Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

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Never saw it, but then I don't spend as much time in here. UF was willing to spend the money to attract a coach like Mullen. TAMU was willing to spend the money to attract Fisher. UT was willing to spend the money to attract Pruitt. That should speak volumes to people, but they'd rather ignore that and think somehow that would change with a new coaching search, in spite of the massive buyouts that would have to be paid. We're not going to spend the money. We've proven it time and again. People need to realize that.
Iirc Mullen was coming here until Florida offered
 
Let's be realistic. That first class they got a late start and never had a shot at a top QB. Last class, we were dealing with Helton leaving and an OC search, which doesn't necessarily draw QB recruits. None of the higher rated grad transfer QBs considered us because they thought it a lock JG would be starter. In fact, most of the top transfer QBs looked for a spot they were pretty much guaranteed to starting role. You can see that as an excuse, or you can accept that was the reality, but looking at class number 3, we have Bailey.

The only way to make a player better is if they're coachable. I'm beginning to wonder if JG is. He keeps making the same mistakes, and it's very hard for me to believe that someone like Chaney who has had a successful career wouldn't try to fix that.

After observing JG this year, it has become apparent to me that even though he may possess certain physical gifts that can be honed through repetition, he lacks the innate, God-given cerebral talents necessary to be a productive QB. He seems to have no sense of athletic timing, nor does he have that uncanny, almost extrasensory knack for seeing things develop before they actually do. Two things which good QBs and Point Guards in basketball have. I don't suspect that the kid is uncoachable, I believe he's a victim of low football acumen and will never be better than fair-to-middling. You either have it, or you don't. In my opinion, he doesn't. It pains me disparage him because he seems to be a fine, upstanding young man.
 
Never saw it, but then I don't spend as much time in here. UF was willing to spend the money to attract a coach like Mullen. TAMU was willing to spend the money to attract Fisher. UT was willing to spend the money to attract Pruitt. That should speak volumes to people, but they'd rather ignore that and think somehow that would change with a new coaching search, in spite of the massive buyouts that would have to be paid. We're not going to spend the money. We've proven it time and again. People need to realize that.
All good points. Our admin is more of the problem this last decade than anything else.
 
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How was his situation significantly better? Franks is every bit as bad as JG. We stack up with them on paper at almost every position. We're in the same division. You really think Mac had that program in a better spot?
Franks was bad, but not as bad as JG. At least he was willing to run. And UF's OL last year was vastly superior. We've had over a decade of incompetence. UF was in a much better place.
 
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Franks was bad, but not as bad as JG. At least he was willing to run. And UF's OL last year was vastly superior. We've had over a decade of incompetence. UF was in a much better place.
They won 4 games. I'd entertain some slight edges over us here or there, but overall we were very similar imo.
 
Never saw it, but then I don't spend as much time in here. UF was willing to spend the money to attract a coach like Mullen. TAMU was willing to spend the money to attract Fisher. UT was willing to spend the money to attract Pruitt. That should speak volumes to people, but they'd rather ignore that and think somehow that would change with a new coaching search, in spite of the massive buyouts that would have to be paid. We're not going to spend the money. We've proven it time and again. People need to realize that.

Sadly this is what I believe really lead to us missing on Mullen. He's making 6 million at UF. I think had we offered up near that before UF called he wouldn't be in the wrong shade of orange.
 
I’m with you on all of it. I understand your position and I know everyone is unhappy.

The difference between you and I, I suppose, is that you think this thing is fixable. Your mantra has been to fix the immediate issues. And that’s a good thing to do! But you said it before BYU and before Florida. It’s too late in the season to make any wholesale changes and losing begets more losing.

This thing isn’t going to get fixed, man. Especially not this year. Doesn’t mean you have to be doom and gloom like me - I understand how much that sucks. But I have no interest in talking about things that aren’t going to happen. This thing is going to get worse before it gets better.

I don't know if it's fixable or not. Nobody does. We all have our suspicions, but we're not even halfway through Year 2. I still think there are things that can be tried this year to limp our way to a few more wins. So yes, fix the fixable is my mantra. Every game matters, and every win helps. And no, it's not going to be good enough. Not at Tennessee.

What I think isn't going to happen is a coaching search this year. So I find little value in talking about that. Barring something completely unforeseen, UT is going to give Pruitt another year and another recruiting class and see where we are in Year 3. If we didn't want a rookie HC that was going to have to learn OTJ, we shouldn't have hired one. We shouldn't have given him a handcuff deal. But we did, and we are where we are. We're going to have to see it through a bit longer.
 
I don't know if it's fixable or not. Nobody does. We all have our suspicions, but we're not even halfway through Year 2. But I still think there are things that can be tried this year to limp our way to a few more wins. So yes, fix the fixable is my mantra. Every game matters, and every win helps. And no, it's not going to be good enough. Not at Tennessee.

What I think isn't going to happen is a coaching search this year. So I find little value in talking about that. Barring something completely unforeseen, UT is going to give Pruitt another year and another recruiting class and see where we are in Year 3. If we didn't want a rookie HC that was going to have to learn OTJ, we shouldn't have hired one. We shouldn't have given him a handcuff deal. But we did, and we are where we are. We're going to have to see it through a bit longer.
If Pruitt ends up being replaced next year, do you think Fulmer is replaced as well? I'm just curious since Pruitt was his hire.
 
Mullen was the top choice for UTs HC if you remember. Yet, we still couldn't hire him since he had a better offer. If Pruitt is fired after 2 seasons, I would be surprised if Fulmer could even get an interview with a "Mullen" level coach.
I do remember. And while it’s probably true that he wanted the Florida job regardless, we should have beaten them to it with an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Instead, Currie didn’t meet with him on that Saturday and instead decided to pursue Schiano and the rest is history.
 
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Based on what? 2017 Florida was 4-7, 2017 Vols were 4-8. Recruiting at Florida under McElwain was an average class rating of 14.7, Recruiting at Tennessee under Butch was an average class rating of 11.7 during the same period.

This is one of the biggest issues with Tennessee football. You parade around about Tennessee's average recruit rankings as to why Tennessee should be good. Have you watched any of the games? How many players are no longer on the team or never played a meaningful snap at Tennessee?

If there was no such thing as recruit rankings, would people seriously be watching the team the past few years and saying "yeah we have a lot of talent"? If you have a good roster you beat teams like Ga St even if coaching is bad. Look at the Charlotte game from last year, I did not see much of a talent difference on the field.

The SEC set a record in the last NFL draft for players drafted and not one of them was from Tennessee. I think Tennessee has not had a player selected in 3 of the last 5 drafts. I do not really like piling on the players but I am not sure Tennessee has a lot of guys that would play for other power 5 teams.
 
Blaming the QB and the roster is semi-warranted. The roster and QB are better than the QBs at BYU, GSU and Vandy. We’re underachieving and throwing it all on the QB is a convenient way to play a little slide of hand with the real issue.
Incorrect. All three of those QB's are better than any QB on the Vols roster at this point in time.
 
I don't know if it's fixable or not. Nobody does. We all have our suspicions, but we're not even halfway through Year 2. I still think there are things that can be tried this year to limp our way to a few more wins. So yes, fix the fixable is my mantra. Every game matters, and every win helps. And no, it's not going to be good enough. Not at Tennessee.

What I think isn't going to happen is a coaching search this year. So I find little value in talking about that. Barring something completely unforeseen, UT is going to give Pruitt another year and another recruiting class and see where we are in Year 3. If we didn't want a rookie HC that was going to have to learn OTJ, we shouldn't have hired one. We shouldn't have given him a handcuff deal. But we did, and we are where we are. We're going to have to see it through a bit longer.
I disagree with your assumption we won’t have a coaching search. You’re well plugged in - I talk to a few people - and the rumblings are already starting. Start 1-7 and lose to Vanderbilt or UAB and this thing is dead.

I understand the money issue. I really do. But Fulmer can get money thrown around.

And more to the point, if we don’t get a search this year, we’re absolutely getting one next year so the thought process of identifying coaches is at least forward thinking.
 
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Also...to be clear...I am not really a Pruiit guy at this point..but..firing him is a bad idea till he can at least get us back to .500 ball. I think he can recruit and coach that well at least.

He has horrid QBs, a bad, or at least young OL that doesn't allow for a ground and pound game, and a young crap defense, or at least right now it is, that doesn't allow for a ground and pound game either.

Just a decent QB could get us 5 wins at least, but JG and his backups all suck, so there is no help coming from them...at all.

There is no answer right at this point.
It is crazy to think we shouldn’t fire a coach who wins two games at UT. I can name fove coaches right now who could win 5-6 games at UT next year and would absolutely come here. We need to stop lowering expectations. Bowl games are not to much to ask for at UT.
 
If Pruitt ends up being replaced next year, do you think Fulmer is replaced as well? I'm just curious since Pruitt was his hire.

Fulmer's on a four-year contract through 2021. He'll probably stick unless he has health issues or a new president brings the broom. Randy Boyd is only committed for another year and reiterates that he doesn't want to be more than interim. So we need to stabilize football.
 
This cycle of hire a coach and divide the locker room because older guys don’t fit into what new coach wants to do isn’t working. Hasn’t been for 10+ years.
It’s because we are making terrible hires and not hiring a proven head coach.
 
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