Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

Status
Not open for further replies.
Our OL is playing good football, our defense is playing okay, much better Saturday than the week before, our skill players are as good as anyone not named GA and Bama on our schedule. With QB play we can still win some games. JG needs to figure this out man. Somehow, some way
The OL looked really good on Saturday - especially on those stretch/toss running plays. Just keep doing that and getting those guys those good reps. It’ll pay off eventually - probably against teams like Vandy and UAB - but the real gains will be going into 2020.
 
Our OL is playing good football, our defense is playing okay, much better Saturday than the week before, our skill players are as good as anyone not named GA and Bama on our schedule. With QB play we can still win some games. JG needs to figure this out man. Somehow, some way
Until another QB is in there, I’m out. Never liked JG since he pouted in the Tech game. Born to lose
 
Pruitt did mention before the season, that some of the freshmen would not be ready until game 5 or game 6. I think he needs to play those guys now. (if he hasn't already). Nows the time for these guys to take their lumps and get better as the season progresses.
That's a good point but the reality is. He's had to throw them out there much earlier than anticipated. He knows that they aren't ready but still has to play them to have a chance.
 
At this point, we have to continue to recruit, recruit, and recruit. Both lines need considerable good depth. Pruitt and staff need to shut out the noise and continue to recruit at a high level. This program needs a top 10 recruiting class every year in order to be at the top of the SEC. The Vol twitter nation are both a gift and a curse. We don't need the toxicity of the "Fire Pruitt" crowd.
Not sure how much Swain talks to Fulmer but he said this morning on TV that any fire Pruitt talk was nonsense and not even a consideration.
At least outside the social media and call in people that just love drama.

And of course repeated that Saturday was not on coaching.
 
As I said yesterday, but people were too busy talking about Fahring Pruitt to discuss, we can still do that this year. The SEC east outside of GA and Fl are on the same level as us it looks like. We can still make noise in November. 6 games is not out of the question IF, and I know its a major if, they can get better QB play.

Sorry to disappoint some, but there is no substitute for time and experience. For our players and coaches.
I believe you are correct about QB play as this is one position that has the most experience and seems to regressed. It is never easy for a QB to have coordinator changes though.

I like our new guys and they provide a lot of inexperienced talent all over the field. I want to see game to game improvement and at the end of the year we can make a more informed opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SoilVol
Pruitt did mention before the season, that some of the freshmen would not be ready until game 5 or game 6. I think he needs to play those guys now. (if he hasn't already). Nows the time for these guys to take their lumps and get better as the season progresses.
I was thinking about why he isn't playing some freshmen now is he could be saving them for SEC play. With the new Red Shirt rule, why not play them now to get them experience. Maybe he will save Simmons for UK, SC, Vandy, and UF or MS State. If he is as strong and disruptive as they say, get him some game time.
 
Recruiting is “pretty good.”

Dooley’s three classes: 7th, 14th, 19th // avg. 13.3
Butch’s 4 classes: 25th, 7th, 4th, 14th // avg. 12.5

You’d say all of those were “pretty good” but none of them bridged the talent gap between us and the top of the SEC.

Pruitt’s 3 classes: 21st, 13th, 22nd (right now - 3/4 wins will make sure it doesn’t improve) // avg. 18.6

So yes, it is “substandard” by comparing it to previous staffs’ recruiting output. And it is certainly substandard by SEC comparison.

Dooley had more time to put together his classes as the early signing day was not in place and the perception of the Vol program was not as negative. Butch's classes were illusions due to oversigning/busts. CJP had all of three weeks for his first class plus the negative perception (only 3 winning seasons in the last 9 years and 1 SEC record over .500) of the program.

Your agenda is known as you use 247 rankings because they are lower than Rivals and you "like" posts that are critical of CJP and you have been since he was hired.
 
For the record, I am not advocating for Pruitt to be fired. I don’t want it to happen.

But it is going to take something trajectory altering for this thing to work out. There is no evidence to support the conclusion that this coaching staff is going to survive.

If this was the 3rd year for this staff I'd probably be on the same page, I think because of who the AD is, because of how much has been invested, and because of the previous history with coaching searches. Pruitt likely has 4 years, regardless of what happens this year.

Granted if they go 0-X then next year is big time iffy. If he salvages 5 or more wins this year he'll have next season without question. I think this year is the true rebuild of the foundation. Last year he inherited more on defense, especially on the LOS than people give credit, Phillips and Tuttle both are currently on NFL teams, not just practice squads.
 
Pruitt did mention before the season, that some of the freshmen would not be ready until game 5 or game 6. I think he needs to play those guys now. (if he hasn't already). Nows the time for these guys to take their lumps and get better as the season progresses.
Yep, throw them in now and maybe they'll catch on at the end of the season to win 2 or 3 SEC games. And they'll be that much more ahead come next season. It isn't that far fetched to believe we will have a really good team next year if Bailey comes in and catches on quick. Freshman QBs do it all the time now.
 
I'm thinking Pruitt and Chaney may feel like JG's issues are mostly mental and, if that is their mindset, they will feel that he needs all the snaps this Saturday, assuming that he will have some success against UTC and that it will help cure some of those mental issues.

I don't feel that way, I think he's just not an SEC-level quarterback. But, I think they may feel that way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SoilVol
Pruitt did mention before the season, that some of the freshmen would not be ready until game 5 or game 6. I think he needs to play those guys now. (if he hasn't already). Nows the time for these guys to take their lumps and get better as the season progresses.

He is. To'o To'o, Crouch, Gray, Burrell, the DL, Morris, Wright, etc. They are all getting solid amounts of playing time.
 
True but don't forget they literally played every snap because there was nobody behind them

Part of the problem I think. We also lost Gooden to injury, to me the defensive struggles we saw against Georgia State came down to inexperience more than lack of talent.

And unfortunately with inexperience you get players who appear to not have any motivation because they are honestly so unsure of what they are doing it's like being stuck in 2nd gear.


Can't change things now, but last year guys like Mincey, Harris, Emerson (especially this guy) shouldn't have been given RS treatment. Put them in for a minimum of 15-20 plays, regardless if they were "ready" or not. They needed those snaps in live action then so they wouldn't be just now getting them.
 
If this was the 3rd year for this staff I'd probably be on the same page, I think because of who the AD is, because of how much has been invested, and because of the previous history with coaching searches. Pruitt likely has 4 years, regardless of what happens this year.

Granted if they go 0-X then next year is big time iffy. If he salvages 5 or more wins this year he'll have next season without question. I think this year is the true rebuild of the foundation. Last year he inherited more on defense, especially on the LOS than people give credit, Phillips and Tuttle both are currently on NFL teams, not just practice squads.
I think he’ll get next year unless we’re looking at something like 1-10 or 2-9 going into the Vanderbilt game to end the season. But I don’t think that will be the case. IF the team the played BYU shows up every week, this is a 3-4-5 win team.

My concern is that even the top end of that isn’t good enough to light a fire under recruiting. We all said going into the year that we needed 7 or more wins to have that difference making class. Now that’s out the window and we’re going to win half as many games. That has to have an effect.

My concern is 2020 as a make or break year. The schedule is tougher and we’ll still be young - especially on defense.

Right now - and a lot can change of course - but I’d have us pegged as a 7ish win team next season. And how we reach those 7 wins would determine if Pruitt survives it. Start something like 2-5 and he might not get the chance to turn it around.
 
Last edited:
I remember 1988 with 6 straight loses. They fought Bama pretty good in that sixth loss iirc. Went on to win 5 straight and 1989 propelled us to a decade of success.

A lot of inexperience and youth. Give it time. Who wants to volunteer to hang out on the billboard until we win?

And you will also remember that the SEC was just plain bad at that time
 
  • Like
Reactions: VOLSanon
Part of the problem I think. We also lost Gooden to injury, to me the defensive struggles we saw against Georgia State came down to inexperience more than lack of talent.

And unfortunately with inexperience you get players who appear to not have any motivation because they are honestly so unsure of what they are doing it's like being stuck in 2nd gear.


Can't change things now, but last year guys like Mincey, Harris, Emerson (especially this guy) shouldn't have been given RS treatment. Put them in for a minimum of 15-20 plays, regardless if they were "ready" or not. They needed those snaps in live action then so they wouldn't be just now getting them.
I agree, and these are mistakes that we can and should live with when it comes too Pruitt. He's going to make some mistakes. The 4th and 1 call ended up being a mistake for example. That's going to happen. But this is a complete rebuild and always has been. Losing Gooden, Bituli, and Thompson hurt us a lot more than we wanted to admit at the beginning of the season.

That said, our defense can get a lot better when Bituli and Thompson are back. Our defense will be playing their best ball by the time the back half of the schedule rolls around. We can still recover this year. And the outlook for 2020 still looks good with all of that experience we bring back on defense. Gooden comes back, everyone on the DL comes back, Henry, Banks, Crouch, Roman all have more experience. Thompson and Taylor are juniors. Flowers and Jackson are back with Tank pushing as well. This defense will be nasty in 2020 and they'll be playing really well come October and November of this year.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Advertisement



Back
Top