2019 TN DT Elijah Simmons Commits to UT

Keep in mind that all these 2019 kids have another season of HS FB left and many will get another star before they finish their senior season. As for this kid specifically he is really agile for a man his size. Like most HS kids he needs to work on pad leverage as in HS he's winning his 1 on 1 battles because of his size and strength. If he stays healthy I could see his offer list improving and his getting to a high 3 or 4 star by the end of his recruitment.

That's certainly possible. If that happens it would point to Pruitt having an eye for picking talent that's currently flying a bit under the radar. I don't, so I have to go by recruiting rankings.
 
Last edited:
WGAF? That's a good question! Maybe we need more people who do care. Like the passionate fans who wouldn't stand for the Sandusky sidekick, or who ran other coaches off cause we're tired of settling for less. Now recruiting is a different subject matter, cause we have no say in who the coaches recruit and sign. But it's disgusting and saddening that so many of my fellow Vol fans get so excited over inferior talent and expect superior results. Your wrong in the validation of needing feelings addressed. This is a message board, it's for people like you and me to voice our opinions. Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results-That's insanity and seems to be our trend. But your right about one thing. Ill have to wait and see what happens, I have no choice. And maybe I've got it backwards, maybe I should blindly believe in every coach we hire and the choices they make. Never mind the fact CJP has never been a HC and that he don't have a fraction of the talent he had at Bama, UGA, or FSU. Or that our coordinators are basically cutting their teeth this year. And I'm sorry I don't buy in on the coachin'em up theory. I've been there, done that and got a few tee shirts. So I'll continue to be cautious until proven otherwise

I don’t believe blindly...I open my eyes. This is the first defensive minded HC we’ve hired since...Neyland? T-shirts a big thing back then? Got a lot of proven football minds on this staff...keep your eyes closed if you wish. No guarantees in anything, but Fulmer damn well stacked the deck.

And I was part of the WE SAID NO to Schiano. “Not just you” in effect. But we didn’t fire Butch...his results did. Nothing you or I post on here is going to accelerate or slow down that process.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
About right. And if it turns out true...you’ll agree?

Some coaches have had success coaching them up. So it can be done. We'll see if Pruiit does. He's a first time head coach who had better talent at previous stops. I really don't know what to expect from him. We've certainly seen classes full of 3 stars not work out before. Hence my concern.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Name off all these "diamonds in a rough" you are referring too..

There's nothing divisive about it. Three stars won't beat Bama or Georgia or most likely many of the other top ten teams in the conference on a consistent enough basis to dislodge TN from the jaws of Music City. Kick and scream all you want, the coach has to do better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
I don’t believe blindly...I open my eyes. This is the first defensive minded HC we’ve hired since...Neyland? T-shirts a big thing back then? Got a lot of proven football minds on this staff...keep your eyes closed if you wish. No guarantees in anything, but Fulmer damn well stacked the deck.

And I was part of the WE SAID NO to Schiano. “Not just you” in effect. But we didn’t fire Butch...his results did. Nothing you or I post on here is going to accelerate or slow down that process.

He's defensive minded, so what? He's had the luxury of coaching some of the best talent in college football.

Our OC didn't even call the plays at WKU, Brohm did. And half the coaching gigs he got was family related.

Our DC has 1 year experience as a DC at the Collegiate level


Heck, Bob Shoop did more with less. Then Came here and did less with more
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
There's nothing divisive about it. Three stars won't beat Bama or Georgia or most likely many of the other top ten teams in the conference on a consistent enough basis to dislodge TN from the jaws of Music City.

Kick and scream all you want, the coach has to do better.

Irony.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
Some coaches have had success coaching them up. So it can be done. We'll see if Pruiit does. He's a first time head coach who had better talent at previous stops. I really don't know what to expect from him. We've certainly seen classes full of 3 stars not work out before. Hence my concern.

Understandable. I’m not concerned with 3 star DEFENSIVE recruits under these guys. They know what their players look and move like. I expect the recruiting services don’t always comply. The offense doesn’t get the same faith but tbf, there’s nothing that meets the “full of 3 star” narrative there...except for the QB...who wowed at a prestigious camp. :hmm:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
He's defensive minded, so what? He's had the luxury of coaching some of the best talent in college football.

Our OC didn't even call the plays at WKU, Brohm did. And half the coaching gigs he got was family related.

Our DC has 1 year experience as a DC at the Collegiate level


Heck, Bob Shoop did more with less. Then Came here and did less with more

Lot of assumptions in there. Guess they’ll keep you warm. We haven’t had a staff this loaded with football minds and teachers in recent memory...so chew your own and leave my fingernails be. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
Lot of assumptions in there. Guess they’ll keep you warm. We haven’t had a staff this loaded with football minds and teachers in recent memory...so chew your own and leave my fingernails be. :)

1 assumption. The family remark ;)
Which is a good one.

I'm done with the debate though. I am excited for this staff and excited for a few of the 3*s. And I'm reasonable enough to realize a couple of these guys could get bumps and that we have to start somewhere. In my opinion, even the top recruits were after are in a wait and see approach. What scares me with that, is that if we don't have the talent to compete, we'll never get the needed talent. A coach, no matter how good, can only get so much from a team with lesser talent. And tbh, with these coaches track records, I expect more on the recruiting front
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
He will be a great player for UTC one day when he transfers from here.

BTW this wasn't a shot at this young man. It's more a shot at our program. It would be a totally Tennessee thing if this guy comes here for a year, transfers to another school, and then becomes an all NFL player.

I'll attribute my cynical views to battered fan syndrome.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Everyone on here moaning and groaning about this kid being a 3 star and his offer list is horrible and yet our average recruit rank for all the players combined right now is well inside the top 7 of all team rankings. Chill the hell out. This staff is gonna take two more DTs this cycle and not to mention we’re high on many 4 stars radars right now
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Understandable. I’m not concerned with 3 star DEFENSIVE recruits under these guys. They know what their players look and move like. I expect the recruiting services don’t always comply. The offense doesn’t get the same faith but tbf, there’s nothing that meets the “full of 3 star” narrative there...except for the QB...who wowed at a prestigious camp. :hmm:

Fair enough, given where we are a class full of 4 and 5 stars is probably a lot to ask honestly. It's just hard not to have that "here we go again" feeling about 3 star recruits after the last decade.
 
1 assumption. The family remark ;)
Which is a good one.

I'm done with the debate though. I am excited for this staff and excited for a few of the 3*s. And I'm reasonable enough to realize a couple of these guys could get bumps and that we have to start somewhere. In my opinion, even the top recruits were after are in a wait and see approach. What scares me with that, is that if we don't have the talent to compete, we'll never get the needed talent. A coach, no matter how good, can only get so much from a team with lesser talent. And tbh, with these coaches track records, I expect more on the recruiting front

You said “ in your opinion , even the top recruits were after are in a wait and see approach “ , Do you seriously not know who we already have committed and who we are in on right now ? You really should do more reading .
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
You said “ in your opinion , even the top recruits were after are in a wait and see approach “ , Do you seriously not know who we already have committed and who we are in on right now ? You really should do more reading .

We're in on some of the best year in and year out. Idc who has us in their top 3-8. It only matters if they sign. I've been on this board a long time. So you can get on with that insider crap
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
We're in on some of the best year in and year out. Idc who has us in their top 3-8. It only matters if they sign. I've been on this board a long time. So you can get on with that insider crap

Yep. In recruiting, coming in 2nd just means you're the first loser.
 
You said “ in your opinion , even the top recruits were after are in a wait and see approach “ , Do you seriously not know who we already have committed and who we are in on right now ? You really should do more reading .

Lol some of these guys are so blindsided...we have 1 5 star, 5 4 stars, and 8 3 stars who will more than likely get a bump...but when we land some no name kid they take it with a grain of salt and consider it the normal. Darnell Wright, from what I’m hearing is leaning towards us, we lead for Couch, Bush, Fields, and Jayden Hill. Throw those guys in the class and we make considerable jumps. Even trey Knox is up there for grabs. National signing day is more than 6 months away. These kids have time to develop and the class has time to grow. Of course a lot of these athletes are in the wait and see mode but to say TN can’t land top talent is complete BS
 
Fair enough, given where we are a class full of 4 and 5 stars is probably a lot to ask honestly. It's just hard not to have that "here we go again" feeling about 3 star recruits after the last decade.

It’s exactky where we are right now , we haven’t played a game of football since our last 4-8 season , it’s july , first signing period isn’t until December , why don’t we give our new coaches a chance to do work before we grade them ? Say in December we don’t have 4-5 stars in the class and it’s all 3 stars then I agree we are in trouble , but if by February we have 3-4-5 stars in the class then we have to also grade them accordingly . We are in on some kids that are interested in playing at Tennessee only because of CJP and staff that would have never considered us if Butch was still here .
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
We're in on some of the best year in and year out. Idc who has us in their top 3-8. It only matters if they sign. I've been on this board a long time. So you can get on with that insider crap

I’m no insider but I do read , and I don’t just read from “ insiders “ you need to listen to what these kids are saying about our coaching staff . We have one of the best OL commits in the country ( confirmed ) 5Star , that choose Tennessee over well everybody else in the country ..... he’s not a rough diamond and he did it because of our staff ( his words )
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
There's nothing divisive about it. Three stars won't beat Bama or Georgia or most likely many of the other top ten teams in the conference on a consistent enough basis to dislodge TN from the jaws of Music City. Kick and scream all you want, the coach has to do better.

I just asked who the diamonds in the rough players he was referring to.. I'm curious as to who they are..
 
It’s exactky where we are right now , we haven’t played a game of football since our last 4-8 season , it’s july , first signing period isn’t until December , why don’t we give our new coaches a chance to do work before we grade them ? Say in December we don’t have 4-5 stars in the class and it’s all 3 stars then I agree we are in trouble , but if by February we have 3-4-5 stars in the class then we have to also grade them accordingly . We are in on some kids that are interested in playing at Tennessee only because of CJP and staff that would have never considered us if Butch was still here .

I'm not trying to grade the staff, just commenting on the class based on the way it's rankings are now. Pretty much everything about the Vols is a question mark at the moment. I doubt we will have a good idea what we have until the end of year 3, barring something extraordinary. I can't wait for the season to start so there is something more tangible to analyze.
 
I'm not trying to grade the staff, just commenting on the class based on the way it's rankings are now. Pretty much everything about the Vols is a question mark at the moment. I doubt we will have a good idea what we have until the end of year 3, barring something extraordinary. I can't wait for the season to start so there is something more tangible to analyze.

But our class rn is not as doom and gloom as some of you are making it out to be. It’s actually pretty solid and they’re are some elite prospects very high on us rn
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
I hope he puts Cade Mays in his place, and makes him look like a fool, when he can’t block him. That’ll teach him. 💥👍😘🤭😂🤗😅😇😃😂🙂
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
I just asked who the diamonds in the rough players he was referring to.. I'm curious as to who they are..

And I answered you. I'm referring to the three star recruits in general. Many on here have asserted that Pruitt has found players who's ranking will go up or can be coached up to play at a higher level than most of the ones we have seen in recent years. Maybe that's true. By "the diamond in rough route" I meant recruiting 3 star players. I'm not going to make a detailed assessment of each recruit and am not qualified to even if I did. It was a general statement.
 

VN Store



Back
Top