Recruiting Forum Football Talk [RIP 9.3.2019]

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#4,876
#4,876
GoVolsDR said:
“I think that was a stepping stone,” Kamara says. “I was in the f*****g pokeball in ‘Bama, and I f*****g evolved into some other s**t.”

Wonder what Alvin Kamara's favorite Pokemon is, lol
Click to expand...
The on that "f*****g evolved into some other s**t"
 
#4,877
#4,877
Catbone said:
It'll be very bumpy at first but with Pruitt specializing DBs and a lot of young talent we will be fine in time. Still concerned if Tuttle or Johnson goes down how we will do on the DL.
Click to expand...

I think the defensive line is the biggest concern on this team, and I think the offensive line is right behind it. I will be interested to see the depth chart when it comes down. I wonder what some of the walk-ons further down on the roster look like. I hope they at least have some size.
 
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#4,878
#4,878
Catbone said:
It'll be very bumpy at first but with Pruitt specializing DBs and a lot of young talent we will be fine in time. Still concerned if Tuttle or Johnson goes down how we will do on the DL.
Click to expand...
Play Gooden would be my guess.
 
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#4,889
#4,889
BruinVol said:
DM says he will be shocked if Buchanan and Osborne aren't the starters at CB against WV
Click to expand...

Guess it goes back to the risk reward of playing experience vs playing supposed talent. Tough dilemma, do we play the guys who have the highest ceiling and the ones capable of physically getting themselves back into a play they may have busted on with their sheer athleticism and who may be able to make a few more game changing plays, or do we play the guys who are less likely to make big plays but also less likely to put themselves in a bad position to get burned to begin with? This is why coaches make the big bucks, id be at a loss to make that call.
 
#4,892
#4,892
Osborne and Buchanon as starters vs west va would be asking for Sills to eat peanuts all day. Buchanon and Taylor make more sense. Need someone bigger going up against sills
 
#4,893
#4,893
WebbCobb said:
Virtually every aspect of Kiffin's life, personal and professional, has been judged on this board in the last 8-9 years. Now, maybe you were an exception in that regard, but for a bunch of people to now play the thou-shall-not-judge card because religion is in the equation is pretty hypocritical.

Whoops, seems like I might be getting a little judge-y myself.
Click to expand...

He was "judged" because he was a knucklehead. As a Christian, however, I can call someone a knucklehead (because of his actions) and still say that his faith is between him and God. When I read the article, my first reaction was like some others- not sure that I truly believe it. However, I came to the realization that it's not up for me to believe or not. I do believe people change, and I hope that he has as well.
 
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#4,894
#4,894
LA Vol said:
The Kiffin fiasco revealed the fissures in the UT program. Kiffin was always candid about SC being his dream job. He talked about it all the time. UT knew about the Al Davis comments and the genuine disdain for Kiffin in CA. Kiffin was vetted... yet Hammy was too arrogant to listen to anyone's concerns and too shortsighted to protect UT contractually.

IMO, Kiffin leaving after a year was a gift. If only Hammy had done the smart thing and made a solid hire right then, UT would have gotten off cheap. But in the end, it took eight years, three ADs and three HCs to learn a lesson that should have taken 12 months. It's inexplicable how many of UT's wounds have been self-inflicted.
Click to expand...

So true, Kiffin probably would have gotten us in trouble at the time. Ironically it probably would have been the same result as the last 8 years. Kiifin is good coach and that is why the fans were upset when he left. We could have possibly landed the top class that year.

That being said, hiring Dooley was the downfall of the program. Tennessee was a big brand at the time, should have hired an interim and then made a big hire the following year. Dooley should have never been hired with his resume. Dooley destroyed the brand and the program to a level where we were turned down by Charlie Strong and had to settle for Butch. It still baffles me that anyone on the site can defend Dooley, that was the darkest time in Tennessee football. Butch Jones at least had a couple of good years.
 
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#4,895
#4,895
Apologies in advance for the length of the Erik Ainge show recap today. They didn't spend their normal amount of time going off topic.

From the Erik Ainge show today:

Bobby Scott, the original #10, was at practice yesterday. (ed. He spoke at my freshman football banquet when I as a kid. I got his autograph.)

Fulmer was also at practice and according to Ainge was coaching up the offensive linemen. Ainge said he’s never seen anyone who is a better OLine coach than Fulmer.

Pruitt came over to Ainge and told him to get more guys out here and Condredge reiterated it later. Pruitt said he wants as many former lettermen as can to come out to practice to watch what we do and how we do it. Pruitt then ran off to get back to coaching Alontae Taylor.

Ainge said the coaches are coaching their butts off, with a lot of focus on details.

Ainge spent some time talking with Condredge and he asked Condredge what he thought so far. Condredge replied, “Well, they haven’t put pads on yet.”

Ainge said there’s a lot you can learn in meeting rooms and on the field in shorts but you can’t tell what you really have until you play the exact same game that you play on Saturdays, meaning until you are in pads. They referred back to Jeremy’s press comment last week when he said everybody looks good in shorts and headgear but it’s what happens when pads start popping that you’re looking for.

Ainge said it’s easy to be physically tough and almost no one plays football that isn’t physically tough. The real challenge is developing mental toughness. College football, Ainge said, is high stress, very intense. He said you can tell by a guy’s demeanor in shorts if it’s going to be too big for him.

They talked a bit about high school football in east TN and how much it’s improved in the last decade.

Caller asks what is the vibe in Knoxville & East TN about what would be considered an acceptable year for UT this season.

They go off on a tangent playing with their Peyton Manning & Alvin Kamara Bobbleheads.

They reference Saban 7-6 in his first year at Alabama, Kirby 8-5 his first year at Georgia with a couple good wins but he lost to Vandy his first year. So Ainge figures it’s probably around that where expectations should be. He said being on the practice field and seeing our players we have a lot of guys who look the part. He said our top 10 guys could go toe to toe with anybody in the conference but it’s the next 20 or 30 that gets you to your top 40 players where we’re not there yet.

He says we have an offensive line that could be one of the best in the conference and we have an offensive line that could be one of the worst in the conference. We need questions answered about Trey Smith, Chance Hall, and Brandon Kennedy in order to know whether it’s one of the best or one of the worst. They figure Drew Richmond is going to be a lot better this year if he is playing right next to Trey Smith and Trey Smith will be better if he’s playing nest to a veteran like Kennedy. Ainge thinks we’ve got a number of guys who can play right guard. I think ideally he wants Chance Hall at right tackle but he was complimentary of Tatum as well. He also likes the new guys who came in this year.

Back to expectations, they’re saying both Alabama and Georgia went 4-4 in the conference with their new coaches. Both won a game they probably shouldn’t. Ainge says for our game that we win that we probably shouldn’t he’s got that as the WVU game. Even the other guy thinks the Florida game is very winnable. The mindset, culture, attitude change in our practices so far is very different than what it was last year. The last 4 games are also very winnable. We have a lot of depth in some key areas but unproven in some others.

They’re weighing in on the benefit of bowl practices and whether you have a better team as a result. Based on his experience here Ainge said there wasn’t a lot of correlation to how they played the following year. In ’04 they were successful because the team rallied around a freshman QB and we were really good at running the football. The next year there was a split locker room and a bunch of guys got hurt and even though we had the bowl practices the year before we only won 5 games in ’05. He thinks the attitude on the team is more important. While bowl practices definitely don’t hurt you it’s not the end all and be all that it’s sometimes made out to be. Ainge talks about some of our Peach bowl appearances where our guys didn’t even show up to play those games. Also during Ainge’s time, there were a lot of guys who used the outback bowl as an opportunity to have a lot of fun off the field (not him). They bounced back in ’07 determined not to make the same mistakes of the prior year, get their bowl practices, and the next year the team wins 5 games and your hall of fame coach gets fired.

He said bowl practices are one of a 50-page list of things that impact our off-season and determine our approach, our dedication, our buy-in, for the next year. He thinks that’s why especially when you have a complete coaching change you end up winning maybe a game or two you’re “not supposed to”. He talks about Butch beating a top 10 South Carolina in ’13 as an example.

Ainge responds to a caller saying right now it’s probably too early to speculate on the Florida game. This year our situations are similar. Our guys don’t see Florida as an Alabama or Georgia. The general consensus is we have an excellent opportunity to win this game this year. This obviously is a huge game for Tennessee.

Twitter question: What is the best position for Trey Smith on the offensive line and what is the best position for the team for Trey Smith on the offensive line? After some lengthy discussion the gist is ideally Richmond would solidify his role at left tackle and allow Trey to have left guard because he’s our best protection against the Mike linebacker coming through the A gap. The Mike will usually have a running start but with Trey at LG he’s going to crash into a wall of iron. Generally, Trey would also be our best left tackle or best any other position on the offensive line. Ainge said Pruitt has said we need to figure out what we have with the other 4 guys and then we’ll know where we need Trey.

Caller calls to complain about press coverage of the QB competition. Ainge says if it was up to me and I was in charge, if I was the offensive coordinator or head coach, JG is the starting QB. He said he’d let the “competition” go on for a few more days but unless something dramatically changed, JG would be the guy because he knows he can do some really big things with him. Ainge said he disagrees with the writer from the Athletic in regards to Chryst being able to put better touch on his throws. Ainge’s partner isn’t willing to say the competition is lopsided one way or the other but Ainge says he is. His partner concedes JG will start the season but KC will eventually take over. Ainge challenges him to show his work on that claim.

Ainge says when he watches Guarantano at practice he get a little jealous of Helton. He tells a story of his first year with Cutcliffe and Peyton saying to him in advance “Cut is going to love you”. The reason was because at that time Ainge was a sponge and totally committed to learning. Peyton told him that he was going to be fun to coach and that Cut was going to enjoy that. Ainge said now that he’s getting old and he watches Guarantano he’s thinking “Man, I would love to coach that kid, everything about him.” All the QBs have ability but everyone at Carson Newman has ability. The thing that really set Guarantano apart in Ainge’s assessment is it’s obvious to him that Guarantano’s teammates see him as their QB. He said he does not foresee JG just playing terrible but if so then you go to your roster. Where, when, and how are what you need to know when throwing the ball as a QB. He sees JG holding on to the ball in difficult circumstances last year as a positive, an indication of his toughness. Last year, according to Ainge, JG didn’t know where to throw the ball.

Ainge absolutely thinks Guarantano will start all 12 games this year. Ainge says Guarantano has learn a tremendous amount during this offseason. Ainge tells his cohost he has a right to his opinion (unsaid was, if you want everyone to know how much of an idiot you are).

A lot of good chatter on Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson. Ainge think’s Alontae likely starts game one but Bryce wasn’t here in the spring and so hasn’t been in the program as long. Even though Alontae was on offense in the spring he is still probably farther along in being “taught” how to play his position. He’s also getting a lot of dedicated attention from Pruitt in fall camp. They seem to think at some point we could have both freshmen corners starting this year because of their athleticism and ball skills. There’s a lot to teach these guys but Ainge thinks it’s doable.

Shamburger is a good player. Ainge doesn’t know how well he can get after the QB. Shamburger can definitely play the nickel but Ainge doesn’t think he’s a Gaulden.

Ainge doesn’t think the young guys in the secondary will be a liability and will only improve as the season progresses. Freshmen corners play all the time.
Ainge says we were at least a 7-5 team last year and there’s not more than 4 or 5 teams on our schedule that are better than us this year. He said Pruitt will have veteran guys like Tuttle, Kongbo, and Bituli and others ready to run through a brick wall by the time we take the field in Charlotte.
 
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#4,896
#4,896
Nashvegas31 said:
Osborne and Buchanon as starters vs west va would be asking for Sills to eat peanuts all day. Buchanon and Taylor make more sense. Need someone bigger going up against sills
Click to expand...


Do you believe Pruitt would let Taylor follow sills or will he keep the corners put.
 
#4,897
#4,897
HankHill said:
What are some of those specifics? Because he probably commited adultrey and got a divorce.... that’s half of marriages.

He left TN big deal. I also don’t think it’s a big deal he tried to bring recruits that he signed with him to the school he was going to.

If you’re a ceo and just hired a great manager but switch jobs, is it out of the question to think about bringing him with you?
Click to expand...

He has a list of being disingenuous. Inflated footballs, swapping jerseys during a game, statements said while at UT... You can read the article that I linked.

There are a lot of reasons why some may not trust Lane Kiffin. Plus, committing adultery is half of marriages? Even so, it doesn't make it right, and I didn't even know that was an allegation against him.

Another deflating moment for Lane Kiffin, USC
 
#4,898
#4,898
ChattaTNVol said:
Apologies in advance for the length of the Erik Ainge show recap today. They didn't spend their normal amount of time going off topic.

From the Erik Ainge show today:

Bobby Scott, the original #10, was at practice yesterday. (ed. He spoke at my freshman football banquet when I as a kid. I got his autograph.)

Fulmer was also at practice and according to Ainge was coaching up the offensive linemen. Ainge said he’s never seen anyone who is a better OLine coach than Fulmer.

Pruitt came over to Ainge and told him to get more guys out here and Condredge reiterated it later. Pruitt said he wants as many former lettermen as can to come out to practice to watch what we do and how we do it. Pruitt then ran off to get back to coaching Alontae Taylor.

Ainge said the coaches are coaching their butts off, with a lot of focus on details.

Ainge spent some time talking with Condredge and he asked Condredge what he thought so far. Condredge replied, “Well, they haven’t put pads on yet.”

Ainge said there’s a lot you can learn in meeting rooms and on the field in shorts but you can’t tell what you really have until you play the exact same game that you play on Saturdays, meaning until you are in pads. They referred back to Jeremy’s press comment last week when he said everybody looks good in shorts and headgear but it’s what happens when pads start popping that you’re looking for.

Ainge said it’s easy to be physically tough and almost no one plays football that isn’t physically tough. The real challenge is developing mental toughness. College football, Ainge said, is high stress, very intense. He said you can tell by a guy’s demeanor in shorts if it’s going to be too big for him.

They talked a bit about high school football in east TN and how much it’s improved in the last decade.

Caller asks what is the vibe in Knoxville & East TN about what would be considered an acceptable year for UT this season.

They go off on a tangent playing with their Peyton Manning & Alvin Kamara Bobbleheads.

They reference Saban 7-6 in his first year at Alabama, Kirby 8-5 his first year at Georgia with a couple good wins but he lost to Vandy his first year. So Ainge figures it’s probably around that where expectations should be. He said being on the practice field and seeing our players we have a lot of guys who look the part. He said our top 10 guys could go toe to toe with anybody in the conference but it’s the next 20 or 30 that gets you to your top 40 players where we’re not there yet.

He says we have an offensive line that could be one of the best in the conference and we have an offensive line that could be one of the worst in the conference. We need questions answered about Trey Smith, Chance Hall, and Brandon Kennedy in order to know whether it’s one of the best or one of the worst. They figure Drew Richmond is going to be a lot better this year if he is playing right next to Trey Smith and Trey Smith will be better if he’s playing nest to a veteran like Kennedy. Ainge thinks we’ve got a number of guys who can play right guard. I think ideally he wants Chance Hall at right tackle but he was complimentary of Tatum as well. He also likes the new guys who came in this year.

Back to expectations, they’re saying both Alabama and Georgia went 4-4 in the conference with their new coaches. Both won a game they probably shouldn’t. Ainge says for our game that we win that we probably shouldn’t he’s got that as the WVU game. Even the other guy thinks the Florida game is very winnable. The mindset, culture, attitude change in our practices so far is very different than what it was last year. The last 4 games are also very winnable. We have a lot of depth in some key areas but unproven in some others.

They’re weighing in on the benefit of bowl practices and whether you have a better team as a result. Based on his experience here Ainge said there wasn’t a lot of correlation to how they played the following year. In ’04 they were successful because the team rallied around a freshman QB and we were really good at running the football. The next year there was a split locker room and a bunch of guys got hurt and even though we had the bowl practices the year before we only won 5 games in ’05. He thinks the attitude on the team is more important. While bowl practices definitely don’t hurt you it’s not the end all and be all that it’s sometimes made out to be. Ainge talks about some of our Peach bowl appearances where our guys didn’t even show up to play those games. Also during Ainge’s time, there were a lot of guys who used the outback bowl as an opportunity to have a lot of fun off the field (not him). They bounced back in ’07 determined not to make the same mistakes of the prior year, get their bowl practices, and the next year the team wins 5 games and your hall of fame coach gets fired.

He said bowl practices are one of a 50-page list of things that impact our off-season and determine our approach, our dedication, our buy-in, for the next year. He thinks that’s why especially when you have a complete coaching change you end up winning maybe a game or two you’re “not supposed to”. He talks about Butch beating a top 10 South Carolina in ’13 as an example.

Ainge responds to a caller saying right now it’s probably too early to speculate on the Florida game. This year our situations are similar. Our guys don’t see Florida as an Alabama or Georgia. The general consensus is we have an excellent opportunity to win this game this year. This obviously is a huge game for Tennessee.

Twitter question: What is the best position for Trey Smith on the offensive line and what is the best position for the team for Trey Smith on the offensive line? After some lengthy discussion the gist is ideally Richmond would solidify his role at left tackle and allow Trey to have left guard because he’s our best protection against the Mike linebacker coming through the A gap. The Mike will usually have a running start but with Trey at LG he’s going to crash into a wall of iron. Generally, Trey would also be our best left tackle or best any other position on the offensive line. Ainge said Pruitt has said we need to figure out what we have with the other 4 guys and then we’ll know where we need Trey.

Caller calls to complain about press coverage of the QB competition. Ainge says if it was up to me and I was in charge, if I was the offensive coordinator or head coach, JG is the starting QB. He said he’d let the “competition” go on for a few more days but unless something dramatically changed, JG would be the guy because he knows he can do some really big things with him. Ainge said he disagrees with the writer from the Athletic in regards to Chryst being able to put better touch on his throws. Ainge’s partner isn’t willing to say the competition is lopsided one way or the other but Ainge says he is. His partner concedes JG will start the season but KC will eventually take over. Ainge challenges him to show his work on that claim.

Ainge says when he watches Guarantano at practice he get a little jealous of Helton. He tells a story of his first year with Cutcliffe and Peyton saying to him in advance “Cut is going to love you”. The reason was because at that time Ainge was a sponge and totally committed to learning. Peyton told him that he was going to be fun to coach and that Cut was going to enjoy that. Ainge said now that he’s getting old and he watches Guarantano he’s thinking “Man, I would love to coach that kid, everything about him.” All the QBs have ability but everyone at Carson Newman has ability. The thing that really set Guarantano apart in Ainge’s assessment is it’s obvious to him that Guarantano’s teammates see him as their QB. He said he does not foresee JG just playing terrible but if so then you go to your roster. Where, when, and how are what you need to know when throwing the ball as a QB. He sees JG holding on to the ball in difficult circumstances last year as a positive, an indication of his toughness. Last year, according to Ainge, JG didn’t know where to throw the ball.

Ainge absolutely thinks Guarantano will start all 12 games this year. Ainge says Guarantano has learn a tremendous amount during this offseason. Ainge tells his cohost he has a right to his opinion (unsaid was, if you want everyone to know how much of an idiot you are).

A lot of good chatter on Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson. Ainge think’s Alontae likely starts game one but Bryce wasn’t here in the spring and so hasn’t been in the program as long. Even though Alontae was on offense in the spring he is still probably farther along in being “taught” how to play his position. He’s also getting a lot of dedicated attention from Pruitt in fall camp. They seem to think at some point we could have both freshmen corners starting this year because of their athleticism and ball skills. There’s a lot to teach these guys but Ainge thinks it’s doable.

Shamburger is a good player. Ainge doesn’t know how well he can get after the QB. Shamburger can definitely play the nickel but Ainge doesn’t think he’s a Gaulden.

Ainge doesn’t think the young guys in the secondary will be a liability and will only improve as the season progresses. Freshmen corners play all the time.
Ainge says we were at least a 7-5 team last year and there’s not more than 4 or 5 teams on our schedule that are better than us this year. He said Pruitt will have veteran guys like Tuttle, Kongbo, and Bituli and others ready to run through a brick wall by the time we take the field in Charlotte.
Click to expand...

What in the hell do you do all day?
 
#4,899
#4,899
ChattaTNVol said:
Apologies in advance for the length of the Erik Ainge show recap today. They didn't spend their normal amount of time going off topic.

From the Erik Ainge show today:

Bobby Scott, the original #10, was at practice yesterday. (ed. He spoke at my freshman football banquet when I as a kid. I got his autograph.)

Fulmer was also at practice and according to Ainge was coaching up the offensive linemen. Ainge said he’s never seen anyone who is a better OLine coach than Fulmer.

Pruitt came over to Ainge and told him to get more guys out here and Condredge reiterated it later. Pruitt said he wants as many former lettermen as can to come out to practice to watch what we do and how we do it. Pruitt then ran off to get back to coaching Alontae Taylor.

Ainge said the coaches are coaching their butts off, with a lot of focus on details.

Ainge spent some time talking with Condredge and he asked Condredge what he thought so far. Condredge replied, “Well, they haven’t put pads on yet.”

Ainge said there’s a lot you can learn in meeting rooms and on the field in shorts but you can’t tell what you really have until you play the exact same game that you play on Saturdays, meaning until you are in pads. They referred back to Jeremy’s press comment last week when he said everybody looks good in shorts and headgear but it’s what happens when pads start popping that you’re looking for.

Ainge said it’s easy to be physically tough and almost no one plays football that isn’t physically tough. The real challenge is developing mental toughness. College football, Ainge said, is high stress, very intense. He said you can tell by a guy’s demeanor in shorts if it’s going to be too big for him.

They talked a bit about high school football in east TN and how much it’s improved in the last decade.

Caller asks what is the vibe in Knoxville & East TN about what would be considered an acceptable year for UT this season.

They go off on a tangent playing with their Peyton Manning & Alvin Kamara Bobbleheads.

They reference Saban 7-6 in his first year at Alabama, Kirby 8-5 his first year at Georgia with a couple good wins but he lost to Vandy his first year. So Ainge figures it’s probably around that where expectations should be. He said being on the practice field and seeing our players we have a lot of guys who look the part. He said our top 10 guys could go toe to toe with anybody in the conference but it’s the next 20 or 30 that gets you to your top 40 players where we’re not there yet.

He says we have an offensive line that could be one of the best in the conference and we have an offensive line that could be one of the worst in the conference. We need questions answered about Trey Smith, Chance Hall, and Brandon Kennedy in order to know whether it’s one of the best or one of the worst. They figure Drew Richmond is going to be a lot better this year if he is playing right next to Trey Smith and Trey Smith will be better if he’s playing nest to a veteran like Kennedy. Ainge thinks we’ve got a number of guys who can play right guard. I think ideally he wants Chance Hall at right tackle but he was complimentary of Tatum as well. He also likes the new guys who came in this year.

Back to expectations, they’re saying both Alabama and Georgia went 4-4 in the conference with their new coaches. Both won a game they probably shouldn’t. Ainge says for our game that we win that we probably shouldn’t he’s got that as the WVU game. Even the other guy thinks the Florida game is very winnable. The mindset, culture, attitude change in our practices so far is very different than what it was last year. The last 4 games are also very winnable. We have a lot of depth in some key areas but unproven in some others.

They’re weighing in on the benefit of bowl practices and whether you have a better team as a result. Based on his experience here Ainge said there wasn’t a lot of correlation to how they played the following year. In ’04 they were successful because the team rallied around a freshman QB and we were really good at running the football. The next year there was a split locker room and a bunch of guys got hurt and even though we had the bowl practices the year before we only won 5 games in ’05. He thinks the attitude on the team is more important. While bowl practices definitely don’t hurt you it’s not the end all and be all that it’s sometimes made out to be. Ainge talks about some of our Peach bowl appearances where our guys didn’t even show up to play those games. Also during Ainge’s time, there were a lot of guys who used the outback bowl as an opportunity to have a lot of fun off the field (not him). They bounced back in ’07 determined not to make the same mistakes of the prior year, get their bowl practices, and the next year the team wins 5 games and your hall of fame coach gets fired.

He said bowl practices are one of a 50-page list of things that impact our off-season and determine our approach, our dedication, our buy-in, for the next year. He thinks that’s why especially when you have a complete coaching change you end up winning maybe a game or two you’re “not supposed to”. He talks about Butch beating a top 10 South Carolina in ’13 as an example.

Ainge responds to a caller saying right now it’s probably too early to speculate on the Florida game. This year our situations are similar. Our guys don’t see Florida as an Alabama or Georgia. The general consensus is we have an excellent opportunity to win this game this year. This obviously is a huge game for Tennessee.

Twitter question: What is the best position for Trey Smith on the offensive line and what is the best position for the team for Trey Smith on the offensive line? After some lengthy discussion the gist is ideally Richmond would solidify his role at left tackle and allow Trey to have left guard because he’s our best protection against the Mike linebacker coming through the A gap. The Mike will usually have a running start but with Trey at LG he’s going to crash into a wall of iron. Generally, Trey would also be our best left tackle or best any other position on the offensive line. Ainge said Pruitt has said we need to figure out what we have with the other 4 guys and then we’ll know where we need Trey.

Caller calls to complain about press coverage of the QB competition. Ainge says if it was up to me and I was in charge, if I was the offensive coordinator or head coach, JG is the starting QB. He said he’d let the “competition” go on for a few more days but unless something dramatically changed, JG would be the guy because he knows he can do some really big things with him. Ainge said he disagrees with the writer from the Athletic in regards to Chryst being able to put better touch on his throws. Ainge’s partner isn’t willing to say the competition is lopsided one way or the other but Ainge says he is. His partner concedes JG will start the season but KC will eventually take over. Ainge challenges him to show his work on that claim.

Ainge says when he watches Guarantano at practice he get a little jealous of Helton. He tells a story of his first year with Cutcliffe and Peyton saying to him in advance “Cut is going to love you”. The reason was because at that time Ainge was a sponge and totally committed to learning. Peyton told him that he was going to be fun to coach and that Cut was going to enjoy that. Ainge said now that he’s getting old and he watches Guarantano he’s thinking “Man, I would love to coach that kid, everything about him.” All the QBs have ability but everyone at Carson Newman has ability. The thing that really set Guarantano apart in Ainge’s assessment is it’s obvious to him that Guarantano’s teammates see him as their QB. He said he does not foresee JG just playing terrible but if so then you go to your roster. Where, when, and how are what you need to know when throwing the ball as a QB. He sees JG holding on to the ball in difficult circumstances last year as a positive, an indication of his toughness. Last year, according to Ainge, JG didn’t know where to throw the ball.

Ainge absolutely thinks Guarantano will start all 12 games this year. Ainge says Guarantano has learn a tremendous amount during this offseason. Ainge tells his cohost he has a right to his opinion (unsaid was, if you want everyone to know how much of an idiot you are).

A lot of good chatter on Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson. Ainge think’s Alontae likely starts game one but Bryce wasn’t here in the spring and so hasn’t been in the program as long. Even though Alontae was on offense in the spring he is still probably farther along in being “taught” how to play his position. He’s also getting a lot of dedicated attention from Pruitt in fall camp. They seem to think at some point we could have both freshmen corners starting this year because of their athleticism and ball skills. There’s a lot to teach these guys but Ainge thinks it’s doable.

Shamburger is a good player. Ainge doesn’t know how well he can get after the QB. Shamburger can definitely play the nickel but Ainge doesn’t think he’s a Gaulden.

Ainge doesn’t think the young guys in the secondary will be a liability and will only improve as the season progresses. Freshmen corners play all the time.
Ainge says we were at least a 7-5 team last year and there’s not more than 4 or 5 teams on our schedule that are better than us this year. He said Pruitt will have veteran guys like Tuttle, Kongbo, and Bituli and others ready to run through a brick wall by the time we take the field in Charlotte.
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Dang, this is good info. Thank you for posting it!
 
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