I agree with the OP.
LB recruiting hasn't been anything to brag about the last two cycles. Dooley did a great job landing Johnson and Maggit in the 2011 cycle, but last year's LB haul was not good. This year's doesn't look much better besides Vereen. I like his game.
All UT fans keep on with the "let's trust Sal's evaluations, UT coaches know way more about talent than you, etc." arguments. Obviously UT's coaches know more about evaluating talent than VN posters do, but that doesn't change the fact UT isn't getting elite LBs. UT is missing on the elite, high-level LBs and I think Sal is realizing that and having to settle for LBs that aren't quite as talented. Does that mean UT LB commits are terrible or that I don't think Sal can evaluate talent? No, it means I think Sal and UT's defensive staff are having to settle when it comes to LB recruiting. Everybody on here was talking about how Christian Harris was an underrated LB recruit and was going to surprise some people and he hasn't done anything yet. Given, he has plenty of time to do so, I just don't see it happening.
Besides Vereen, what offers do UT LB commits have? Campbell I don't believe has any, Barnes is holding down the fort with a Southern Miss and Furman offers, and I believe Zanca has a Purdue offer. That is really it. Given, they have the rest of the summer to go to camps and gain offers. But, I don't want UT to continually pick up LB recruits that are "underrated, under the radar type guys that other major colleges don't want anything to do with.
Maybe I am just greedy, but I would like UT to sign LBs that have offers from every major college across the country by the end of their junior year/begginning of summer before their senior season, NOT LBs that have 2 mid-major offers in July that have to try to go through camp circuits to get any more offers. I know every now and then some players do get overlooked and I understand that, but for the most part, the big-time studs don't get overlooked too often.
I want UT to be a winning football team again. I want UT to have kick-ass defenses again. Nothing personal, but I don't see UT winning championships again with the caliber of LBs currently committed. Just my opinion. I think Sal is good at evaluating talent, but at this point there aren't too many elite LBs knocking down the door. UT needs to win this year and surprise some people and then I think UT can quit settling for talent and start to pick up better talent.
* I am ready for the bashing I am about to receive for this. *