'12 LA DT Gerron Borne

Hope the staff does not do like they did last year with a few DL players. Turn the commited ones away in hopes of landing that big fish recruit kind of fell through. While we were short on DL recruits....if we would have taken the commitments of Parker and Mackey just to name a couple, I think we would be better off this year. JMO

Maggitt, Williams>Parker
Clear>Power
 
Given our DE situation, I'd love to have Parker or Mackey on the team this coming year. But I think it's incorrect to say that we didn't pursue them or cut them loose just because we were after bigger fish.

In Parker's case, I think the staff was worried about him being so far away and the fact that he hadn't even visited campus. They cut ties early because they didn't want to be in a situation of getting burned late when a kid all of the sudden realizes he doesn't want to be so far away.

In Mackey's case, I think the staff was worried about risk with his grades, not to mention the fact that he was a Juco with only 2 years to play and who wouldn't have been able to enroll early. 2 years to play and only arriving the summer before year 1 isn't an ideal arrangement.

So yes I'd love to have their talent at the DE position this year. But don't act like the staff is turning away quality players just because they're only after the biggest fish. There were several commits in the '11 class where the staff was criticized for settling and taking the commitment of a "good" player too early and not waiting to see if they could land a "great" player instead.
 
While I understand the arguement that we got good players in the last class....2 spots we STILL need help is TE and DE. 3 of the kids we turned away last year or asked them to look elsewhere as we thought we had bigger fish on the hook. AU and USC reeled them in.
 
While I understand the arguement that we got good players in the last class....2 spots we STILL need help is TE and DE. 3 of the kids we turned away last year or asked them to look elsewhere as we thought we had bigger fish on the hook. AU and USC reeled them in.

We thought we had those spots filled on NSD, and then got the rug pulled from under us. Not much you can do.
 
Please don't tell me you think we should have taken Parker over what we ended up with. Please.

I would have been happy to take Parker or Mackey. Not in place of who we got....but telling kids we were no longer interested then missing on getting Wright and Dawson stings. All the more reason I am all for taking the kids who want to commit NOW and calling it a class. Alot of schools do not wait for kids to play the recruiting game...and I would be fine with Tennessee joining that group.
 
I understand your discontent with the Wright and Dawson situation, but that is what you have to do in order to get the best players available. It just makes no sense to fill a class with Parkers and Powers when you can go after Wrights and Dawsons, both which we had a pretty good chance at.

If we want the best players, we have to wait. A lot of factors come into it. Some really need the time to make the best decision. Some just wait until they get infront of a camera or want the spotlight to make a big choice. We can't control that.
 
I have no problem with a kid wanting to have a public commitment. That can be done ANY day and not just on NSD. I know it's a different situation in Texas but I would be all for our staff to recruit like Texas does. At Texas recruits know if they don't grab a spot early...someone else will take it. If Tennessee started to get a reputation for wanting to fill up early, kids would adjust.

IMO, when recruiting a kid and he has taken all his visits and told him everything you have to tell about being a Vol and what we have to offer...if he still chooses to wait and play the game as he seeks more attention....that is when I look elsewhere and fill the class.
 
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I have no problem with a kid wanting to have a public commitment. That can be done ANY day and not just on NSD. I know it's a different situation in Texas but I would be all for our staff to recruit like Texas does. At Texas recruits know if they don't grab a spot early...someone else will take it. If Tennessee started to get a reputation for wanting to fill up early, kids would adjust.

IMO, when recruiting a kid and he has taken all his visits and told him everything you have to tell about being a Vol and what we have to offer...if he still chooses to wait and play the game as he seeks more attention....that is when I look elsewhere and fill the class.

I know what you're saying, but this is just irrational. We will never be able to recruit like Texas. Texas recruits claim a spot early because they are ALL from Texas. I don't think kids would adjust because Texas has a completely different situation/culture/reputation. We don't look at the best recruits from our own state like Texas. We recruit nationally because we have to. This takes time and resources. Plus, its obvious we deal with completely different players.
 
IMO, when recruiting a kid and he has taken all his visits and told him everything you have to tell about being a Vol and what we have to offer...if he still chooses to wait and play the game as he seeks more attention....that is when I look elsewhere and fill the class.

Dumbest thing I've ever heard. This would be the way to go if your goal is to end up with a Vanderbilt or Kentucky type of roster.
 
I have no problem with a kid wanting to have a public commitment. That can be done ANY day and not just on NSD. I know it's a different situation in Texas but I would be all for our staff to recruit like Texas does. At Texas recruits know if they don't grab a spot early...someone else will take it. If Tennessee started to get a reputation for wanting to fill up early, kids would adjust.

IMO, when recruiting a kid and he has taken all his visits and told him everything you have to tell about being a Vol and what we have to offer...if he still chooses to wait and play the game as he seeks more attention....that is when I look elsewhere and fill the class.

Just because that's how you feel recruiting should work doesn't mean it actually works that way.
 
It is a message board, and opinions are plentiful. "it does not work that way", may be correct here at Tennessee...but many others schools do it that way.
 
Tennessee will likely have a maximum of 22 ships. O'Brien looks very likely. We do not need 5 DTs, we need 3. If the 3 are O'Brien, Shanks and Kirven, I do not think we will have room for this young man.
 
Tennessee will likely have a maximum of 22 ships. O'Brien looks very likely. We do not need 5 DTs, we need 3. If the 3 are O'Brien, Shanks and Kirven, I do not think we will have room for this young man.

The thing is you have a very unrealistic three.Those are three players that have a very good chance to be ranked nationally. Borne, O'Brien, and another dt will be a solid class. Hopefully a JUCO DT.
 
We have family ties to Shanks. Kirven really likes us. It is a very strong 3, but you seem to be discounting that this is a better recruiting situation for Dooley than last year, and last year we ended up second with Jernigan, Wright and Mickey Johnson. Those are 3 of the top DTs.
 
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