Will we have enough players to field a team?

#28
#28
In modern college football with the portal it's tough to say what everyone's roster is going to look like at this point. Right now, though, we lost arguably our best player on offense (Eric Gray) and our best player on defense (Henry T). We also lost two of our top signees (Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown). We further lost 2 other players who were good enough to transfer to Oklahoma, 1 to Texas A&M and 1 to North Carolina. We lost probably a dozen other players who were depth pieces at best. Then we have the 4 suspensions, who I suspect we'll get back.

All in all we'll have plenty of players to field a team but I think 6-6 would be a solid performance by this crowd. While we may have more talent on paper than Kentucky and Missouri, with both games being on the road and having new systems on both sides of the ball, I don't expect to win those games. Kentucky beat the crap out of us last year and Stoops develops players and their program has been much more stable for their players. Missouri found their QB after we played them and closed out strong. It'll be an uphill battle over there. Obviously I'm not expecting to beat Bama, Florida or Georgia. I don't expect to beat Ole Miss either. Kiffin's offense will be a well oiled machine in year 2. Even if we put up some points I don't expect to stop them enough to win. Our defense, on paper, is in worse shape than our offense.
We definitely took some hits with the loss of the players you mention. But in terms of numbers, with new signees and people who can come back due to COVID rules I still think we have plenty of scholarship players.

I believe we have a talent edge over our OOC teams, Vandy and SC. SC is in the same situation as us coming off a bad season, fired coach, and a new coach without SEC HC experience. We should have better players than Missouri and UK but as you note the product we put on the field at the end of the year says otherwise.

My prediction is 6 wins with 7 possible depending on how much of a bump we get from having a coaching staff that is not a train wreck.

Defense, especially LB, is a concern. We really need someone to step up and take over for Henry T.
 
#29
#29
I figure we will have somewhere around 70 scholarship players, not including PWO that earn a scholarship or any potential portal guys we may pick up in the summer.

Lots and lots of playing time available for the freshmen in the '21 class. Won't be shocked to see Evans, Rucker, Campbell, Parker, Young, Crawford, Charles, Marley, and Wright getting a lot of reps and being major components to special teams.
 
#30
#30
And the half that has more talent will continue to be blow out losses.
Wins over cupcakes and SEC bottom feeders do not impress.
I am not happy with our situation either. But, I was just pushing back against the idea that we will barely field a team next year.
 
#32
#32
The only deflections as far as players that we will miss are Gray, HT, Lawrence and Morris ...the others can be replaced.. the RB that went to NC was no loss .. the OL that went to A&M no loss .. the DE that went to Miami hurt us repeatedly with stupid penalties .. no loss ...
 
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#34
#34
We definitely took some hits with the loss of the players you mention. But in terms of numbers, with new signees and people who can come back due to COVID rules I still think we have plenty of scholarship players.

I believe we have a talent edge over our OOC teams, Vandy and SC. SC is in the same situation as us coming off a bad season, fired coach, and a new coach without SEC HC experience. We should have better players than Missouri and UK but as you note the product we put on the field at the end of the year says otherwise.

My prediction is 6 wins with 7 possible depending on how much of a bump we get from having a coaching staff that is not a train wreck.

Defense, especially LB, is a concern. We really need someone to step up and take over for Henry T.
I agree we are going to have plenty of players. Pitt and SC being at home should give us an edge. Really it breaks down to three sets of 4. 4 we almost certainly win (Vandy, Tenn Tech, Bowling Green & S. Alabama), 3 probably 4 certain losses if you throw Ole Miss in with the Big 3, and then the 4 we've talked about that hopefully we at least split (Ky, Mo, SC and Pitt).
 
#35
#35
We'll be fine. I'd almost be willing to bet that we score twice as many pts and win twice as many games as we did last year if the players that stick around will give their all for The University of Tennessee.

Go Vols!
 
#36
#36
I don't know how many seniors we graduated.

We signed 18 I believe to cover that number. For the sake of argument let's say those two numbers cancel each other out.

Checked and per the transfer portal we lost a net of 27 transfers (outgoing transfers minus incoming transfers.

So, doesn't that leave us with: (And yes this is an estimate) 85 minus 27 - 58 players?

Is that right or close to it?

And 18 of that 58 are true Frosh?

Are things that bad or did I calculate wrong?
 
#38
#38
And the half that has more talent will continue to be blow out losses.
Wins over cupcakes and SEC bottom feeders do not impress.

Were you born on third base and thought you hit a triple? Where do you think a 3-7 team that was cheating to get 3 wins starts? It ain't 6 wins I'll tell you. Do we really have to hit rock bottom before some fans recognize where the program is?
 
#41
#41
I agree we are going to have plenty of players. Pitt and SC being at home should give us an edge. Really it breaks down to three sets of 4. 4 we almost certainly win (Vandy, Tenn Tech, Bowling Green & S. Alabama), 3 probably 4 certain losses if you throw Ole Miss in with the Big 3, and then the 4 we've talked about that hopefully we at least split (Ky, Mo, SC and Pitt).
We aren’t beating Kentucky and Mizzou
 
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#45
#45
I don't know how many seniors we graduated.

We signed 18 I believe to cover that number. For the sake of argument let's say those two numbers cancel each other out.

Checked and per the transfer portal we lost a net of 27 transfers (outgoing transfers minus incoming transfers.

So, doesn't that leave us with: (And yes this is an estimate) 85 minus 27 - 58 players?

Is that right or close to it?

And 18 of that 58 are true Frosh?

Are things that bad or did I calculate wrong?
It's hard to say what the final number is right now given the transfer portal, etc. I think we'll have 70 plus scholarship players when it's all said and done. I think only 17 or 18 of the players who transfered out were on scholarship and several (Ty Chandler and Jahmir Johnson for example) were seniors we'd have lost anyway but for COVID.
 
#48
#48
In modern college football with the portal it's tough to say what everyone's roster is going to look like at this point. Right now, though, we lost arguably our best player on offense (Eric Gray) and our best player on defense (Henry T). We also lost two of our top signees (Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown). We further lost 2 other players who were good enough to transfer to Oklahoma, 1 to Texas A&M, 1 to Miami and 1 to North Carolina. We lost probably a dozen other players who were depth pieces at best. Then we have the 4 suspensions, who I suspect we'll get back.

All in all we'll have plenty of players to field a team but I think 6-6 would be a solid performance by this crowd. While we may have more talent on paper than Kentucky and Missouri, with both games being on the road and having new systems on both sides of the ball, I don't expect to win those games. Kentucky beat the crap out of us last year and Stoops develops players and their program has been much more stable for their players. Missouri found their QB after we played them and closed out strong. It'll be an uphill battle over there. Obviously I'm not expecting to beat Bama, Florida or Georgia. I don't expect to beat Ole Miss either. Kiffin's offense will be a well oiled machine in year 2. Even if we put up some points I don't expect to stop them enough to win. Our defense, on paper, is in worse shape than our offense.
So the on paper doesnt count for us...only against us?

A better way to term last years UK game was

Their staff embarrassed our staff last year.

We have the talent to be at minimum a .500 team. IMO this staff wlll perform at that level.

We had the players last year to be much better. But our staff was dysfunctional as hell
 
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#49
#49
If we go 6-6 then drinks on me cause I will be shocked but happy.
Sounds good. Lucky for you I’m a cheap date these days. Seriously though, why do think 6-6 is such a reach? The reason I think we can get there is because I think we absolutely underachieved on the offensive side of the football last season. I know it’s a new system, but I think we can put together some points with whoever the qb will be and our group of wideouts . I’m actually pretty high on the running back group too. I see us getting Vandy and USCjr and a tossup with UK could us to 7.
 
#50
#50
Hallie,I beg to differ on the loss.of.Jamir Johnson and Wanya Morris.Johnson.tough,mean streak.Good player.Wanya,got beat.almost always.with an outside rush.Not as good as played up to be.That said,we.need both of them ,but ,they are history.
 

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