Recruiting Forum Football Talk IX

[triadvolfan]

I don't think the majority of the fan base believes that the lingering sanctions/probation are a true impediment to recruiting and winning at the highest level. Especially when they look at the middle of the state and see Peabody boat-racing us in Neyland, 2-3 years removed from being a 6A high school team. People aren't going to stay engaged through two more seasons of poor fundamentals and inconsistent effort.

My biggest concern is we haven't really figured out the portal. We got boat raced by Vandy because they had like 50 seniors on their roster. 10 years ago, I'd have said that once our young team matures we'll be set. Now I'm not so sure. It will be a dogfight (i.e. cost significant NIL money) to keep the roster together as it grows.

I couldn't find any stats on how many players on team's rosters came from the portal but it seems like Vandy and Indiana have used the portal a lot more than we have and they've been able to get a lot better. We paid Nico $2.5M per year over 2 years and got 1 season of football from him where we were 12th in the SEC in passing yards/game. If we'd taken that $2.5M and used $1M to get an experienced QB transfer and then the spent the other $1.5M to fill out the roster we'd have been far better off. It's not an exaggeration to say adding an experienced QB and a few experienced impact players to last year's roster we might have won a national title.

I'm sure building through high school recruiting is still important but spending money on potential when every player is effectively on a one-year contract is tricky. I'm not sure we've found the right balance.

 

[Ten_Titans]

My opinion on the way to fix this is if an entire team opts out of a bowl game. They have to do so for a 2 year span. If you opt out this year, you must do so the following year as well.

Why though? Genuine question. I don't know why everyone is so adamant to defend the bowl games.

"You will accept your reward (punishment) for having a winning season and you will like it!"

I completely understand why the people making money off of the bowl games want a rule like this. I don't really understand why the average fan is so hot and bothered by it.

I like college football. I also want more games. I don't really fathom how it makes sense to force players to play a game they don't want to play though.

 

[volbeast33]

The simple truth is that in year 5, given the steady improvement in talent, there is no justification for being nearly last in the conference. I assure you that UGA or Bama wouldn't accept it. Why are we? Everyone deals with injuries. Why do ours make being the worst acceptable?

No one has ever claimed it was acceptable

 

[volbeast33]

My biggest concern is we haven't really figured out the portal. We got boat raced by Vandy because they had like 50 seniors on their roster. 10 years ago, I'd have said that once our young team matures we'll be set. Now I'm not so sure. It will be a dogfight (i.e. cost significant NIL money) to keep the roster together as it grows.

I couldn't find any stats on how many players on team's rosters came from the portal but it seems like Vandy and Indiana have used the portal a lot more than we have and they've been able to get a lot better. We paid Nico $2.5M per year over 2 years and got 1 season of football from him where we were 12th in the SEC in passing yards/game. If we'd taken that $2.5M and used $1M to get an experienced QB transfer and then the spent the other $1.5M to fill out the roster we'd have been far better off. It's not an exaggeration to say adding an experienced QB and a few experienced impact players to last year's roster we might have won a national title.

I'm sure building through high school recruiting is still important but spending money on potential when every player is effectively on a one-year contract is tricky. I'm not sure we've found the right balance.

We need to not take so many 3* projects and bring in full grown men instead.

 

[SSVol]

Why though? Genuine question. I don't know why everyone is so adamant to defend the bowl games.

"You will accept your reward (punishment) for having a winning season and you will like it!"

I completely understand why the people making money off of the bowl games want a rule like this. I don't really understand why the average fan is so hot and bothered by it.

I like college football. I also want more games. I don't really fathom how it makes sense to force players to play a game they don't want to play though.

Well...they are being paid to play?

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I don't think the majority of the fan base believes that the lingering sanctions/probation are a true impediment to recruiting and winning at the highest level. Especially when they look at the middle of the state and see Peabody boat-racing us in Neyland, 2-3 years removed from being a 6A high school team. People aren't going to stay engaged through two more seasons of poor fundamentals and inconsistent effort.

Vanderbilt ain't Vanderbilt this year...a huge amount of idiots still haven't figured that out. Their greatest strength, which is the best player in CFB, a generational freak of nature, was dead aimed right at our greatest weakness, our among sad injury riddled defense, among the worst defenses in CFB. I tried to tell everyone what was coming...but all everyone said was...It's Vandy.

The problem is...that ain't a real.Vandy team, just like Indiana ain't a real Indiana team....both have gotten extremely lucky with evals and LONG term development of really low ranked players who have almost all hit big...along with both programs winning the Portal lottery. Both of those programs are going to fall hard next year when they lose all of those players.

 

[Ten_Titans]

No one has ever claimed it was acceptable

Keeping him on staff is what acceptable means.

"Not accepting it" means firing him.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

My biggest concern is we haven't really figured out the portal. We got boat raced by Vandy because they had like 50 seniors on their roster. 10 years ago, I'd have said that once our young team matures we'll be set. Now I'm not so sure. It will be a dogfight (i.e. cost significant NIL money) to keep the roster together as it grows.

I couldn't find any stats on how many players on team's rosters came from the portal but it seems like Vandy and Indiana have used the portal a lot more than we have and they've been able to get a lot better. We paid Nico $2.5M per year over 2 years and got 1 season of football from him where we were 12th in the SEC in passing yards/game. If we'd taken that $2.5M and used $1M to get an experienced QB transfer and then the spent the other $1.5M to fill out the roster we'd have been far better off. It's not an exaggeration to say adding an experienced QB and a few experienced impact players to last year's roster we might have won a national title.

I'm sure building through high school recruiting is still important but spending money on potential when every player is effectively on a one-year contract is tricky. I'm not sure we've found the right balance.

They have both gotten extremely lucky with Evals and they both hit the Portal lottery.

 

[Ten_Titans]

Well...they are being paid to play?

For the Bowl game? No. Nico's argument, like it or not, is that the bowl game is basically unpaid overtime.

If you want to work it into the contract, fine I guess. The issue is that the AD doesn't want to play the bowl game any more than the players do.

 

[SSVol]

No one has ever claimed it was acceptable

And yet lots of folks are doing exactly that. The DC's job is to manage the defense. Did the defense look well managed? If not, the guy responsible for it didn't do his job.

 

[volbeast33]

Keeping him on staff is what acceptable means.

"Not accepting it" means firing him.

It’s the same guy that had the best defense that we have had in years in 24. We can’t allow fans to pick coordinators. We are proven idiots. It needs to be based on the job that Heup feels Banks is doing. Heup may feel it was other issues that contributed to last year.

 

[SSVol]

For the Bowl game? No. Nico's argument, like it or not, is that the bowl game is basically unpaid overtime.

If you want to work it into the contract, fine I guess. The issue is that the AD doesn't want to play the bowl game any more than the players do.

Unpaid overtime. For a guy being paid $2M for mediocrity. While walk-ons don't even get their education paid for. Sad situation.

 

[Weezer]

I don't think the majority of the fan base believes that the lingering sanctions/probation are a true impediment to recruiting and winning at the highest level. Especially when they look at the middle of the state and see Peabody boat-racing us in Neyland, 2-3 years removed from being a 6A high school team. People aren't going to stay engaged through two more seasons of poor fundamentals and inconsistent effort.

Doesn't really matter what we the fans think. Matters what DW, and Donde, and Randy think. We'll see how it plays out but I truly believe he's safe until after the '27 season because sanctions will end before the '28 season.

 

[InVOLuntary]

It’s the same guy that had the best defense that we have had in years in 24. We can’t allow fans to pick coordinators. We are proven idiots. It needs to be based on the job that Heup feels Banks is doing. Heup may feel it was other issues that contributed to last year.

Lol. Fans ultimately pick coaches.

 

[SoilVol]

Request for prayers. As some know, I took a life-changing job in DC that started in September. In October we had our second child. I haven't had any time off and we knew it would be a challenge, but we didn't factor in how difficult this would all be for our oldest daughter (3.5yo).

We knew there would be an adjustment, but she's very obviously dealing with anxiety and probably depression. Multiple times a day she cries because she misses her friends from her old preschool. Multiple times a day she asks to call or facetime her grandparents, aunts, and cousins, something she never asked to do before we moved. While out she will go from being happy and in the moment to panicking and asking for her blanket or to be held.

We know part of that is being a 3yr old learning how to regulate emotions. And her imagination is definitely coming in full swing now. It's just been hard for us to watch and manage especially.

We are trying our best. We call family daily, we do fun things on weekends as often as possible, we are trying to make this Christmas a magical one, she's at a new school now slowly making new friends. Also hoping to start going to church where she's in school to create more of a connection for her and us. We also talked last night and plan to sit down with her and create a very structured schedule to alleviate some of her anxiety and help her and us manage each day. We just need some encouragement, prayers, and support.

And we need the Vols to play a bowl game so she can run around screaming "Woo!" As I sing Rocky Top and celebrate touchdowns.

Thanks y'all.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

I shouldn't be able to make a 20 leg bowl game ML parlay and still have 10+ bowls left. . .

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

I disagree... it's not like we aren't able to get talent. I think most agree two of our losses could have been potentially prevented with better coaching/development, game management, play calling/alignment and personnel adjustments on the field, putting aside some bonehead penalties, etc...

Year 5- 8-4 with an embarrassing belt to ass to end the season at home by our instate rival that is usually the doormat of the conference.

Year 6- if you aren't competing for championships or playoff berths, with our resources, supposed great coaching staff that is good enough to be retained once again, then something is broken and is not getting fixed. We're clearly going the wrong way...

If we don't pick up serious talent at positions of need on defense in the portal, and then field the same type of defense next season in year 6, anyone defending that crap is clueless.

Edit: commented at wrong comment ha

 

[MemphisVol3]

you are correct I meant to do the 2015 season and got it messed up. Why do you think Jancek was better?

He was a better play caller and schemer for the personnel he had imo.

 

[SmokinBob]

@drvenner you made it buddy

 

[Wickman]

Request for prayers. As some know, I took a life-changing job in DC that started in September. In October we had our second child. I haven't had any time off and we knew it would be a challenge, but we didn't factor in how difficult this would all be for our oldest daughter (3.5yo).

We knew there would be an adjustment, but she's very obviously dealing with anxiety and probably depression. Multiple times a day she cries because she misses her friends from her old preschool. Multiple times a day she asks to call or facetime her grandparents, aunts, and cousins, something she never asked to do before we moved. While out she will go from being happy and in the moment to panicking and asking for her blanket or to be held.

We know part of that is being a 3yr old learning how to regulate emotions. And her imagination is definitely coming in full swing now. It's just been hard for us to watch and manage especially.

We are trying our best. We call family daily, we do fun things on weekends as often as possible, we are trying to make this Christmas a magical one, she's at a new school now slowly making new friends. Also hoping to start going to church where she's in school to create more of a connection for her and us. We also talked last night and plan to sit down with her and create a very structured schedule to alleviate some of her anxiety and help her and us manage each day. We just need some encouragement, prayers, and support.

And we need the Vols to play a bowl game so she can run around screaming "Woo!" As I sing Rocky Top and celebrate touchdowns.

Thanks y'all.

Prayers. Y’all are doing the right thing. She will get there!

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Vanderbilt ain't Vanderbilt this year...a huge amount of idiots still haven't figured that out. Their greatest strength, which is the best player in CFB, a generational freak of nature, was dead aimed right at our greatest weakness, our among sad injury riddled defense, among the worst defenses in CFB. I tried to tell everyone what was coming...but all everyone said was...It's Vandy.

The problem is...that ain't a real.Vandy team, just like Indiana ain't a real Indiana team....both have gotten extremely lucky with evals and LONG term development of really low ranked players who have almost all hit big...along with both programs winning the Portal lottery. Both of those programs are going to fall hard next year when they lose all of those players.

Didn't help that a young and immature Vols team was sitting at 8-3 with nothing to play for, but completely agree. I really hate that so many of our own posters think the name of the team dictates the outcome.

That Vandy team has as much of a case for being in the CFP as Bama, OU, Miami, and even Notre Dame...but of course no one is talking about that because they're Vandy.

 

[Ashevolle]

Request for prayers. As some know, I took a life-changing job in DC that started in September. In October we had our second child. I haven't had any time off and we knew it would be a challenge, but we didn't factor in how difficult this would all be for our oldest daughter (3.5yo).

We knew there would be an adjustment, but she's very obviously dealing with anxiety and probably depression. Multiple times a day she cries because she misses her friends from her old preschool. Multiple times a day she asks to call or facetime her grandparents, aunts, and cousins, something she never asked to do before we moved. While out she will go from being happy and in the moment to panicking and asking for her blanket or to be held.

We know part of that is being a 3yr old learning how to regulate emotions. And her imagination is definitely coming in full swing now. It's just been hard for us to watch and manage especially.

We are trying our best. We call family daily, we do fun things on weekends as often as possible, we are trying to make this Christmas a magical one, she's at a new school now slowly making new friends. Also hoping to start going to church where she's in school to create more of a connection for her and us. We also talked last night and plan to sit down with her and create a very structured schedule to alleviate some of her anxiety and help her and us manage each day. We just need some encouragement, prayers, and support.

And we need the Vols to play a bowl game so she can run around screaming "Woo!" As I sing Rocky Top and celebrate touchdowns.

Thanks y'all.

She's likely too young yet, but i would really get ready for her to have access to some therapy. My second child suffers from anxiety and it can be crippling. Meds and talk therapy have done wonders for her development.

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

Josh Heupel is responsible for winning. If he doesn’t win enough then we will find another coach that can. Our fans can’t tell you what a good DC is. They keep mentioning guys that have ran worse defenses than the guy that we have now.

This past season was unacceptable. Was it bc of Banks or something happen internally with the team? That is Heup’s job to figure out. I do know that we could fix a lot of our defenses issues by investing heavily in defensive transfers.

We shouldn’t need first round talent and many draft picks to field a top 30 defense. That’s just excuses. I think it’s more clear that Pearce and other draft/nfl players masked what banks is. And why would it matter who the fans want? That’s on Josh and Danny to figure out. The fact is Banks is not good and is going to get Josh in some hot water if he retains him.

I would go get a young innovative up and coming DC and let them run. Plenty of names coming up.

 

[Weezer]

Bama has better wins and if they got special treatment like ND they wouldn’t have had to play in a conference championship game

Bama had what was considered the best win by winning in Athens. They also had what was considered the worst loss to FSU. When they got blown out in the SEC CG, they should have lost their spot in the CFP. This whole "de-incentivize" CGs grab is BS. Everyone still wants to win their conference. If the games are going to matter, they should matter both ways. If the game had been close, I would agree with the argument of Bama inclusion. It wasn't. They should be out. But because they are Bama, they get more preferential treatment than any other program.

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

Request for prayers. As some know, I took a life-changing job in DC that started in September. In October we had our second child. I haven't had any time off and we knew it would be a challenge, but we didn't factor in how difficult this would all be for our oldest daughter (3.5yo).

We knew there would be an adjustment, but she's very obviously dealing with anxiety and probably depression. Multiple times a day she cries because she misses her friends from her old preschool. Multiple times a day she asks to call or facetime her grandparents, aunts, and cousins, something she never asked to do before we moved. While out she will go from being happy and in the moment to panicking and asking for her blanket or to be held.

We know part of that is being a 3yr old learning how to regulate emotions. And her imagination is definitely coming in full swing now. It's just been hard for us to watch and manage especially.

We are trying our best. We call family daily, we do fun things on weekends as often as possible, we are trying to make this Christmas a magical one, she's at a new school now slowly making new friends. Also hoping to start going to church where she's in school to create more of a connection for her and us. We also talked last night and plan to sit down with her and create a very structured schedule to alleviate some of her anxiety and help her and us manage each day. We just need some encouragement, prayers, and support.

And we need the Vols to play a bowl game so she can run around screaming "Woo!" As I sing Rocky Top and celebrate touchdowns.

Thanks y'all.

Prayers man!!! I can’t stand when either of my girls get upset. They are my world. Praying for y’all and her! Give her all the love and hugs and hope she comes around soon!