Desmond Williams - DB Commits

[sjt18]

The "elite" players get paid. Some of y'all need to realize that.

Players have an opportunity to get paid at UT.

I personally still don't like NIL but it is what it is. If they're now essentially providing players with an agent to hook them up with NIL deals... money won't be the problem as long as fans show a preference for companies that pay players.

 

[stillavol]

There is no such thing as 5 star talent. Ratings are subjective. We need guys with a combination of the right physical and mental attributes (talent) and a strong work ethic, team attitude, etc. Whether the recruiting services are right or wrong about them doesn’t make much difference in the big scheme.

I think you're on to something. Nick Saban needs to quit recruiting the 5 stars and focus more on those way down the ladder. Yet when they boat race every year, you and others say it's only because they have more talent lol. How can we have it both ways?

 

[sjt18]

Again, would you rather have our coaches trying to develop 3 star talent or 5 star talent?

Depends on other factors but all things being equal... 5 star talent. But that isn't the question here. The recruiting sites limit the number of 5* ratings they award... without regard to talent. They do that so that they appear more accurate. You are impressed that 60% of 5* players go on to be drafted. The problem is that for every 5* they accurately rate... there are 4 or 5 guys they give 3* or less who get drafted.

In short, you want the most talented guys you can find... but you cannot simply trust the recruiting sites to tell you who those guys are.

 

[Orange defense]

It’s a straight up

 

[Milehigh_Vol]

Glad we are getting commits, but it is concerning that the Vols cannot pull any elite talent.....

We are filling needs this year. We need depth and kids that are play now. (JUCO)

We will go star hunting next year I believe, we cannot afford the time to court some of these 5 star players right now. We need to fill a roster first, you can get 5 *** for the price of time of recruiting 1 *****. We have holes everywhere and technically speaking more *** play in the NFL than *****... So lets fill this class up, because it would suck to have 5 players commit and only have 1 ***** then go through the depth issues we have dealt with all year. Depth has lost us 2 games.

 

[sjt18]

I think you're on to something. Nick Saban needs to quit recruiting the 5 stars and focus more on those way down the ladder. Yet when they boat race every year, you and others say it's only because they have more talent lol. How can we have it both ways?

You're assuming that Saban recruits guys because they're 5* rather than guys getting a bump because they're being recruited by Saban.

The "right" coach to turn UT around or any other program in a similar state will find a lot of the guys that the recruiting services (and top recruiting programs) miss. They're out there. Dabo built Clemson by finding a lot of them. If Heupel is to succeed... it won't be primarily because he won a ton of head to head battles with UGA or Bama. It will be because he recognized talent that they either did not find or did not favor.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Depends on other factors but all things being equal... 5 star talent. But that isn't the question here. The recruiting sites limit the number of 5* ratings they award... without regard to talent. They do that so that they appear more accurate. You are impressed that 60% of 5* players go on to be drafted. The problem is that for every 5* they accurately rate... there are 4 or 5 guys they give 3* or less who get drafted.

In short, you want the most talented guys you can find... but you cannot simply trust the recruiting sites to tell you who those guys are.

I agree with you for the most part, but recruiting sites are also pretty darn accurate...

Graphic shows how dominant Alabama has been on the recruiting front for the last decade

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

We are filling needs this year. We need depth and kids that are play now. (JUCO)

We will go star hunting next year I believe, we cannot afford the time to court some of these 5 star players right now. We need to fill a roster first, you can get 5 *** for the price of time of recruiting 1 *****. We have holes everywhere and technically speaking more *** play in the NFL than *****... So lets fill this class up, because it would suck to have 5 players commit and only have 1 ***** then go through the depth issues we have dealt with all year. Depth has lost us 2 games.

I agree, I feel like we need to have at least 15 defensive linemen ready to play immediately......

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

I think you're on to something. Nick Saban needs to quit recruiting the 5 stars and focus more on those way down the ladder. Yet when they boat race every year, you and others say it's only because they have more talent lol. How can we have it both ways?

You’re so funny. Too bad your reading comprehension isn’t on par with your skill as a comedian. Why is it so hard to understand that recruiting services’ rating of a player is subjective and descriptive, not ontological? Eric Berry wasn’t stamped with five stars by God before he came out of the womb. The recruiting services got it right in his case; they hit some and miss some.

Would I take 5 star Bryce Young over 2 star Stetson Bennett? Hell yes. Would I take three star Hendon Hooker over 4 star, #3-rated dual threat qb Jarrett Guarantano? Also yes. Stars are not ultimately what matters. The ratings can be right or wrong. We need quality players, and when they step on the field, it is their understanding of the game, strength, speed, skill, athleticism, toughness, and attitude that will make the difference, not whether some guys ar Yahoo rated them well or not.

 

[sjt18]

I agree with you for the most part, but recruiting sites are also pretty darn accurate...

Graphic shows how dominant Alabama has been on the recruiting front for the last decade

Depends on whether you buy their schtick or not.

Alabama has had top rated classes and have followed that up with wins. But it isn't because Saban has a subscription to Rivals. He, his consultants, and his staff identify players they want and often early. When a kid gets a Bama offer and has physical talent... the recruiting sites are going to give them a high rating. When that's confirmed with offers from other top programs... then they are for sure. That makes Saban and other elite recruiting programs, not the recruiting sites, "accurate." The recruiting staffs have neither the time nor the expertise to be as accurate as you think they are. Bama, and UT for that matter, hire recruiting consultants that do nothing but find and evaluate talented HS players. In a way, the public sites "steal" from those consultants.

When you see a 4* that the retail recruiting sites have more or less independently evaluated that do not have a bunch of top tier offers... you see them fail a lot. We've seen a TON of them at UT. In fact, I would speculate that 3* or less guys with bad offer lists are more likely to be hidden gems than guys that Rivals or 247 think highly of... but top programs don't.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Depends on whether you buy their schtick or not.

Alabama has had top rated classes and have followed that up with wins. But it isn't because Saban has a subscription to Rivals. He, his consultants, and his staff identify players they want and often early. When a kid gets a Bama offer and has physical talent... the recruiting sites are going to give them a high rating. When that's confirmed with offers from other top programs... then they are for sure. That makes Saban and other elite recruiting programs, not the recruiting sites, "accurate." The recruiting staffs have neither the time nor the expertise to be as accurate as you think they are. Bama, and UT for that matter, hire recruiting consultants that do nothing but find and evaluate talented HS players. In a way, the public sites "steal" from those consultants.

When you see a 4* that the retail recruiting sites have more or less independently evaluated that do not have a bunch of top tier offers... you see them fail a lot. We've seen a TON of them at UT. In fact, I would speculate that 3* or less guys with bad offer lists are more likely to be hidden gems than guys that Rivals or 247 think highly of... but top programs don't.

I understand all that, but it also shows that Bama is getting the elite talent and producing results with that talent....I think UT has an uphill battle to attract some of those players due to several factors, but Fulmer was the Saban of the 90's and he stacked his rosters......

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

You are comparing a 5th year senior to a sophomore who is starting for the first time at QB.

I never said you couldnt develop all levels of talent, but there are levels and elite is a level....

And you’re assuming that recruiting site ratings correspond exactly with a player’s “level” of talent. This isn’t a video game. A multitude of factors determine whether someone will be a successful athlete. Would I like a class filled with 5 stars? Sure, because generally those guys will likely become better players. I’m not going to freak out about us signing three stars in the first full recruiting cycle of a new coach, however, when the NFL is filled with former 3 star players.

 

[stillavol]

You're assuming that Saban recruits guys because they're 5* rather than guys getting a bump because they're being recruited by Saban.

The "right" coach to turn UT around or any other program in a similar state will find a lot of the guys that the recruiting services (and top recruiting programs) miss. They're out there. Dabo built Clemson by finding a lot of them. If Heupel is to succeed... it won't be primarily because he won a ton of head to head battles with UGA or Bama. It will be because he recognized talent that they either did not find or did not favor.

You haven't a clue to what I'm assuming. The programs that are loading their rosters with elite talent are the ones consistently playing for NCs. We use the excuse that we can't beat the Bamas and Dawgs because we don't the talent, yet say we don't need it during the recruiting cycle? Coaching, player development, and RECRUITING are needed to compete at the top. If Bryce Young had been starting for the other team Sat, GA may have won. He is an elite talent regardless of where he signed. As for Clemson, Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins say hi.

 

[windrider]

Despite what some of you think, elite talent exists and it is the difference between having a good team or a great team. Tennessee can recruit like KY and have good teams, or they can recruit like Bama and have great teams. nobody can debate the discrepancy in the talent levels. I do believe that we saw significant development this season with a gutted roster by Heupel, if he fills some of those holes on the roster with elite talent, then watch out.

We will never recruit like Bama until we are rid of the stink of the Pruitt era and the repercussions that will follow. When that air is cleared then we will have smooth sailing again. We have been in the football wilderness for many years and it will take time to dig out of the holes dug by Pruitt, Jones, Dooley and Kiffin.

 

[stillavol]

You’re so funny. Too bad your reading comprehension isn’t on par with your skill as a comedian. Why is it so hard to understand that recruiting services’ rating of a player is subjective and descriptive, not ontological? Eric Berry wasn’t stamped with five stars by God before he came out of the womb. The recruiting services got it right in his case; they hit some and miss some.

Would I take 5 star Bryce Young over 2 star Stetson Bennett? Hell yes. Would I take three star Hendon Hooker over 4 star, #3-rated dual threat qb Jarrett Guarantano? Also yes. Stars are not ultimately what matters. The ratings can be right or wrong. We need quality players, and when they step on the field, it is their understanding of the game, strength, speed, skill, athleticism, toughness, and attitude that will make the difference, not whether some guys ar Yahoo rated them well or not.

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, etc say hi. If you knew half of what you thought you did about college football, Nick Saban would be unemployed. I guess that's why you're a blog expert and not coaching on Saturdays? You have an opinion. You're entitled to that. Surprisingly that doesn't mean anything to anyone but yourself. Have a good day.

 

[BucksnortVol]

Junior-college CB commits to Vols, hoping to make early impact

Is this a Boom?

Ja, Mein Fuhrer, das ist ein großes BOOM!

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

Remember the worry over Rick Barnes' first few recruiting classes? Several underrated players developed into stars, then the blue chip recruits started coming. Not exactly apples to apples comparison but I'm hopeful this staff can follow a similar path.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, etc say hi. If you knew half of what you thought you did about college football, Nick Saban would be unemployed. I guess that's why you're a blog expert and not coaching on Saturdays? You have an opinion. You're entitled to that. Surprisingly that doesn't mean anything to anyone but yourself. Have a good day.

I’m still missing the part where I said we shouldn’t recruit 5 star players. Continue to rant and rave based on your inaccurate impression of my opinion though.

 

[sjt18]

You haven't a clue to what I'm assuming. The programs that are loading their rosters with elite talent are the ones consistently playing for NCs.

Yes. And you DO assume that unless UT starts stealing players from Bama or UGA that they cannot build a competitive roster. That's the premise of everything you've posted here. You're entitled to that opinion. Don't run away from it.

We use the excuse that we can't beat the Bamas and Dawgs because we don't the talent, yet say we don't need it during the recruiting cycle?

Who specifically said that UT doesn't need talent?

Coaching, player development, and RECRUITING are needed to compete at the top.

Yes. And there are various combinations of that PLUS the ability to find talent or guys who top programs disfavor because they're "raw" that produce a competitive roster.

If Bryce Young had been starting for the other team Sat, GA may have won. He is an elite talent regardless of where he signed. As for Clemson, Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins say hi.

I'm a Vol fan and I wouldn't have signed with Jones either.

My point is that you are having a spasm because the recruiting sites have not evaluated or may not like this player. Guys like Martinez have coached 5* players. If he didn't think this kid could be developed and play a big role... then they likely wouldn't have taken his commitment. As it is, it appears they pursued him pretty hard.

 

[volroadwarrior]

He would be the only one so far this cycle...

I am sure the staff is trying to recruit elite talent, BUT THEY AIN'T COMING. What do you want them to do--not recruit what they can get at this point? You b**tch and complain, but have no solutions.

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

You haven't a clue to what I'm assuming. The programs that are loading their rosters with elite talent are the ones consistently playing for NCs. We use the excuse that we can't beat the Bamas and Dawgs because we don't the talent, yet say we don't need it during the recruiting cycle? Coaching, player development, and RECRUITING are needed to compete at the top. If Bryce Young had been starting for the other team Sat, GA may have won. He is an elite talent regardless of where he signed. As for Clemson, Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins say hi.

And by the same token, he would still be an elite player if the recruiting sites had missed on him and rated him a 3 or 4 star.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

I am sure the staff is trying to recruit elite talent, BUT THEY AIN'T COMING.

Maybe you should create an NIL opportunity for some talented players to accept and flip to UT?

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Again, would you rather have our coaches trying to develop 3 star talent or 5 star talent?

Obviously 5 star talent, but NOT their HS assessment but based on their college production. Ratings services do well at finding the physical freaks but are lousy at rewarding late bloomers. I am more interested in comparing production to their position on a staff's war room wall. Bet we see a bunch of MISSES at one school excel at another due to simply being a better fit, after going through the portal. It is the middle ground, the 4 star and HIGH 3 star groups where the biggest gray area is..... Way too many non 4-5 star guys in the NFL to go apoplectic on signing day, especially with the error eraser the portal provides now. I have no problem with folks that question recruiting success but do with folks degrading players before the first game based on paid services. Everybody would love 25 5 stars and the probability, not guarantee of success that comes with them. There are underrated players everywhere and we need to see if they are the guys our staff signed before we disparage them collectively or individually.

It amazes me that those that feel they are talent evaluators and take shots at signees take exception to us expert fan evaluators calling them out based on their production on these boards. They suddenly find limitations to free speech rights, even if we include the universal sin cleansing "Hope I am Wrong" disclaimer.

 

[VolArmy74]

There are a number of schools with elite talent. The ones with great coaches are who prosper with it. Florida, USC, Texas, Miami, Washington, LSU, Auburn, and Texas A&M all have it. A&M is the only one of them who hasn't fired their head coach in the last 18 months and had he not pulled off his lone good season there last year he'd probably be joining the fired guys. Did the recruiting services just miss on the 52 4/5 star players at Texas?

Talent matters only when it's combined with very high level coaching. We've seen enough here to know that having talent alone isn't enough. We lost 3 games in 1999 with multiple NFL All-Pro level players.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

BAY-YOOOOMMM !!!

Welcome to the Vols, Desmond Williams!

We really can use your skills, and will put you to work ASAP!