped at least 3 gimme interceptions so far this year. So while he’s definitely improved overall, he’s got plenty of areas where he can improve. Here’s hoping he gets there sooner rather than later, beginning this weekend in Columbia.
 
#60
#60
Baylen Buchanan...the guy was pathetic before Pruitt got here. Couldn’t cover, wouldn’t hit, just all around bad. Now he looks like a pro prospect, kudos to him for taking to coaching
After the WV game I was pretty hard on #28. But since he moved to that nickel spot he has been much better.
 
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#61
#61
I believe Warrior has improved greatly since the first 3-4 games. He’s been really solid and more decisive in run defense. But my God the kid has hands of stone. He’s dropped at least 3 gimme interceptions so far this year. So while he’s definitely improved overall, he’s got plenty of areas where he can improve. Here’s hoping he gets there sooner rather than later, beginning this weekend in Columbia.
Your right...wish this post could get ten thousand views...I hope if the kids read these things and we know they do, that it will help them and let the kids know who the fans see improvement in...
 
#62
#62
No doubt that Johnson has done well, but Gooden has more tackles for loss (5 to 3.5 for AJ) and this is with less playing time. AJ does have 9 more total tackles, but you could easily argue that Gooden has been more disruptive.
good info, thanks
 
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#63
#63
Think Calloway is playing himself into being drafted.

He's put up similar stats in 6 games this season as he did all last year save the TDs.

Not a burner but a good route runner and strong at the point. Glad to see all these WR improving at high pointing the ball and being more physical.
 
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#64
#64
Think Calloway is playing himself into being drafted.

He's put up similar stats in 6 games this season as he did all last year save the TDs.

Not a burner but a good route runner and strong at the point. Glad to see all these WR improving at high pointing the ball and being more physical.
Like to see him used like JJ...seems all you hear about Calloway is throwing him a ball so he can make a miracle catch. Well how about a curl or come back or an out or across the middle...it always seems the long ball hail Mary type of thing and they use JJ and Johnson and Byrd for the other type plays. Now Palmer is getting fed some of the Calloway type passes. Hope you understand what I mean
 
#65
#65
Think Calloway is playing himself into being drafted.

He's put up similar stats in 6 games this season as he did all last year save the TDs.

Not a burner but a good route runner and strong at the point. Glad to see all these WR improving at high pointing the ball and being more physical.
One other note. Have you seen any wheel routes in the Tennessee play book this year. Have not seen one of those ran with Ty or any of the other backs out of the back field...
 
#66
#66
Freak, I think if this could be posted at the head of the football forum it would be great as we could grade these players as we see them in our own eyes...
That is what I meant...I think it would be a great thing to do...at least after each game or even in the practice's we could post our thoughts...
It's your show but I would love to see it evolve....:):):):):):):)

If I have your permission, I am just going to go ahead and grade them with your eyes. Let me know.:)
 
#68
#68
Like to see him used like JJ...seems all you hear about Calloway is throwing him a ball so he can make a miracle catch. Well how about a curl or come back or an out or across the middle...it always seems the long ball hail Mary type of thing and they use JJ and Johnson and Byrd for the other type plays. Now Palmer is getting fed some of the Calloway type passes. Hope you understand what I mean
Not many players are able to go across the middle the way JJ can. He simply has no fear and is aggressive at all times. Calloway is fantastic at catching the ball at its highest point on sideline passes thrown to the back shoulder. I like your point I just think JJ and Calloway are fairly different. Both very talented though.
 
#69
#69
JJ is next level reciever in a lot of ways. I don't think he runs the fastest or jumps the highest, but his hands are sticky and his body control ahead of everyone else on the team. The way he shielded the DB with his body on his TD catch vs. Auburn was next level, took him out of the play so he couldn't even contest the ball.
 
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#70
#70
On the returning roster Kyle Phillips and Alexis Johnson. But as I've said over the past 3 seasons Phillips was criminally under-utilized by the previous staff.

Our most improved units are by far DL and WR.
 
#71
#71
On the returning roster Kyle Phillips and Alexis Johnson. But as I've said over the past 3 seasons Phillips was criminally under-utilized by the previous staff.

Our most improved units are by far DL and WR.
Yeah I can agree with that. The WR has improved with the return of JJ and the entry of Palmer
The D line with the emergence of A Johnson and improvement of Phillips
What I would like to see at the end of this thread at the end of the year is to see which players averaged the most consensus by the posters to be the most improved.

I want to raise this post at the end of each game especially and we could see who has RISEN and who had FALLEN
 
#72
#72
Tim Jordan really ran well against Alabama last week. He seemed to be more consistent than his performances in any of the three games before Saturday.

I agree with the names mentioned so far and it's good to see them getting recognized for their hard work. The offensive line showed signs that lead me to believe we will see more push at the line of scrimmage on run blocking assignments against South Carolina, this Saturday. We'll know the improvement is there when the line drives the defensive line back on 3rd and short and/or 4th and short to move the chains instead of seeing London or whoever getting stuffed by a brick wall.

I agree the Coaching Staff as a whole is really showing us some players performing closer to their potential if not to their potential so big kudos to each of them for a job well done there.

I really hope tackling fundamentals are being stressed so that players realize arm-tackling leads to the football equivalent of AIDS and should be avoided. That metaphor comes across as dramatic but not without reason because it's costly. All it takes is one mamby-pamby arm-tackler one play to cost the team a win that has otherwise been earned. Don't be "that guy."

I was impressed with the fight the team brought again against Alabama but there seemed to be some mental mistakes like Coach said and of course some of the more obvious ones that don't need to be rehashed.

Love each and every one of the Vols, players and coaches. Playing as a team wins as a team.

There's a real opportunity to make a statement and break the streak against South Carolina this Saturday to show the improvement made against Auburn is the true winning identity of this team and that the off-game against Alabama was the fluke.

There has been massive improvement at every position in my opinion and I cannot wait to see it in action against a South Carolina team that this season's Tennessee team can beat Saturday.
 
#74
#74
Like to see him used like JJ...seems all you hear about Calloway is throwing him a ball so he can make a miracle catch. Well how about a curl or come back or an out or across the middle...it always seems the long ball hail Mary type of thing and they use JJ and Johnson and Byrd for the other type plays. Now Palmer is getting fed some of the Calloway type passes. Hope you understand what I mean

He burned Them WVU 3 or 4 times on comebacks if I recall correctly. Dont remember seeing many since then though.

Something that just grates on my nerves in general with Vols OCs over the last decade.

They find something a player does well...has success with it in a game...then it gets put on a shelf.
 
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#75
#75
This has been going on for 2 years now... one would have to think he could pick up a blitz but that does not seem like its part of his focus. He has earned the tough man moniker but it is not necessary for him to take those hits. I have to think the coaches practice or review this over and over with him. There is zero progress in that regard. So... how can so many jump out there and say he is one of the most improved players out there. Just does not show in W-L column or stats. By the way... as discussed by a few here, those passing yds vs. Aubie should be attributed to the great athleticism of his receivers... most of the long passes were just 50-50 balls, hung out there for the best man to catch.


Would agree with you except for this (bold). JG made a number of great back shoulder throws and put the ball where only our WR had a chance to catch it. The 2 long passes to Palmer were great throws, the TD to Jennings was the closest to a true 50/50 ball but he put it where the DB would have to go through JJ to make a play and that ain't happening. The throws to Ty out of the back field were crisp and right on time and in stride. Did he use the athleticism of his receivers to his advantage? Absolutely but that's what good QB's do. Physically JG is the most gifted QB we've had in a while, but I am concerned that the light is never going to come on for the presnap reads.
 

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