'16 AZ DE Jonathan Kongbo UT Signee 2/3/16

[HoptownVol]

Oh yeah, recruiting is going just fine!

 

[UTMVol76]

I hear The Rains of Castemere.

I hear Benny Hill music

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Not happy at all... I want to see UT succeed which means by extension I want Jones to succeed.

Jones is behind the 8 ball more than he's been since arriving... even that first year. The first year he came in with a "plan" and knowing that time limited him. Now, it isn't time... players he wants are saying no to his pitch. He hasn't really faced that before at UT. This class which IS critical depends on the late breaking decisions. I'm sure he'd agree that you never want to be there.

Honestly, if he can't get some of those top tier players then I hope he holds scholarships like he did the first year rather than just filling them with bodies. Just admit "defeat", take some lumps, and fight again another day. If they can make a championship run this fall then extra scholarships might be handy to have.

Some of yall just like freaking out. At least wait until after NSD to lose it.

 

[Vols B]

When Freeze arrived, Ole Miss had two top 10, maybe top 5, finishes, followed by a not so good third year recruiting class. I think Georgia did the same recently. So maybe we're following a common pattern.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

When Freeze arrived, Ole Miss had two top 10, maybe top 5, finishes, followed by a not so good third year recruiting class. I think Georgia did the same recently. So maybe we're following a common pattern.

No. Why don't people look up stuff before saying it? After the famous 2013 class that was top 10, Ole Miss had the #19 class in 2014 and the #21 class in 2015.

The only SEC schools to go top 5 the last 2 years are Alabama and Tennessee.

 

[sjt18]

Makes sense...no argument.

Curious to see how Jancek's departure impacts how Jones closes this class.

It would seem that if Jones thought losing Jancek now would hurt recruiting... he would have waited. Could the loss be a net plus in recruiting?

 

[sjt18]

Some of yall just like freaking out. At least wait until after NSD to lose it.

It isn't "freaking out" to notice that something isn't going to end well if there isn't a change of trajectory. In fact, that is probably a proof for being realistic.

 

[UTMVol76]

Curious to see how Jancek's departure impacts how Jones closes this class.

It would seem that if Jones thought losing Jancek now would hurt recruiting... he would have waited. Could the loss be a net plus in recruiting?

Maybe Kongbo's just Shooping around?

 

[butchna]

Curious to see how Jancek's departure impacts how Jones closes this class.

It would seem that if Jones thought losing Jancek now would hurt recruiting... he would have waited. Could the loss be a net plus in recruiting?

Maybe he thought an aggressive move would swing it the other way. Hard to know in this day of TMZ Sports.

 

[Vols B]

Curious to see how Jancek's departure impacts how Jones closes this class.

It would seem that if Jones thought losing Jancek now would hurt recruiting... he would have waited. Could the loss be a net plus in recruiting?

Sounds logical. Though I wonder if the timing was just a matter of getting his guy locked in asap, before all the good options got snatched up.

 

[lilesrt]

Every year there are only a handful of true impact players. Getting them greatly increases your chances of winning. Landing Von Bell & Jalen Ramsey would have changed our fortunes dramatically. It is no coincidence that both won titles. Butch will obviously need to recruit at a high level to win this league. Our traditional rival finishes at or very near the top of the recruiting rankings every year. We need to be somewhere close. Maybe even out-recruit them sometimes. I know this is a small class, but it still needs to be filled with top level guys.

I agree completely.

 

[lilesrt]

Kongbo is likely headed to USCw at this point. Not exactly our competition.

Kongbo is the exception in most cases. If he stays out west, fantastic. If not, odds are he will sign with AL, who we play every year.

Point is... Top tier programs sign top tier classes every cycle. Let's not kid ourselves into believing this 2016 class, as it stands right now, is anything but average when compared to our direct competition.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

It isn't "freaking out" to notice that something isn't going to end well if there isn't a change of trajectory. In fact, that is probably a proof for being realistic.

I don't think anyone has said recruiting this year is as good as it was the last 2 years AT THIS TIME. However, we're in on a lot of top prospects who are waiting until NSD. Something we haven't had the last 2 years.

Makes no sense to lose it now. Why not wait till after NSD?

To me this is like freaking out after the Arkansas game and saying the season is over. Folks looked dumb then. You look dumb now.

 

[Catbone]

Waaahhh 😂

 

[Weezer]

CBJ does have some serious work to do in order to make this a good class. However, given the state of the current roster, obtaining a top 10 class this year is not essential, IMO. We needed to recruit certain positions well this cycle, and I think we are doing that. IMO, we still need to pick up quality at DT (preferably a HS DT), WR, and OL (specifically OT).

You're forgetting safety. Warrior would fill a huge need if we can get him. If we don't, we still need a safety.

 

[rpeagram]

SMH...... Instant gratification! You guys remember 5-6 in 2005? You guys remember 5-7 in 2008? You guys remember 2009? You guys remember the Sullins Twins? You guys remember the robberies? VT steamrolling? Then we had 2010-2012....... the doofus years...... Look around folks...... Miami .... the SEC EAST!!!........ Parity..... Scholarship reduction and more national talent is going to "NFL" the heck out of college football........... .500 teams will be the norm.... and few "Patriots"......sit back and enjoy because it could be worse.... give it a chance.... its not going to happen overnight..... JMO

 

[Weezer]

Since the very beginning of this year's class, it has been looked at as a depth class. The reasons being that the instate talent took an uncharacteristic dip, we can't take a full class, and a lot of the higher ranked kids we are going after are wanting to wait till NSD to commit unlike previous years where they would either jump on board and help recruit or be taken off the board.

Now of course, you FF guys will come in here with weeping and gnashing of teeth and try to talk about these "new" and "terrible" revelations, but those of us that closely follow recruiting year round already knew these things. As early as May or June of this year, many posters had already come to the realization that this year's class would be between 15-8 nationally.

It's ok for us to take a non top 5 class every once in a while to be a depth class. This is especially true when we are so well set up for next year's class-- back to top 5.

We still have needs of depth to be addressed. Some of us don't expect a top 10 class. We accept that this is a depth class. But we still need quality depth. It's not about doom and gloom. It's about this class hinging on a handful of players.

 

[lilesrt]

SMH...... Instant gratification! You guys remember 5-6 in 2005? You guys remember 5-7 in 2008? You guys remember 2009? You guys remember the Sullins Twins? You guys remember the robberies? VT steamrolling? Then we had 2010-2012....... the doofus years...... Look around folks...... Miami .... the SEC EAST!!!........ Parity..... Scholarship reduction and more national talent is going to "NFL" the heck out of college football........... .500 teams will be the norm.... and few "Patriots"......sit back and enjoy because it could be worse.... give it a chance.... its not going to happen overnight..... JMO

In all fairness the Sullins twins exceeded expectations as far as I am concerned.

 

[smokeyman15]

In all fairness the Sullins twins exceeded expectations as far as I am concerned.

Sure, they did. And no knock to them, but that isn't getting you to Atlanta.

 

[VolGee4]

It isn't "freaking out" to notice that something isn't going to end well if there isn't a change of trajectory. In fact, that is probably a proof for being realistic.

I see that your shtick hasn't changed. It's been at least 2 years. Don't know how you make everyday with such negativism.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

We have Barnett and Vereen for at least one more year, and Taylor, Philips, Smith and Butcher for 3 more years. Kongbo would gave been great, but exactly how does losing a 2 year juco hurt that much? I get the guy is supposed to be great, but so are the guys we already got. If Kongbo was a 5 star HS player with a full term, I could understand the angst. As long as he doesn't end up in the SEC, I really don't care that much. I would sweat losing Philips a lot more.

 

[Brillovol]

We have Barnett and Vereen for at least one more year, and Taylor, Philips, Smith and Butcher for 3 more years. Kongbo would gave been great, but exactly how does losing a 2 year juco hurt that much? I get the guy is supposed to be great, but so are the guys we already got. If Kongbo was a 5 star HS player with a full term, I could understand the angst. As long as he doesn't end up in the SEC, I really don't care that much. I would sees losing Philips a lot more.

I actually questioned this a couple weeks ago. He expected immediate playing time, but I'm not convinced he starts if he comes here. I'm of the opinion we're fine at this position. Bituli is for all intents and purposes a DE commit, so it's not like we're striking out.

Perception hurts worse than anything.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

The thing is though, perception is really nothing. I don't feel bad about this class because it is really solid, with at least two superstars (don't give a crap what JG and MO are ranked as) in it.

 

[Big Orange Jeff]

Look! He's back! Not calling you crazy, just a troll. The best recruit in the state in 2015 was Drew Richmond, 2nd best was Kyle Phillips. The only two players in the top 12 Tenn offered and didn't sign were Rico McGraw and Van Jefferson (who we were lukewarm about).. 4 losses by 17 points - two of which were to CFP teams that we had a lead with 3 minutes to play against. If you can't see the improvement in that vs 2013 when they were losing games by scores of 59-14, 55-23, 45-10 and 31-3 then I really don't care... Like I said earlier, your agenda here is transparent.

Johnny Majors referred to these people as the "Legions of the Miserable."

 

[tennesseefan31]

We have Barnett and Vereen for at least one more year, and Taylor, Philips, Smith and Butcher for 3 more years. Kongbo would gave been great, but exactly how does losing a 2 year juco hurt that much? I get the guy is supposed to be great, but so are the guys we already got. If Kongbo was a 5 star HS player with a full term, I could understand the angst. As long as he doesn't end up in the SEC, I really don't care that much. I would sweat losing Philips a lot more.

Butcher will never play a snap here