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

We could have three 5 star SDEs, three 5 star WDEs, and two more of each committed to the next class and fans would still be saying we need more depth. There is a very good chance Kongbo would not play at UT or bama much if at all his first year.

There's zero chance that kongbo would redshirt here. Zero.
 
How do we not have rotational depth with Barnett, Vereen, Taylor, Philips, Smith and Mixon? Look guys..I know Kongbo is a good player, but he is not a great need. If he was a 4 year player, I would want to get him as much as anybody. It is my fear signing him will cause chemistry headaches we do not need now. But if we get him, I will cheer for him just as loud as any.
 
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I don't care if we have 15 five stars at DE on the depth chart. Make it 16 with this guy. Can't let guys like this go elsewhere, especially a rival, if he has legitimate interest in you
 
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How do we not have rotational depth with Barnett, Vereen, Taylor, Philips, Smith and Mixon? Look guys..I know Kongbo is a good player, but he is not a great need. If he was a 4 year player, I would want to get him as much as anybody. It is my fear signing him will cause chemistry headaches we do not need now. But if we get him, I will cheer for him just as loud as any.

That's how I see it. He commits to us, that's great. Love to have him for depth. If he is looking for the sure starting spot like Saban claimed to be promising him I think he needs to look elsewhere. He's not getting it at UT or bama. I don't care what Saban promised him.

Game 1 for bama. Kongbo starts at DE. Play 2 saban pulls him out. Ok, you started. Now have a seat.
 
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I don't care if we have 15 five stars at DE on the depth chart. Make it 16 with this guy. Can't let guys like this go elsewhere, especially a rival, if he has legitimate interest in you

16DEs. So then you complain about lack of depth at other positions? There are only so many scholarships and a lot of different positions.
 
I honestly thought as soon as he got the USC offer that he would of probably committed to them within that week but I am shocked that he didn't. I don't think he will go to Bama. Think we still have a really great shot at landing this kid.
 
And btw, our DE position was very disappointing this past year, especially in the first half of the season following Maggit's injury. Wherever Kongbo signs, whether it be here, USCw, or Bama, he will not only earn meaningful minutes, he will make an immediate impact. Just because he's a developmental player doesn't lessen the fact that he's a freak-of-nature with a burst that will be challenging for any OT to suppress. Would love to see what Shoop and Stripling could do with a guy that possesses Kongbo's talents.

I think most UT fans are downplaying Kongbo for fear of not getting him. They're trying to let themselves down gently. Pitiful. There's still a great chance he comes to UT, you poor self-defeatists.

If he doesn't, try not to overplay our current "elite" DE talent with their combined 16.5 sacks for the 2015 season.
cfbstats.com - 2015 Tennessee Volunteers Sacks
 
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How do we not have rotational depth with Barnett, Vereen, Taylor, Philips, Smith and Mixon? Look guys..I know Kongbo is a good player, but he is not a great need. If he was a 4 year player, I would want to get him as much as anybody. It is my fear signing him will cause chemistry headaches we do not need now. But if we get him, I will cheer for him just as loud as any.

Yeah, poor Bama with all those chemistry headaches they have that are caused by their stockpiling of talent with their #1 recruiting class every year.
 
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Taylor and Philips are better, ir at least equal prospects to Kongbo. Quit acting like we have crap at DE. This team is loaded at DE with or without Kongbo.
 
And to you ziti..I don't give a flip about crappabama. There are players on the team that I don't want to piss off just to get Kongbo. Is he really worth that?
And yes, I know that is hypothetical, but Philips was already upset. Why push it even more?
 
Jonathan Allen returning for his senior year at Alabama could have some major impact in this recruitment. Alabama posters on Rivals have commented that they think Kongbo most likely will sign with UT now. TIFWIW.

And the coaches better be using this to their advantage. Highly rated JUCO guys want to see the field early.
 
Taylor and Philips are better, ir at least equal prospects to Kongbo. Quit acting like we have crap at DE. This team is loaded at DE with or without Kongbo.

You can keep talking about talent all you want. I choose to speak in terms of production -- the only thing that really matters at the end of the end of a season when you look back on accomplishments and failures. Sure, there's plenty of talent at the DE spot (and young talent at that). I have little doubt that Taylor and Phillips will be great for us and will end up in the NFL. It's doesn't change the reality we face today: (1) injuries happen -- thus depth can make or break a team's season -- and (2) the pass rush was almost non-existent after Maggit's injury up until perhaps the Georgia game. Taking the whole season into account, we had a combined 16.5 sacks from our DE spot that you labeled "elite". That is not elite. Nowhere near elite. Barely average. Might we have "elite" production from the DE spot next year? Sure. But you can't assume we will based on what we saw in 2015. Barnett is elite. But he's also likely to leave early for the draft. So why should UT not try really, really hard to sign an elite DE talent in 2016? The obvious answer is they should. Not surprisingly, they are aiming to do just that, having made fat pitches to Kongbo, Simmons, and Clayton (as well as others that didn't take) -- all three of which are elite caliber DEs. We should strive for elite talent at every position, every year, irrespective of who is on our roster. That's how you build a sustainable championship-caliber team. No coach at UT should last if that is not the intention, as we are a championship-caliber program, and always should be. I just wish we had fans who demanded that (as I see with Bama football fans, Kentucky basketball fans, etc.).
 
We already have a deep rotation. Injury to Philips and Taylor redshirting is causing you guys to forget what we signed last year. We are already going to be 3 deep at DE. Who gets pushed out to get Kongbo snaps? Barnett, Vereen, Philips, Taylor, Smith and Mixon.
 
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