Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[RiotVol]

I see what your saying and hopefully it works that way. However this year's team was the most veteran team we could have possibly had.

Right?!!

We had a line completely composed of four and five star recruits with starts under their belts, and probably one of the best linemen we’ve had since the glory days.

We had an electric rb in Gray, and Chandler as a backup. Palmer, Johnson, and Jones at wide receiver.

And a fifth year senior at QB, two qbs who got playing time the previous year, and a true freshman who shredded some of the best high school fb in the country.

Maybe, just maybe, it ain’t the players.

Just our luck we get an elite defensive mind that players like, but he’s absolute dogs$h!t at managing all of the things that needs to be managed in a big time program.

 

[JAllen18]

I consider Fulmer to be a top HC. As an AD, everyone in the AD has faith in him and has handed him the keys to bring UT back to powerhouse. But I think he's let his ego take over. He wants to prove to everyone that he's the right guy and he can "mentor" Pruitt along. He listened to the fanbase in 08 for a new exciting offense and that backfired on him.

 

[shocker]

The argument we will have Harrison Bailey as our QB next year is great but please understand that our offensive system is outdated and was figured out years ago and our offensive line won’t give him hardly any time in the pocket...have fun with 5 wins next year though if we keep Pruitt

 

[Dudley Smith]

Would Freeze have thick enough skin for Knoxville seeing how he is tweeting back fans? What happens if his name ends up on the rock like Pruitt?

This is a big concern for me with Freeze. He needs to hand over the Twitter account to a staffer if he’s our head coach because engaging with #voltwitter is going to be a constant distraction for him that will affect the product we get on the field. That’s an easy enough fix, so it’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a potential pitfall for him if he’s not careful. Stick to softballs on WNML with John and Jimmy.

 

[MarcoVol]

Anybody wanna offer an answer to an actual recruiting question or is this time slot devoted to CJP talk only?

Ok question about the ‘22 instate class - is the feeling that a lot of TN kids are underrated in that class? Or that the talent at the top is way better than it has been?

I keep hearing it’s a deeper class than what the state has typically produced but the rankings show about the same number of 4*+ recruits as previous classes.

 

[Catbone]

The argument we will have Harrison Bailey as our QB next year is great but please understand that our offensive system is outdated and was figured out years ago and our offensive line won’t give him hardly any time in the pocket...have fun with 5 wins next year though if we keep Pruitt

Yep. This offense is the single biggest problem the football team has. It's archaic, boring, and ineffective.

 

[DustyRockSolid]

Pruitt calling priority recruits underscores that the investigation hasn't turned up major infractions. Otherwise, they would be handling it differently to protect the university.

He is coming back. That's all there is to it

 

[LA Vol]

Why do they expect things to mend next year? It's insanity. No one likes Pruitt except Friend and Phil, and Friend is gone! He's digging us in a deeper hole and everyone knows it. No one worth a damn will come here and work under Pruitt to fill the position coaches vacancy when he's a known jerk and micromanager who won't even be here in 22.

Actually, Pruitt has internal support and booster support, and there's money behind him as well as against him. And plenty of assistant coaches will come to UT for the right terms. Any agent is going to demand favorable terms for any new staffers under any HC at UT. That's the position we're in.

None of which means I'm advocating for Pruitt in any way. But there is a path forward with or without him.

 

[Chuckie]

ETSU
UTEP
Auburn
Charlotte
Kentucky (2)
Chattanooga
Mississippi St
South Carolina (2)
UAB
Missouri (2)
Vanderbilt (2)
Indiana

Who wants to be the first to make an ass out of themselves by trying to defend that?

 

[Skizer41]

Right?!!

We had a line completely composed of four and five star recruits with starts under their belts, and probably one of the best linemen we’ve had since the glory days.

We had an electric rb in Gray, and Chandler as a backup. Palmer, Johnson, and Jones at wide receiver.

And a fifth year senior at QB, two qbs who got playing time the previous year, and a true freshman who shredded some of the best high school fb in the country.

Maybe, just maybe, it ain’t the players.

Just our luck we get an elite defensive mind that players like, but he’s absolute dogs$h!t at managing all of the things that needs to be managed in a big time program.

You said it much better than I did! I'm not sure we have the stars align, as far as experienced players, again for a very long time.

 

[CoachClick]

Pruitt himself needs to address the fanbase that's lost faith in him.

This is not his strength. Every time the guy opens his mouth, it just puts people off.

I'm still trying to figure out what his "strength" is tbh.

 

[Johnny Majors' Ghost]

I consider Fulmer to be a top HC. As an AD, everyone in the AD has faith in him and has handed him the keys to bring UT back to powerhouse. But I think he's let his ego take over. He wants to prove to everyone that he's the right guy and he can "mentor" Pruitt along. He listened to the fanbase in 08 for a new exciting offense and that backfired on him.

Evolving to a more wide open offense was the right call. Fulmer just hired the wrong guy. That's on him.

 

[DustyRockSolid]

That guy is special needs

He's right tho.

 

[drvenner]

Coach Pruitt is a great recruiter. He will generate a lot buzz this Spring and Summer and we will make the final 5 or final 3 of some great prospects. Then, Fall will roll around and we will start playing football games and everybody will bail. It will be very ugly next Fall and offseason because our class will be bad and we will be looking for a coach. It's just sad and lame.

 

[MarcoVol]

Coach Pruitt is a great recruiter. He will generate a lot buzz this Spring and Summer and we will make the final 5 or final 3 of some great prospects. Then, Fall will roll around and we will start playing football games and everybody will bail. It will be very ugly next Fall and offseason because our class will be bad and we will be looking for a coach. It's just sad and lame.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

He's right tho.

Probably so, this University never does the right things

 

[Dudley Smith]

I’m no expert, but I can’t recall a single instance where there was debate about firing a coach, he was retained, and things worked out for the positive.

If there is doubt, toss him out

Auburn 2003-2004. They started out 2003 as a dark horse NC team, got smothered at home in their opener by USC, went 7-5, and boosters were flying to meet with Bobby Petrino. Tuberville survived and went undefeated in 2004. But that’s probably the exception that proves the rule.

 

[MrVolton]

I consider Fulmer to be a top HC. As an AD, everyone in the AD has faith in him and has handed him the keys to bring UT back to powerhouse. But I think he's let his ego take over. He wants to prove to everyone that he's the right guy and he can "mentor" Pruitt along. He listened to the fanbase in 08 for a new exciting offense and that backfired on him.

That was his fault for getting a D2 coach that the most novel thing about him was that he liked to flip his OL instead of going out and finding an OC that was successfully running the spread option somewhere.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Coach Pruitt is a great recruiter. He will generate a lot buzz this Spring and Summer and we will make the final 5 or final 3 of some great prospects. Then, Fall will roll around and we will start playing football games and everybody will bail. It will be very ugly next Fall and offseason because our class will be bad and we will be looking for a coach. It's just sad and lame.

Great recruiter is a bit of a stretch.

His class right now is about middle of the pack in the SEC which isn’t good enough to compete with the big boys.

 

[DustyRockSolid]

The

Actually, Pruitt has internal support and booster support, and there's money behind him as well as against him. And plenty of assistant coaches will come to UT for the right terms. Any agent is going to demand favorable terms for any new staffers under any HC at UT. That's the position we're in.

None of which means I'm advocating for Pruitt in any way. But there is a path forward with or without him.

Path with him is easy to see. A losing season. I already know and accept that pruitt isn't going anywhere. I'm amazed any of you honestly think pruitt might be fired. He won't.

 

[drvenner]

Can’t believe we have fans on here defending 3-7

Well, we did start out 2.5-0.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

So what exactly is your stance on JP right now? Surely you don't think this guy, after how low he's taken this program in 3yrs, is all of a sudden magically turn it around in year 4?

Well, I’m a Tennessee fan. And a homer at that.

I’d love a coaching change if I had any confidence we’d hire someone worth a ****. I’m not in the “aNyOnE bUt PrUiTt” bandwagon.

I think Freeze is incredibly flawed, weird, overrated, and a pipe dream.

If you told me we were hiring Kiffin or Napier, I’d be stoked. But our luck we’d move on from Pruitt and hire Steele or some other meh coach.

Basically it’s a quarterbacks game. If you have a QB, you can win.

That is what turned Clemson around.

For all the back to back to back top 3 classes uga has assembled, they were still a three loss team (including blowout losses) because of bad QB play.

Arkansas had a good year because Frank’s had his best season.

It’s not a coincidence that year in/year out the best teams in college and the NFL are the teams with quality QB play.

Look at all our bad losses - who played like ****: the QB. JG played like ass vs Ga State/BYU/Kentucky, every time we played the big three. Horrible pick six vs Auburn etc.

He’s gone. I’m curious what CJP can do with Bailey.

And we need linebackers who can cover.

And a guy who can provide pressure off the edge.

The people acting like “we’ll be lucky to win 6 games” or who otherwise are all doom and gloom are the same people who were declaring it Pruitt Era and calling him their coach just a year ago. Fickle knee jerk fans.

We’ll see what happens.

But I’m of the belief that if Bailey, Salter, and hopefully Martin can provide some stability at the QB position, a coach like Pruitt can find success here and end the past 15 years of dysfunction.

I think Lane could win a NC here.

Napier could be good too.

But yeah, that’s round about my stance on things.

 

[volbeast33]

This is a big concern for me with Freeze. He needs to hand over the Twitter account to a staffer if he’s our head coach because engaging with #voltwitter is going to be a constant distraction for him that will affect the product we get on the field. That’s an easy enough fix, so it’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a potential pitfall for him if he’s not careful. Stick to softballs on WNML with John and Jimmy.

He can’t give it up bc then someone will have access to his direct messages

 

[VolInDayton]

ETSU
UTEP
Auburn
Charlotte
Kentucky (2)
Chattanooga
Mississippi St
South Carolina (2)
UAB
Missouri (2)
Vanderbilt (2)
Indiana

Who wants to be the first to make an ass out of themselves by trying to defend that?

Indiana is OSUs best win this year. A win over Indiana and 6 total games could get us into the CFP.

 

[drvenner]

Great recruiter is a bit of a stretch.

His class right now is about middle of the pack in the SEC which isn’t good enough to compete with the big boys.

That's because we sucked on the field.