Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXIX

[orangefreak21]

There are players included within that 30 like Zach Stewart and Joe Young. Keep that in mind.

Here are the guys from the 2014 class no longer on the team:

D. Blair up
N. Creamer
D. Helm
J. Henderson (Did not qualify)
D. Hendrix
J. Hurd
T. Paulk (dismissed)
D. Payne
R. Raulerson
D. Scott
M. Sawyers (dismissed)
V. Wharton

Many of these guys above weren't in the 2 deep. I don't think we lost a lot of guys that are actually playing. Just used the 2014 class as an example.

Losing 30 players compared to 19 is a pretty big difference.

No not all of these players were in the 2 deep at the time of departure.. but some for sure would have been eventually. Had they stayed and developed.

And I'm all for continuing recruiting better players obviously. But some of these guys could have helped for sure

 

[BigZiti09]

Hendrix was named starter but had a season ending injury.

I don't recall that.

Played 7 games. 0 starts. 2 tackles (Utah state and Chatty games)

Hendrix wasn't processed out though. He thought the grass was greener and left.

 

[jave36]

I don't recall that.

Played 7 games. 0 starts. 2 tackles (Utah state and Chatty games)

Hendrix wasn't processed out though. He thought the grass was greener and left.

I meant at Pitt.

 

[butchna]

I meant at Pitt.

So he'd be great if he was healthy? We already have that on the roster.

 

[orangefreak21]

90% of fanbase is unrealistic too.

Did 90% of fanbase think we would play games without Kamara, Sutton, Kirkland, Shy, Khalil, Danny O, Hall, Hurd, Williams, JRM among others???

ATL or busted season was overwhelmingly the goal/expectation. The South Carolina loss has many in a frenzy. Including myself.

 

[orangefreak21]

Injuries have certainly been an issue and anybody would be foolish to say otherwise.

But that's not why we lost this game & you know it. Defense has played well enough to be 7-1, 6-2 right now.

Bingo

 

[AV_12]

Darrell Scott never looked good...even against lower competition. That's why Kelly and Young got props last year with opportunity...looked great in comparison.

This.

 

[LynxVol]

Wharton Helm Hendrix Hurd Scott were definitely not. Thats almost half the list.

First, I'm talking about the total list of 30 players.

Helm didn't like the environment at UT. He was home-schooled, and he didn't fit in with the lifestyle at a SEC program like UT. How is that UT's fault? I consider that being processed.

Scott had a freshman year full of injuries. Kamara signed in January 2015. Scott decided he was leaving in December 2014. The writing was on the wall with Kamara and Hurd on the roster. I consider that being processed. Moreover, he's not doing really anything for ECU, so I doubt he would make it over John Kelly right now.

I'll just stop there. We clearly have two completely different perceptions of "being processed."

 

[BJHSVol]

Didn't like 90 percent of us making our preseason predictions say that anything less than 10-2 was a disappointment & unacceptable?

I feel like now a few are changing that & saying "well another loss & it'll be unacceptable". Hold yourselves & this program to a higher standard.

I just think there's a big leap from saying this season was a disappointment to saying that Butch is Dooley all over again, we're looking at another 4-year hole etc.

I'm definitely less confident in him, but just about every coach in history has had disappointing seasons before so I think the reactions are a little overblown.

 

[jave36]

First, I'm talking about the total list of 30 players.

Helm didn't like the environment at UT. He was home-schooled, and he didn't fit in with the lifestyle at a SEC program like UT. How is that UT's fault? I consider that being processed.

Scott had a freshman year full of injuries. Kamara signed in January 2015. Scott decided he was leaving in December 2014. The writing was on the wall with Kamara and Hurd on the roster. I consider that being processed. Moreover, he's not doing really anything for ECU, so I doubt he would make it over John Kelly right now.

I'll just stop there. We clearly have two completely different perceptions of "being processed."

You're right our definitions are very different. We did not want Helm to leave to free up a scholarship spot, so imo he wasn't processed out. Same with a lot of the others.

 

[LaagerVol]

Why are we even comparing the attrition of a complete rebuilding of a program that obviously needed bodies to a program that is a machine running at peak efficiency?? Apples and oranges.

 

[LynxVol]

Losing 30 players compared to 19 is a pretty big difference.

No not all of these players were in the 2 deep at the time of departure.. but some for sure would have been eventually. Had they stayed and developed.

And I'm all for continuing recruiting better players obviously. But some of these guys could have helped for sure

Conjecture. Again, that list of 30 also includes guys that didn't qualify after signing the LOI (e.g., Henderson from 2014) as well as guys like Z. Stewart and J. Young that are sad and unique situations. When you eliminate those situations, the gap closes.

 

[LynxVol]

Why are we even comparing the attrition of a complete rebuilding of a program that obviously needed bodies to a program that is a machine running at peak efficiency?? Apples and oranges.

Although I agree, it is what those covering UT are suddenly pushing. I said earlier, it is funny how things seem worse when you lose.

We are going to be compared to Bama because that is the measuring stick in everyone's mind.

 

[Aesius]

I thought Hurd could transfer down and be eligible next fall. But that's not the case. Because he only has one year of playing eligibility he would have to sit for a year anywhere he goes using his redshirt year and then play in 2018.

There's no way he can play anywhere in 2017.

My guess is that he ends up declaring for the draft.

-Hubbs

 

[AppStVol]

First, I'm talking about the total list of 30 players.

Helm didn't like the environment at UT. He was home-schooled, and he didn't fit in with the lifestyle at a SEC program like UT. How is that UT's fault? I consider that being processed.

Scott had a freshman year full of injuries. Kamara signed in January 2015. Scott decided he was leaving in December 2014. The writing was on the wall with Kamara and Hurd on the roster. I consider that being processed. Moreover, he's not doing really anything for ECU, so I doubt he would make it over John Kelly right now.

I'll just stop there. We clearly have two completely different perceptions of "being processed."

Scott was a bust from the jump. He has not even had a single carry for ECU this year, which is a pretty clear sign. Surprising though as Havelock HS has produced some studs of late.

 

[volinbama256]

I agree with earlier posts saying even with all the injuries, we have played well enough to be 7-1 right now with how well the Defense has played. Losses are on the offense or lack there of and who is RUNNING the offense.
Sutton and Kamara will come back, even if they are entering the draft, they need to show they are healed and ready to go.
I still have a weird feeling we are going to see JRM or Kamara, or even both come back for their senior year if we get this current mess cleaned up QUICKLY.

 

[amazingGRACE]

I just think there's a big leap from saying this season was a disappointment to saying that Butch is Dooley all over again, we're looking at another 4-year hole etc.

I'm definitely less confident in him, but just about every coach in history has had disappointing seasons before so I think the reactions are a little overblown.

That's reasonable. But it's just so hard to look past it & say "oh well every coach has bad games/seasons".

This was such a huuuuuge season for the program. Biggest in over a decade. And we blew it. Have literally played maybe 7-8 quarters of good football the entire year & looked downright sloppy & poor coached in most of them. Not acceptable imo.

 

[volinbama256]

That's reasonable. But it's just so hard to look past it & say "oh well every coach has bad games/seasons".

This was such a huuuuuge season for the program. Biggest in over a decade. And we blew it. Have literally played maybe 7-8 quarters of good football the entire year & looked downright sloppy & poor coached in most of them. Not acceptable imo.

Agree--- KEY- coaching.

 

[jkleno]

To tag onto my posts above on JB's article from 247, LWS posted the attrition stats from Bama over the past 4 signing classes. 100 players signed from 2013 - 2016; 19 players are no longer there for one reason or another. In comparison, 106 players have signed for UT during the same time period, 30 are no longer here.

Not a big difference. It is funny how everything seems worse than it is when you lose.

Seems like a big difference to me when you don't have a foundation of players. #brickbybrick

 

[volinbama256]

Wonder if Butch pulls the trigger or makes it known before the season ends that he will be looking for a new OC? Maybe he at least lets recruits know something may be in the works? Could be some positive damage control for recruiting, which should be falling off a cliff at this point...

 

[BigZiti09]

Losses are on the offense or lack there of and who is RUNNING the offense.

Gave up 94 points to Bama and Texas A&M.

 

[RikidyBones]

-Hubbs

I'll say it again. He either got booted or he and his advisors are idiots.

 

[GoBigOrangeVols]

-Hubbs

This is the last I plan to say about Hurd.


He was a true workhorse for us in 2014 and 2015, and for that we should all be thankful.

However, if his attitude and commitment to the team were as bad as has been rumored, then it brings into question his pregame preparation, in game effort, and there is no doubt that it negatively impacted his performance on the field, and in turn has made us a worse offense and team. That is unforgivable.

He's a young man and will be held accountable for his decisions. I can't help but think that the biggest failing here was not having leadership in his life (parent, coach, gf, best friend, etc.) that could have helped him see the bigger picture and how many doors would have been open to him had he maintained the same commitment to his craft and to the team as he seemed to show his first two years.

Unfortunately, I fear he has squandered his best chance to reach his full potential. That's not to say he should be written off as a pro or anything like that, but he needs someone in his life that can straighten him out.

JMO.

As for the Vols, I truly think we'll be better the rest of the way without him, as it already seems like a little bit of the dark cloud has lifted.

 

[BigZiti09]

I'll say it again. He either got booted or he and his advisors are idiots.

Both IMO.

 

[BJHSVol]

That's reasonable. But it's just so hard to look past it & say "oh well every coach has bad games/seasons".

This was such a huuuuuge season for the program. Biggest in over a decade. And we blew it. Have literally played maybe 7-8 quarters of good football the entire year & looked downright sloppy & poor coached in most of them. Not acceptable imo.

Agreed, but every other team he's had here has been disciplined and looked pretty well-coached. There's been issues in the past with some conservative play-calling, but nothing that screams to me that this downward trend will continue next year.

There's a lot of moving parts to a football team, and without knowing the full picture of what's going on its hard to pinpoint who exactly is at fault. Looking at Auburn and A&M last year, no one would expect them to be where they are right now. Hell, looking at Auburn and LSU at the beginning of THIS season most people wouldn't have expected them to be where they are.