2020 Decade. The powerhouse of Vol Fooball

#1
LittleVol

LittleVol

Of course I can help you, Coach Heupel.
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#1
Even with the resurgence of LSU. The production of Florida, UGA and just the overall level of talent and coaching in the SEC, I believe the Vols are set to become a powerhouse once again.

Key Recruiting- What is key recruiting? It's recruiting based off siging players that fill a need or add a dimension to your team that enhances it. Clemson has been doing this from 2009 and on.

2009 Class Rank 36
- Tahj Boyd, Malachi Goodman, Rod Mcdowell. They needed a compliment to CJ Spiller and a QB to enhance the offense.
2010 class rank 27

- Vic Beasly, D Hopkins, M Bryant, B Breeland
Needed Weapons on the perimeter. And defenders to match up

2011 class rank 10
- Sammy Watkins, T Steward, S Anthony, Charon Peake. Need more weapons to grow with the previous years. Add 2 5 star LBs.

2012 class rank 20
Need linman for the 4 years. Done.

2013 class rank 15
- M Williams, Wayne Gallman. Mk Alexander, J Kearse, B Boulware S Lawson and more Oline future starters

2014 Class Rank 16
- DeShaun Watson. The next to carry the program. And take it to higher level


*NOTICE THE RECRUITING CLASS RANKING AT THIS POINT FROM 2009*

2015 Class rank 9
- Celin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Albert Huggins. Austin Bryant. Deon Cain and Ray Ray Mcloud. New level breed of defenders and more speed added to an emerging Juggernaut.

2016 Class Rank 11
- Dexter Lawrence, Isiah Simmons, Trayvaun Mullen, K Wallace in addition to some very good O- Lineman. Those are all NFL starters from that defense group.

2017 Class Rank 16
- Tee Higgins, Travis Etienne...etc

2018 Class Rank 7
- Trevor Lawrence, Justin Ross ...etc

In Summary:
Clemson built a powerhouse with only 3 "Top 10" level classes over a 7 year period. Not even 1 Top 5 class and 2 classes NOT even ranked in the Top 25.
But look at WHO and WHEN they recruited players at crucial junctions.
All through this run, they have recruited the QB that can carry the torch as the veteran departs and surround him with a good blend of young and experienced talent.

This is exactly what Pruitt is doing in his first 3 classes. Except he's actually getting more key players each class than Clemson 10 years ago.
 
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#5
#5
I just think we’ve got a real genuine football coach for the first time since Fulmer left. That plus a solid foundation for the offensive line and blue chip quarterback is plenty reason for optimism.

I’m concerned about Florida, but I think we’ll be back to regular 10 win seasons soon. Very soon.
 
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#6
#6
AstonRoyal said:
We haven't won anything yet. Better to reflect on success after you've had them than celebrate success before they've even happen.
Click to expand...

What do you mean?
Did you read the post?
I'm talking about a style of recruiting that can build your program to be elite without signing top 5 classes every year.
 
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#7
#7
Volsfaninva917 said:
I love what Pruitt is doing here however Clemson did it in the ACC while FSU was in a down spiral. Apples to oranges
Click to expand...

And have you examined the teams played during Clemsons run.
They've beaten LSU, Bama 3 times, UGA, OU.

If Clemson were in the SEC, they would most certainly be in the East. You don't think they would have dominated the SEC East the last 10 years?
Been in the SEC title game against Alabama who they've beaten 3 out 5 last constests...

When youve got the right players in place, you can win even if you're not the most talented team top to bottom.
 
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#8
#8
LittleVol said:
And have you examined the teams played during Clemsons run.
They've beaten LSU, Bama 3 times, UGA, OU.

If Clemson were in the SEC, they would most certainly be in the East. You don't think they would have dominated the SEC East the last 10 years?
Been in the SEC title game against Alabama who they've beaten 3 out 5 last constests...

When youve got the right players in place, you can win even if you're not the most talented team top to bottom.
Click to expand...
They play those teams once a year, Tennessee plays those teams every week. It's harder here, not saying Pruitt can't or won't do it but the circumstances are remarkably different.
 
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#11
#11
Volsfaninva917 said:
They play those teams once a year, Tennessee plays those teams every week. It's harder here, not saying Pruitt can't or won't do it but the circumstances are remarkably different.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but they still had to beat them.
Florida State won the National Title as recently 2013 btw...

What about the second part? Clemson would have dominated the East the way it has been. Mizzou and a underwhelming Florida made it to Atlanta twice each or more. Then there was South Carolina who Clemson had trouble with until Spurrier left.
But he left in what 2010? Yeah Clemson might have been there in Atlanta 7 times imo.

And my point is they would have won the SEC maybe 3 times or more.

And I look at how we are recruiting and it is VERY similar to what Dabo did at Clemson.
Except I think he's building it faster because of Transfer Portal and growing In-State talent pool along with the similar recruiting footprint as Clemson.
 
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#13
#13
Vol_from_86 said:
I just think we’ve got a real genuine football coach for the first time since Fulmer left. That plus a solid foundation for the offensive line and blue chip quarterback is plenty reason for optimism.

I’m concerned about Florida, but I think we’ll be back to regular 10 win seasons soon. Very soon.
Click to expand...

I %100 agree.

Florida is...ugh. It's Florida. That's an enigma that no coach can solve it seems. No matter how down they are.

But I think us beating USC, UK, Vandy, will be a regular thing again. Mizzou is always tough

andas much as I dislike Kirby, he seems to know what he's doing. Mehlan is getting better at recruiting too. But Pruitt is the best defensive coach in the league. 2020 and moving forward our defense will keep us in ANYGAME, and soon either Maurer or Bailey will take the offense where it needs to be.

We start to challange for the SEC East in 2020...
Were right on the heels of UF who is probably the best East time going into 2020.
 
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#17
#17
AstonRoyal said:
You said: “I believe the Vols are set to become a powerhouse once again.”
Click to expand...

Yes....and then I explained how it was going to happen.
It was based off our own recruiting the past 3 classes and how it very much parallels to the Clemson Tigers who have 4 National Championship appearances over the past 11 years.

It's just putting information out there that were going in the right direction based off players were recruiting in crucial junctions.
So far...Pruitt is doing exactly that.
 
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#18
#18
LittleVol said:
Florida is...ugh. It's Florida. That's an enigma that no coach can solve it seems. No matter how down they are.
Click to expand...

Here are the coaches involved since UF became a fixture on the schedule in 1990 for both sides: Majors, Spurrier, Fulmer, Zook, Meyer, Kiffin, Dooley, Muschamp, Jones, McElwain, Pruitt, Mullen

12 coaches! Come on Pruitt, end this madness!
 
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#19
#19
Just to put this in perspective.
From 2008 to 2015 Clemson went from an above average ACC team to a National Power. (FSU Natty in 2013)

And they did this with a Class Ranking average of #20.
20th ranked recruiting class over 6 seasons

We all witnessed how it grew who they had to beat.
Coaching Consistency was huge of course.
But it was the players they had in place at the right time. As well as killer player evals! Which Pruitt has proven to us he is a master at!
 
#21
#21
It is true that it is going to be easier to make that kind of leap without super elite recruiting in the ACC than in the SEC. You can have a top ten to fifteen recruiting class nationally and be in the bottom half of the SEC some years. Almost all fourteen schools in the SEC are throwing insane amount of resources at their football programs, which isn’t the case in several other conferences, the ACC included. Because of that I don’t think any program is going to be able to completely dominate the SEC like Clemson has the ACC. However I do feel we can make a similar leap to yearly contention for the SEC crown and eventually the NC, just more gradually. Top 15 classes will lead to ten win seasons, which will lead to Top 10 classes, which will lead to twelve win seasons, which will lead to Top 5 classes, which will lead to competing for national championships. We often mourn how Clemson has dominated with players who very well could’ve been Vols (Trevor Lawrence, Higgins, Ettiene, etc.) had we had a competent coach in place, which is disappointing but also encouraging, as we have been really close to getting some elite, program altering players. I think we’ve got the ball coach in place to do it now, provided Alabama doesn’t steal him away. The most important step is finding that transformative QB. It’s of course possible to win a NC without a superstar at QB, but it’s getting harder and harder to, and the last four national championships have been won with contributions from QBs who may go down as top 25 all time at their positions in CFB (Watson, Tua, Lawrence, Burrow). Hopefully Bailey can be that for us, because even if we can pull even with Alabama, Georgia, and to a lesser extent Florida in recruiting (and those first two aren’t givens), we won’t likely be able to dominate them in recruiting anytime soon. We’ll need a dynamic QB to put us over the top. The fact that HB is arguably the first real blue chipper we’ve signed at the position since Peyton is a large reason, and I would argue the largest one of many, we’ve struggled over the last two decades. A difference making QB is the tide that lifts all boats.

TLDR; While I don’t think we can realistically reach the peaks of Clemson, it’s entirely possible and increasingly like we’ll eventually be able to replicate a decade like the 90s, where ten wins is almost a given and we can at least hope for championships each year, given we can find a great QB to spark us.
 
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#23
#23
LittleVol said:
Even with the resurgence of LSU. The production of Florida, UGA and just the overall level of talent and coaching in the SEC, I believe the Vols are set to become a powerhouse once again.

Key Recruiting- What is key recruiting? It's recruiting based off siging players that fill a need or add a dimension to your team that enhances it. Clemson has been doing this from 2009 and on.

2009 Class Rank 36
- Tahj Boyd, Malachi Goodman, Rod Mcdowell. They needed a compliment to CJ Spiller and a QB to enhance the offense.
2010 class rank 27

- Vic Beasly, D Hopkins, M Bryant, B Breeland
Needed Weapons on the perimeter. And defenders to match up

2011 class rank 10
- Sammy Watkins, T Steward, S Anthony, Charon Peake. Need more weapons to grow with the previous years. Add 2 5 star LBs.

2012 class rank 20
Need linman for the 4 years. Done.

2013 class rank 15
- M Williams, Wayne Gallman. Mk Alexander, J Kearse, B Boulware S Lawson and more Oline future starters

2014 Class Rank 16
- DeShaun Watson. The next to carry the program. And take it to higher level


*NOTICE THE RECRUITING CLASS RANKING AT THIS POINT FROM 2009*

2015 Class rank 9
- Celin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Albert Huggins. Austin Bryant. Deon Cain and Ray Ray Mcloud. New level breed of defenders and more speed added to an emerging Juggernaut.

2016 Class Rank 11
- Dexter Lawrence, Isiah Simmons, Trayvaun Mullen, K Wallace in addition to some very good O- Lineman. Those are all NFL starters from that defense group.

2017 Class Rank 16
- Tee Higgins, Travis Etienne...etc

2018 Class Rank 7
- Trevor Lawrence, Justin Ross ...etc

In Summary:
Clemson built a powerhouse with only 3 "Top 10" level classes over a 10 year period. Not even 1 Top 5 class and 2 classes NOT even ranked in the Top 25.
But look at WHO and WHEN they recruited players at crucial junctions.
All through this run, they have recruited the QB that can carry the torch as the veteran departs and surround him with a good blend of young and experienced talent.

This is exactly what Pruitt is doing in his first 3 classes. Except he's actually getting more key players each class than Clemson 10 years ago.
Click to expand...

Wait until we win something before you discuss recruiting and all. Good grief. We don't discuss stuff around here until we win.
 
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#24
#24
As the decade comes to a close at the end of 2020, I hope the next decade will see a resurgence of the sort of Vol football program we all came to know and love in the glory years. The upcoming season should give us a good idea of what's to come.
 
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#25
#25
Boca Vol said:
Here are the coaches involved since UF became a fixture on the schedule in 1990 for both sides: Majors, Spurrier, Fulmer, Zook, Meyer, Kiffin, Dooley, Muschamp, Jones, McElwain, Pruitt, Mullen

12 coaches! Come on Pruitt, end this madness!
Click to expand...

It all starts with defense and high percentage of 3rd down conversation on both sides.

The Gators will be good again, but I like our chances this year.
 
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