Recruiting Football Talk VII

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Im glad Milton had that game Saturday, but it benefits no one to have him play in the Bowl Game, it doesn’t benefit him because it won’t impact his draft stock for the better, and it hurts UT because it takes away the reps from Nico, which he will need them going into next season if Heup knows he will be the guy
 
My unsolicited opinion on SPYRE / Vol Club and all other NIL Collectives.
As soon as NIL became possible, I looked for someone to take my money and give it to the players. I actually thought about trying to do it myself (same business model as SPYRE). Then I found Spyre (pre-Vol Club days). I messaged with some of their management and liked their openness to the business model. 90% of the donated dollars go to player deals. 10% goes to management. Sounded perfect. I am a diehard fan / alumnus / overly obsessed VFL. Why would I not take every effort I could find to make my team better. EVEN IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE A SCAM / TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Eyes wide open to the risk, I signed up. I pledged $19.51 per month (their cute early promotional nod to our Natty) and started my personal friend recruitment effort to do the same.

I would rather spend $20/ month on a promised 90% funnel to our athletes than ESPN+, or Peacock, or Paramount+, or any other "required" streaming service.

I agree with the previous poster about breadth of donor base instead of depth...
Our stadium holds 100,000 people. Our fanbase is X10 that. If 10,000 fans made the same pledge as me, we can compete in the new NIL$$$ landscape. if 20,000... we will dominate recruiting (HS and Portal) again.

BUT, here's my prediction. One of these collectives (either ours, or aTm, or Texas, or Oregon, Or anOSU, or theU, or Bama, or, or, or) will be busted for embezzlement. This process inherently has a curtain between the donors (me) and where the money goes. If the University isn't able to see behind that curtain (and at this point I have no idea if they do), somebody is going to steal from one of these collectives like Don King pulling money out of Tyson's pocket.

Regardless, I feel this is a donation I am comfortable with. IF it even has a chance at helping our team (and based on Nico's rumored commitment deal it has), then I'm going to do whatever I can to help, and wear my Vol Club t-shirt with pride.

tl,dnr: signup for Vol Club today even if they rip you off in the future.
Thank you for posting this. Ive called for accountability for Spyre in past, even for my pithy $5 per month.

How or why should I be blindly throwing money out to athletes, lets assume hypothetically that I can afford it:

a) if I truly have no idea if money ever actually makes it to said athlete

b) paying for some schmuck's private jet to Tahiti

c) How competitive we are/arent relative to other entities

d) how my money is being spent, wisely or naught/how effective is that?

e) Said entity makes little or no effort to market itself to said larger fanbase.

Ultimately I could afford a larger donation. However, UT isnt my alma mater. I graduated twice from ETSU. Im a fan.

If they want more of my dollars, then results will have to be there. There will have to be more openness about where its going. And, they have to show me, lay fan, a concerted effort to recruit MORE fans other than just the occasional post nagging same folks to 'up the ante.'

Spyre COULD be the biggest game in town. Fly banners, put commercials on TV, have fundraisers, kiss baby's, shake hands.
 
Im glad Milton had that game Saturday, but it benefits no one to have him play in the Bowl Game, it doesn’t benefit him because it won’t impact his draft stock for the better, and it hurts UT because it takes away the reps from Nico, which he will need them going into next season if Heup knows he will be the guy
Is it true that redshirt waver for bowl games hasn't been confirmed this year? If so, and if they want to RS Nico, then we'd need Joe.
 
Im glad Milton had that game Saturday, but it benefits no one to have him play in the Bowl Game, it doesn’t benefit him because it won’t impact his draft stock for the better, and it hurts UT because it takes away the reps from Nico, which he will need them going into next season if Heup knows he will be the guy
Heup hates Nico, it's the only answer.
 
Seems like a good hire. Quarles was/is an entitled prick. His formers players recount to me, and are very open about it. Think Botch Jones redux.
I could see that.
It wouldn't surprise me to see him go back to Maryville.

Although someone told me if he did get fired watch for that school in Kingsport to get him.
 
Is it true that redshirt waver for bowl games hasn't been confirmed this year? If so, and if they want to RS Nico, then we'd need Joe.
TB claims the university called the NCAA and asked and they confirmed it wouldn’t count against eligibility, and broadcasters are saying the same thing
 
Per AP:

Much like when North Carolina, Auburn and others came after Jaylen Wright last season, Dylan has some people calling. Jaylen didn’t leave and I’d expect Tennessee to make Dylan know how much he is needed here. He will be RB1 here in 2024 and he knows that.
This is the aspect of NIL that is out of control. I have no issues with anyone entering the portal to seek a better deal or better situation in the depth chart, or for whatever other reason there might be. I do have a big issue with the tampering by "representatives" of other schools trying to lure them away.
 
Per AP:

Much like when North Carolina, Auburn and others came after Jaylen Wright last season, Dylan has some people calling. Jaylen didn’t leave and I’d expect Tennessee to make Dylan know how much he is needed here. He will be RB1 here in 2024 and he knows that.

Sampson could go just about anywhere and play. Didn’t Saban try to recruit him originally? I may be mixing that up with someone else.
 
We have several issues to be solved before next year. The NIL deals are an animal that in time will do nothing more than what has been done in the past. The ones that spend the most money can BUY the best team and will win, simple as that, now it's just legal. Now on to the other stuff.

We need to teach the DB's and LB's the proper way to shed blocks, they get tied up way too often in wrestling matches. The OL must get more depth and stay healthy, not sure how to improve that second part.

Nico has got to play, a lot, in the Bowl game and needs to add about 10 more pounds in the off season. He can be REALLY good but needs time to play against the other teams best.

WR's have got to be taught how to fight for the ball. They need to get the attitude that if it is coming my way it is mine and nobody else's period.

Penalties have got to be stopped. If you look back over the last few years I doubt we score 10% of the possessions that we get a penalty.

Last but not least we need to get tougher as a team and play with a nasty attitude, smart, but nasty.....every play, all game long. We have swagger but we aren't good enough yet to have swagger and back it up.

I think the coaches know what we need way more than myself but these things stand out to me.

GO VOLS
 
Thank you for posting this. Ive called for accountability for Spyre in past, even for my pithy $5 per month.

How or why should I be blindly throwing money out to athletes, lets assume hypothetically that I can afford it:

a) if I truly have no idea if money ever actually makes it to said athlete

b) paying for some schmuck's private jet to Tahiti

c) How competitive we are/arent relative to other entities

d) how my money is being spent, wisely or naught/how effective is that?

e) Said entity makes little or no effort to market itself to said larger fanbase.

Ultimately I could afford a larger donation. However, UT isnt my alma mater. I graduated twice from ETSU. Im a fan.

If they want more of my dollars, then results will have to be there. There will have to be more openness about where its going. And, they have to show me, lay fan, a concerted effort to recruit MORE fans other than just the occasional post nagging same folks to 'up the ante.'

Spyre COULD be the biggest game in town. Fly banners, put commercials on TV, have fundraisers, kiss baby's, shake hands.
I agree with your concern, and have the same. I would like to see more Vol Club communication to establish which athletes are partners and how well they did in the most recent game. At lease some sort of propaganda campaign at the stadium to try and increase the donor pool. I was shocked when I heard that there were less than 5,000 actual donors to the Vol Club.

But as a rabid fan that buys merchandise, drives the 6 hours to Knoxville a couple of times a year for games, travels to bowl games three or four times a decade, and is emotionally impacted by each win or loss, I would rather have faith in this new NIL thing and donate my money even when I don't have 100% clarity of the efficiency of the collective, than wait for 100% clarity and be passed by other programs that figure it out faster.
 
If Banks does leave, here is someone I think should be considered for the DC opening.


SMU's defense is currently 13th in the country.

SMU's offensive is currently 4th in the country and 22nd in plays per game.

Symons also had two top twenty defenses at Liberty.

By the way, SMU's OC is former Tennessee WR and graduate assistant Casey Woods.
 
Whether Joe plays in the bowl is up to Joe and Coach Heupel. You start throwing away players at the end of their career and it will hurt the program in the long term. Wish that Joe would decide to move on, but if he doesn't you have to ride with him at least to start.
It is also a reason for some looking for reasons to leave to leave since you’re still playing others when you are told it’s your team now or soon.
 
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