Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[JAllen18]

Player Development & RB Talent. I also still think Peyton changed his entire career, who knows if Fulmer gets where he got without landing Peyton. (That was his 2nd full season as HC when Peyton took over in 94)

But ultimately they recruited NFL talent and then followed through on developing them into NFL talent. I remember some ridiculous talent at RB coming out of here in the 90s

Charlie Garner
James "Little Man" Stewart (my first favorite player)
Aaron Hayden
Jay Graham
Jamal Lewis
Shawn Bryson
Travis Henry
Travis Stephens
Cedric Houston
Gerald Riggs Jr
Arian Foster
Montario Hardesty

Fulmer was one of the best recruiters of all time. Constantly brought in #1 players and from different states, even more so than Alabama has during their dominance. The SEC being weaker had much to contribute to that, but he still deserves his props.

 

[letsgoUT29]

Losing to LSU in SEC championship broke Fulmer. If we had won, we would have played Miami for National Championship. It was the beginning of the end. If we win that game, recruiting would have continued to soar. We lost to a back up QB and lost to a team we had beaten convincingly in the regular season. Even Vol fans began to question Fulmer. So much talent for 7 years, yet only two SEC titles at that point.

I think UT fans like to romanticize about the 01 team. Truth is we lived on the edge all season and played amazing against the Gators. I think the decline began when Sanders took over at OC. Everyone talks about the 01 team, but the 99 team may have had the most talent.

 

[Aesius]

For as much as Phil loves the Vols and wants to see them competitive, it's going to be tough for him to watch them get blown out two weeks in a row, first by his arch nemesis program with a Heisman QB and then to a team that ponied up the cash and is now a playoff contender.

 

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

Pruitt firmly on the hot seat next year. Will be interesting to see how many offensive staff changes may happen in the offseason..

It’s a big risk with the best recruiting class in Tennessee in a long time.

 

[Aesius]

Fulmer was one of the best recruiters of all time. Constantly brought in #1 players and from different states, even more so than Alabama has during their dominance. The SEC being weaker had much to contribute to that, but he still deserves his props.

A lot of parallels between Fulmer in the 90s and Dabo in the 10s IMO.

 

[GoBigOrange86]

I think UT fans like to romanticize about the 01 team. Truth is we lived on the edge all season and played amazing against the Gators. I think the decline began when Sanders took over at OC. Everyone talks about the 01 team, but the 99 team may have had the most talent.

The 01 team needed a miracle comeback to beat a 2-9 Kentucky team. Beat a crappy Arkansas 13-3. Lost to a mediocre UGA team. They’re not as good as the orange colored glasses make them seem.

 

[Devo182]

I’ve never seen a group of grown(ish) men band together collectively to pine over something that just isn’t gonna happen. Lol

Have you followed p******s the past month?

 

[LA Vol]

Randy isn't dumb and he is far more aggressive than people in that post over the last two decades. He's got the money lined up to do any number of things.

But he's tight with Fulmer - and if Fulmer advises him to give Pruitt another year, I'd guess he'd do it. But as soon as Fulmer tells him the tide has shifted, it's over.

When you're trying hard to row in the same direction, a coup is counterproductive. Fulmer has been standing behind Pruitt. Boyd is standing behind his AD. Others are standing with Fulmer and Boyd. Division among leadership is not what UT wants.

UT does not have the money to make this change. They're already lining up funding to manage this year's COVID-induced shortfall. They're projecting a similar shortfall next year. Of course, the money can be found-- and if Boyd wants to make a coaching change, it will be sourced. UT is already looking at alternative scenarios for the next few years. But funding a HC buyout would come with strings. Some people are going to be unhappy no matter what UT does.

 

[tnktm]

Since Pruitt is associated with elite defenses I want him to mastermind the defense and maybe have rare, vague input on anything else. That’s how I think he succeeds. I don’t really want to train him to be a general manager (like Pittman is thought to be for example) and let someone else run the defense - his managing skills aren’t what we hired him for (I hope).

 

[Aesius]

When you're trying hard to row in the same direction, a coup is counterproductive. Fulmer has been standing behind Pruitt. Boyd is standing behind his AD. Others are standing with Fulmer and Boyd. Division among leadership is not what UT wants.

UT does not have the money to make this change. They're already lining up funding to manage this year's COVID-induced shortfall. They're projecting a similar shortfall next year. Of course, the money can be found-- and if Boyd wants to make a coaching change, it will be sourced. UT is already looking at alternative scenarios for the next few years. But funding a HC buyout would come with strings. Some people are going to be unhappy no matter what UT does.

It's so damn UT that everyone aligns for once...and they back a guy who is about to lose 7 games in a row.

 

[drvenner]

Crop dusted the dentist. Oops

I am sure your dentist has caused you some discomfort before. Paybacks are a bitch.

 

[05_never_again]

True, but unfortunately dominated by Nebraska. They were the real deal and we saw that first hand when the Gators were dominated in 95 and us in 97.

If Spurrier wasn't in the SEC, Tom Osborne would have been Phil's bugaboo instead of Spurrier.

 

[drvenner]

The 01 team needed a miracle comeback to beat a 2-9 Kentucky team. Beat a crappy Arkansas 13-3. Lost to a mediocre UGA team. They’re not as good as the orange colored glasses make them seem.

It was still very sweet to beat Spurrier in the Swamp. Travis Stephens played out of his mind that night.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

SIAP but with the ILB talk - Martavious French was brought up in the PC yesterday and Pruitt said he came in at over 250lbs.... spending this year changing his body. Currently is down to 221 and they’re going to build him back up.

 

[drvenner]

“A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.”

That one’s easier to remember.

True. But I still like mine more

 

[Kingston Vol]

When you're trying hard to row in the same direction, a coup is counterproductive. Fulmer has been standing behind Pruitt. Boyd is standing behind his AD. Others are standing with Fulmer and Boyd. Division among leadership is not what UT wants.

UT does not have the money to make this change. They're already lining up funding to manage this year's COVID-induced shortfall. They're projecting a similar shortfall next year. Of course, the money can be found-- and if Boyd wants to make a coaching change, it will be sourced. UT is already looking at alternative scenarios for the next few years. But funding a HC buyout would come with strings. Some people are going to be unhappy no matter what UT does.

Right, the Barnes stuff is a perfect example of this. They saw his value, a blueblood came in for him, and they did what it took to keep him around.

A previous athletic director or previous President, or any combination of the two, probably don't get that done.

My guess is that the same energy and cooperation can work in reverse. IF those two make the decision that Pruitt is dead, it won't take long at all for them to get all the ducks moving in that row. It may not happen, but my gut has been all this time that two beatdowns would get them there.

Recruiting falling off would only exacerbate the issue - Fulmer probably keeps track of recruiting more closely than any AD we've ever had. He talks to recruits and their parents all the time.

Fulmer has a new contract and his "loyalty" is to the University, not to Jeremy Pruitt. My opinion is that will not be an issue in this discussion.

 

[05_never_again]

The 01 team needed a miracle comeback to beat a 2-9 Kentucky team. Beat a crappy Arkansas 13-3. Lost to a mediocre UGA team. They’re not as good as the orange colored glasses make them seem.

That Georgia team that they lost to also wasn't a great Georgia team - it was Richt's first year and they finished 8-4.

It's romanticized because it had more NFL talent on it than the 1997 and 1998 teams. We had 10 guys drafted in the 2002 draft, including 3 1st rounders. Alabama numbers.

 

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

When you're trying hard to row in the same direction, a coup is counterproductive. Fulmer has been standing behind Pruitt. Boyd is standing behind his AD. Others are standing with Fulmer and Boyd. Division among leadership is not what UT wants.

UT does not have the money to make this change. They're already lining up funding to manage this year's COVID-induced shortfall. They're projecting a similar shortfall next year. Of course, the money can be found-- and if Boyd wants to make a coaching change, it will be sourced. UT is already looking at alternative scenarios for the next few years. But funding a HC buyout would come with strings. Some people are going to be unhappy no matter what UT does.

$$$ is going to be harder and harder to get by keeping Pruitt. Neyland will be 60-75k depending on how this year finishes. The losses will be way more by keeping Pruitt. Fulmer messed up big extending Pruitt. It will be funny to see if they call the VFL’s again before next season or invite them over to Pruitts house. I doubt it or they are way more picky on who they call because it won’t go well.

 

[Adam2014]

I am actually going to the game Saturday. Last time I watched the Florida game in person we won. Just sayin.

 

[OGbabyaviVol]

stopped reading at “they have a plan in place”

Gruden and the admin already has a MOU, amirite? Soon!

 

[RyanWalkerPGH]

These are playoff contenders. They're much more talented teams and they're looking to make a statement to influence the selection committee. So a thumping, while hard to stomach, won't shock anyone. Any movement toward change starts at the top. A very small group of people have say, and while Fulmer is one of them, the pivotal player is Randy Boyd.

That's not crowd control. That's how UT works.

Doesn't matter if they are playoff contenders or not. You can't lose 6 plus games in a row by double digits. And you should at least be competitive with them in year 3. Pruitt is getting embarrassed in every game against a team with a pulse.

 

[05_never_again]

A lot of parallels between Fulmer in the 90s and Dabo in the 10s IMO.

Probably not "under the radar" to the folks in this forum, but Clemson is a low key thorn in the side of us in terms of recruiting.

People think of Georgia as our biggest recruiting challenge, and that's true, but Clemson beats us out for all sorts of people we used to get. Not just the Trevor Lawrences, Travis Etiennes, and Amari Rodgerss that everybody knows. They are in the ACC so I think some folks forget about them on the recruiting trail.

 

[Volfanatic_20]

Russel Smith on the Drive yesterday also saying JG quit the team. Fan run radio at its finest.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

If Spurrier was in the SEC West, Phil probably would have won the East every year from 1995-1999. If Spurrier was outside the SEC, Phil probably would have won the SEC all of those years too and probably played in multiple national title games.

No doubt, that '95 team was special. 11-1 and the only loss was to Florida....Peyton "choked" that game away, we hung 37 on 'em and had a 16 point lead in the 2nd quarter. Lost 62-37 :|

 

[LA Vol]

$$$ is going to be harder and harder to get by keeping Pruitt. Neyland will be 60-75k depending on how this year finishes. The losses will be way more by keeping Pruitt. Fulmer messed up big extending Pruitt. It will be funny to see if they call the VFL’s again before next season or invite them over to Pruitts house. I doubt it or they are way more picky on who they call because it won’t go well.

Fans tend to have a bottom-up perspective when top-down is the driver. There are plenty of VFLs who would pack Pruitt's house-- and plenty of high-level donors who're keeping their seats.