This is EYE opening

[Kamara4sixGBO]

And goes against everything we ‘hear’. In the Pruitt vs Smart thread, it was said Smart inherited a better roster than Pruitt. I think that’s clear. So, then to feel better I wanted to see how much better Pruitt has recruited since he got here as that is all we hear.

UT on the 247 team talent composite this year, 15th.
UT on the 247 team talent composite when Pruitt was hired? 12th.

The year before Pruitt came we had 37 3-stars, we now have 49 3-stars. Honestly feel it should be the opposite of this number.

We have 13 more in this class.

I believe in Pruitt and he has shown he can find a 3 star gem, but 49 isn’t going to be gems, most are just going to be rocks.

 

[Jaws]

 

[KB5252]

We aren't closing the gap, and the losses early last year really hurt us, we were able to close some ground but we haven't been able to close on game changers at key positions and we won't until we can take the next step and compete with the big boys.

 

[UTK]

Pruitt's classes are more quality over quantity like Butch Jones. They are good enough for us to at least get within striking distance of the big boys. But no doubt they have to get even better if we wanna compete with UGA and Bama. He's recruiting at around the same level as Mullen is at UF. Needs to beat UF this year. It's a must win.

 

[VolInDayton]

This is incorrect. Team composite ranking in 2018 was also 15.

We have 3 more 5 stars, and 2 less 4 stars. There are more 3 stars because we have more scholorship players.

Overall talent score is 842 on 2020 team compared to 825 on 2018 team.

 

[Cartervol]

And goes against everything we ‘hear’. In the Pruitt vs Smart thread, it was said Smart inherited a better roster than Pruitt. I think that’s clear. So, then to feel better I wanted to see how much better Pruitt has recruited since he got here as that is all we hear.

UT on the 247 team talent composite this year, 15th.
UT on the 247 team talent composite when Pruitt was hired? 12th.

The year before Pruitt came we had 37 3-stars, we now have 49 3-stars. Honestly feel it should be the opposite of this number.

We have 13 more in this class.

I believe in Pruitt and he has shown he can find a 3 star gem, but 49 isn’t going to be gems, most are just going to be rocks.

Been down too long. Hard to sell at this point, even harder when you get boat raced on national TV by the teams you're recruiting the hardest against. That's why i have thought and still do to a point it would take a big hire to get Tennessee where everyone wants them to be. You can't really sell much to these kids now a days other than a vision and dust off the 98 trophy, not much else there at this point. These kids weren't even born the last time Tennessee was on top of the heap.

 

[VolForLife83]

Id have to look more into this, but what it says to me, is that Pruitt is doing more with less. Imagine if he could get talent at the right spots

 

[bpalmer28]

Yeah but look at the key positions....

Our OL sucked. At least now we have talent there. Our QB sucked. At least now we have talent on the bench. Our LBs sucked. At least now we have Henry T. Our DL sucked. At least now we can hold UGA to under 4 ypc and get big stops on 4th & inches.

I see the 247 ratings, but to me they don't reflect reality.

 

[bpalmer28]

Been down too long. Hard to sell at this point, even harder when you get boat raced on national TV by the teams you're recruiting the hardest against. That's why i have thought and still do to a point it would take a big hire to get Tennessee where everyone wants them to be. You can't really sell much to these kids now a days other than a vision and dust off the 98 trophy, not much else there at this point. These kids weren't even born the last time Tennessee was on top of the heap.

There's more than one way to build a competitive program though... there's something to be said for having the same system on both sides of the ball for 4/5 years, developing talent, and relying on your experienced upper classmen to get the job done. I feel like if we expect our path to the top to look like UGA's path to the top we're kidding ourselves. It's going to look more like what Kentucky did in 2018 or what MSU had going under Mullen, but with more talent than either of those teams. If TCU and Baylor can build winning programs without top 10 classes, so can we. It'll just have to look more like Penn State than Ohio State. More like Oklahoma State than Oklahoma.

The only way we're going to recruit with Alabama & Georgia is if we show that we can compete with Alabama & Georgia and I don't think it's realistic to compete with them without following a long-term blue print, which I think we're doing.

 

[CA_Vol]

We aren't closing the gap, and the losses early last year really hurt us, we were able to close some ground but we haven't been able to close on game changers at key positions and we won't until we can take the next step and compete with the big boys.

Can’t take the next step without a new QB. That much is crystal clear.

Beating most of the teams we should, and sometimes not even doing that, and continually getting blown out by our top 3 rivals isn’t working. And I would argue is because we are so badly hamstrung at the most important position on the field: QB.

 

[rjd970]

As good as Pruitt has recruited, it needs to be better. By a lot if we want to compete with Bama and GA. It is what it is.

 

[bpalmer28]

Can’t take the next step without a new QB. That much is crystal clear.

Beating most of the teams we should, and sometimes not even doing that, and continually getting blown out by our top 3 rivals isn’t working. And I would argue is because we are so badly hamstrung at the most important position on the field: QB.

Me and about 70% of the people on this board agree with this I think. Our offense is severely limited, even when the OL plays well.

 

[Cartervol]

There's more than one way to build a competitive program though... there's something to be said for having the same system on both sides of the ball for 4/5 years, developing talent, and relying on your experienced upper classmen to get the job done. I feel like if we expect our path to the top to look like UGA's path to the top we're kidding ourselves. It's going to look more like what Kentucky did in 2018 or what MSU had going under Mullen, but with more talent than either of those teams. If TCU and Baylor can build winning programs without top 10 classes, so can we. It'll just have to look more like Penn State than Ohio State. More like Oklahoma State than Oklahoma.

The only way we're going to recruit with Alabama & Georgia is if we show that we can compete with Alabama & Georgia and I don't think it's realistic to compete with them without following a long-term blue print, which I think we're doing.

I agree and he's going to get his 4 or 5 years, may take longer than that though. Not going to out recruit those teams for the most part so you got to catch them at the right time. Honestly it really takes getting some dynamics out of the QB position to make up for a little less talent. We're going to be in that position against those teams for the most part every time.

 

[vol94]

My 17 yr old son said it best. He hasn’t seen a championship caliber team in his lifetime.

2007- last SEC championship game w 3 losses
2016- lost to three inferior opponents.

He goes to school w two elite high school juniors. The only reason they would attempt UT is because it’s a state school. But they want to play for championships, too. Pruitt and co may recruit better but so will UGA, FL and Bama.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Been down too long. Hard to sell at this point, even harder when you get boat raced on national TV by the teams you're recruiting the hardest against. That's why i have thought and still do to a point it would take a big hire to get Tennessee where everyone wants them to be. You can't really sell much to these kids now a days other than a vision and dust off the 98 trophy, not much else there at this point. These kids weren't even born the last time Tennessee was on top of the heap.

So how do you explain Georgia? Some of their kids' parents weren't even born the last time they won a national championship, plus Smart wasn't even close to a big name hire too.

 

[ReelfootVol]

Let's just quit the arm chair quarterbacking ,and admit that we were demolished by a more quality team. Very simple................we were not suppose to even be in the game, yet we won the first half. Forget it and move on . More blame is not necessary, a butt whoopin is a butt whoopin any way you look at it !!!!!

 

[bpalmer28]

I agree and he's going to get his 4 or 5 years, may take longer than that though. Not going to out recruit those teams for the most part so you got to catch them at the right time. Honestly it really takes getting some dynamics out of the QB position to make up for a little less talent. We're going to be in that position against those teams for the most part every time.

Yep. That's why I'm so surprised that Pruitt has stuck with JG for 3 years. Yes, he probably gives us the best chance to win right now but if we don't develop a more dynamic QB we'll never have a chance to beat the best. Hopefully the Sunday scrimmages will help with that.

 

[Cartervol]

So how do you explain Georgia? Some of their kids' parents weren't even born the last time they won a national championship, plus Smart wasn't even close to a big name hire too.

Atlanta metro area.. Walk outside and fall over 4 or 5 5 star guys. Plus they had some success under Richt, won a couple of SEC titles, no big trophies since Herchel but more success in the last twenty years than the Vols. We have everything in place to be successful. Just got to stop getting run out of the stadium by these teams and it would be easier.

 

[vols 30]

If you had posted this in the RF, the regulars over there would've been in attack mode. They think every 3 star is an overlooked superstar.

 

[Cartervol]

Yep. That's why I'm so surprised that Pruitt has stuck with JG for 3 years. Yes, he probably gives us the best chance to win right now but if we don't develop a more dynamic QB we'll never have a chance. Hopefully the Sunday scrimmages will help with that.

This team and for the most part would do better with a mobile QB. Against the UGA defense it would of slowed that pass rush down. They know JG isn't any threat to run, makes it much easier for them to just pin their ears back. It also forces JG to try to find a hot read, or go through his progressions like a pro QB. He rarely looks past his 1st read, if it isn't there he panics.

 

[bpalmer28]

This team and for the most part would do better with a mobile QB. Against the UGA defense it would of slowed that pass rush down. They know JG isn't any threat to run, makes it much easier for them to just pin their ears back. It also forces JG to try to find a hot read, or go through his progressions like a pro QB. He rarely looks past his 1st read, if it isn't there he panics.

Agreed. Was hoping Jimmy Holiday could become a poor man's Lamar Jackson but apparently not. I do think we need one though. Got throw something out there that's difficult to defend.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Some people want to believe that we can use the Clemson model. Recruit in the 10-15 range every year until we get or Watson or Lawrence and we are good. Sorry but that won’t work.

Recruiting 10-15 in the ACC will likely put you either #1, or at worst #2 in the conference. Where as 10-15 in the SEC will put you at about 5-6th in the conference. That’s a huge difference. I really don’t know how we close the talent gap between the big dogs in the SEC.

 

[LittleVol]

And goes against everything we ‘hear’. In the Pruitt vs Smart thread, it was said Smart inherited a better roster than Pruitt. I think that’s clear. So, then to feel better I wanted to see how much better Pruitt has recruited since he got here as that is all we hear.

UT on the 247 team talent composite this year, 15th.
UT on the 247 team talent composite when Pruitt was hired? 12th.

The year before Pruitt came we had 37 3-stars, we now have 49 3-stars. Honestly feel it should be the opposite of this number.

We have 13 more in this class.

I believe in Pruitt and he has shown he can find a 3 star gem, but 49 isn’t going to be gems, most are just going to be rocks.

You're talking about stars as if they mean something.

Tyus Fields was a 4 star. Should he start over 3 star Trayvaun Flowers??
3 star Slaughter has so far beat out 4 star Key Lawrence.
And im pretty sure some of the supposed 49 3 stars you say we have are actually 4 stars on another site.

IOW it's unreliable...

This team is one player away from possibly beating a stacked UGA team, and you are really trying to argue were not as talented as a 4-8 Butch Jones Squad???

 

[ftsandersvol]

I agree and he's going to get his 4 or 5 years, may take longer than that though. Not going to out recruit those teams for the most part so you got to catch them at the right time. Honestly it really takes getting some dynamics out of the QB position to make up for a little less talent. We're going to be in that position against those teams for the most part every time.

We are going to need to recruit at least a 4*, but preferably 5*, QB every class. We also need more 5* skill players in every class. It looks like a majority of 3* and 4* players aren't going to get it done. Having said that, I have no idea how to convince them except possibly immediate playing time, just like every other program in the country though. I know it's about relationship building too, so recruiters really have to do their homework on these kids.

 

[Cartervol]

Agreed. Was hoping Jimmy Holiday could become a poor man's Lamar Jackson but apparently not. I do think we need one though. Got throw something out there that's difficult to defend.

It will be a struggle the rest of the way if it stays the same. Every team gets film on you, understands how other teams defended you and will try to emulate it.. Some teams will have the personnel to make it work some won't. That's why i'm sticking with my at best case scenario 6-4 record. We're going to be in dogfights and have to lean heavily on our defense if we don't change something.