2021 Recruit Class Rating Plummets Dangerously

[sjt18]

BTW, White was smart with the Heupel hire. He's probably as talented as anyone UT could have gotten without shelling out record money.... and the chances of success were low regardless of who UT hired NOW. Best case- Heupel is as brilliant as some think and uses the portal to create the next "way" of success in CFB. Worst case- UT has a relatively low buyout in 3 or 4 years at which time they can still throw out big money if they choose to do so.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

You have a sick fetish about downsizing Neyland

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

You have a sick fetish about downsizing Neyland

 

[LittleVol]

And 2023

And 2024, 25! Oh my GOD were witnessing the end of Tennessee Football!!.
Oh no my pants are wet again...

 

[Volfan76]

Right. You will parse everything to conform it to your negativity. That's your schtick... and your right as long as Freak tolerates it.

Salary inflation isn't that big of a factor. IIRC, Franklin went to PSU for about $3.5 million around 5 or 6 years ago. You didn't deal with Swinney's situation... because you can't.

I don't care about the rankings of the last class or the next one. Heupel has to find another way to get talent. That's not in question. Last year's class for various reasons had significant attrition that Heupel CHOSE to tolerate. He could have held them to their LOI and didn't. I don't know why he chose that route but he did. This year's class is tough for many reasons but the two biggest are the NCAA investigation and the timing of his hire and changes to recruiting periods. Nothing can be done about that except find another way to bring in players he can win with.

You're being a drama queen with the whole "look at the recruiting rankings" thing. You have to know the hand that Heupel was dealt and still want to use this situation to claim he can't bring in talent? He may indeed fail... but it is STUPID to make that assessment with the limited info we have RIGHT NOW.


You can poopoo the gains through the portal all you like. But they are gains and there will have to be more over the next 2 or 3 years for Heupel to survive and succeed. But that may just force him and UT to master the use of the portal sooner than others.

Are you a drug addict or a politician? That's the only two people that can pump out excuses that fast. Franklin's salary was 4.3 milliion, which made him the 8th highest paid coach in the country in 2014, but whatever fits your narrative. Dabo had an incentive laced contract that bumped him up to 1.75 milliion in his 2nd year. I would be all for the admin giving a coach an incentive based contract and making him work for it. The year is over half over and Heupel is sitting at around 50th in the nation, with the highest ranked recruit a .89. Heupel is in over his head and everybody in the country knows it. The media knows it, the players know it(leaving in droves), recruits know it, potential assistant coaches know it, opposing coaches know it, and most of VN knows it. The only people that haven't figured it out are a handful of eternal optimist sunshine pumpers on VN that would make excuses if the admin marched Lee Corso to the podium and made him head coach. That's all fine, well and good. You can put your Heupel bobble head on your dash and get excited every day on the way to work if you want, but let the realist be able to talk about the reality of the situation without getting attacked because they dare say anything truthful on VN.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Six months from now Hugh Freeze will be employed by a P5 school and that school will have a better recruiting class and record than Vols in 2022. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

 

[butchna]

Six months from now Hugh Freeze will be employed by a P5 school and that school will have a better recruiting class and record than Vols in 2022. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

From the Prophet who brought you Chip Kelly.

 

[Vfl2407]

A 10 step program to get to this point

1. Hire an athletic director that is in over his head
2. Hire a coach that literally no-one else wants
3. Hire a coach that was run off from 2 prior jobs due to personality issues
4. Hire a coach whose mentor is Rush Probst
5. Extend a coach that no one wants although coach lost to GA State
6. Coach leads team that quits against home curbstomping by UK
7. Coach leads team to double digit loss against team that had come into season without SEC win since 2017
8. Start an investigation to nuke football program to avoid paying the buyout
9. Keep coach on staff in December although it was clear he was in over head
10. Fire coach weeks after season is over.

Well when you sum it up like that, any school would look bad. I can’t believe it’s my school, though.
Sigh.

 

[sjt18]

Are you a drug addict or a politician?

Are you intentionally being that obtuse or truly that detached?

That's the only two people that can pump out excuses that fast. Franklin's salary was 4.3 milliion, which made him the 8th highest paid coach in the country in 2014, but whatever fits your narrative. Dabo had an incentive laced contract that bumped him up to 1.75 milliion in his 2nd year. I would be all for the admin giving a coach an incentive based contract and making him work for it.

Right. Spin, spin, spin. Whatever justifies your negativity, right?

The year is over half over and Heupel is sitting at around 50th in the nation, with the highest ranked recruit a .89.

And? He was hired late coming into an NCAA investigation. Upon arrival he faced the extended recruiting shut down while other coaches with established relationships pressured potential targets for commitments. That's what they should have done and there isn't a thing that Heupel or anyone else could have done about it.

Heupel is in over his head and everybody in the country knows it.

No. They simply don't "know it".... and that's allowing your lie that it is the opinion of "everybody". It may not even be a majority. We don't know what we don't know... and NO ONE knows what Heupel will or won't do with this opportunity. We can say that a lot of things weigh against him.... and would have likely tanked any coach hired at any money.

The media knows it,

Except... that they don't "know" it. It is pure idiocy to speak in certain terms about future things you cannot possibly know or predict... and the vast majority of the media knows that.

the players know it(leaving in droves),

You make assumptions about the reasons kids are leaving... then use those assumptions as if they were facts supporting your extreme bias. I think everyone gets that you don't like Heupel and you think that it would have been a better strategy to throw two or 3 times the money at a "name"... who would have had a much higher buyout and an almost equal likelihood for failure given the circumstances.

recruits know it,

Right. Because it is totally legitimate to ignore the NCAA crap and negative recruiting resulting from it PLUS Heupel being hired late causing him to lose time that even other new coaches had to recruit.

potential assistant coaches know it,

Actually UT brought in a pretty decent staff... who pretty much to the man said Heupel was what attracted them.

opposing coaches know it, and most of VN knows it.

Again, only the truly STUPID claim to know things with so few actual facts.

The only people that haven't figured it out are a handful of eternal optimist sunshine pumpers on VN that would make excuses if the admin marched Lee Corso to the podium and made him head coach.

Well, yes I can see how that kind of well poisoning suits both your purpose and "reasoning". But nowhere have I said that Heupel would succeed. In the post you responded to I specifically said he would have to find other ways to bring in talent because the last class and likely this one are going to be weak.

In case you are still caught in that delusional tantrum... that doesn't make what I'm saying "excuses". Reality is reality. He was dealt a tough hand which you apparently want to deny. You'd rather just claim he's "in over his head" before he actually does anything of certain significance. Maybe others want to excuse him... I haven't. No matter how bad it is/was... he can't get more than 3 or 4 years. Recruiting would get even worse if he doesn't prove something before then.

That's all fine, well and good. You can put your Heupel bobble head on your dash and get excited every day on the way to work if you want, but let the realist be able to talk about the reality of the situation without getting attacked because they dare say anything truthful on VN.

And you are free to keep acting like a know it all idiot who thinks somehow your own biased dislike of the hire constitutes proof of future failure. Your opinions based on very little real information does not constitute "truth"... I'm sure you really think it does. But it doesn't.

Your dependence on "they" is humorous.

 

[SGMVols]

Six months from now Hugh Freeze will be employed by a P5 school and that school will have a better recruiting class and record than Vols in 2022. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

Freeze hasn’t even recorded a star yet on the recruiting trail this year

 

[Cartervol]

This program has to get a direction and a identity first. With the way things are going the power 5 should rid itself of the NCAA anyway. You want a semi pro league then guys are going to get paid. They're opening Pandora's Box at this point. It's still going to be about who can pay the most and who is the most successful programs, like always.

 

[sjt18]

Freeze hasn’t even recorded a star yet on the recruiting trail this year

I think Freeze would have been a great hire under normal circumstances. But he's a guy not far removed from scandal. Not who you want with the NCAA lurking. UT is also a situation set up for failure regardless of who was hired.

UT probably needed a "bridge" coach. Someone with sterling character who can settle things down. Heupel comes at a bargain which saves money plus lowers the potential buyout in 3 or 4 years. Had Freeze been hired at $6-7 million plus the guarantees he would have demanded... his potential failure after 3 or 4 years would have left UT with a buyout so high that they couldn't afford to pursue a big name then.

I believe this was a good strategic move by White. He knows what he's getting with Heupel. He got him at a bargain by today's standards. He is a stable, high character guy who should help UT through the investigation and take the heat off. He will be good for the culture of UT football. If he wins and establishes himself that's almost a bonus at this point. If he just plays the part of a good set up man... that's good enough.

 

[Volfan76]

Are you intentionally being that obtuse or truly that detached?

Right. Spin, spin, spin. Whatever justifies your negativity, right?

And? He was hired late coming into an NCAA investigation. Upon arrival he faced the extended recruiting shut down while other coaches with established relationships pressured potential targets for commitments. That's what they should have done and there isn't a thing that Heupel or anyone else could have done about it.

No. They simply don't "know it".... and that's allowing your lie that it is the opinion of "everybody". It may not even be a majority. We don't know what we don't know... and NO ONE knows what Heupel will or won't do with this opportunity. We can say that a lot of things weigh against him.... and would have likely tanked any coach hired at any money.

Except... that they don't "know" it. It is pure idiocy to speak in certain terms about future things you cannot possibly know or predict... and the vast majority of the media knows that.

You make assumptions about the reasons kids are leaving... then use those assumptions as if they were facts supporting your extreme bias. I think everyone gets that you don't like Heupel and you think that it would have been a better strategy to throw two or 3 times the money at a "name"... who would have had a much higher buyout and an almost equal likelihood for failure given the circumstances.
Right. Because it is totally legitimate to ignore the NCAA crap and negative recruiting resulting from it PLUS Heupel being hired late causing him to lose time that even other new coaches had to recruit.

Actually UT brought in a pretty decent staff... who pretty much to the man said Heupel was what attracted them.

Again, only the truly STUPID claim to know things with so few actual facts.

Well, yes I can see how that kind of well poisoning suits both your purpose and "reasoning". But nowhere have I said that Heupel would succeed. In the post you responded to I specifically said he would have to find other ways to bring in talent because the last class and likely this one are going to be weak.

In case you are still caught in that delusional tantrum... that doesn't make what I'm saying "excuses". Reality is reality. He was dealt a tough hand which you apparently want to deny. You'd rather just claim he's "in over his head" before he actually does anything of certain significance. Maybe others want to excuse him... I haven't. No matter how bad it is/was... he can't get more than 3 or 4 years. Recruiting would get even worse if he doesn't prove something before then.


And you are free to keep acting like a know it all idiot who thinks somehow your own biased dislike of the hire constitutes proof of future failure. Your opinions based on very little real information does not constitute "truth"... I'm sure you really think it does. But it doesn't.

Your dependence on "they" is humorous.

Absolute delusional....keep pumping. You've got 3 years to go.

 

[sjt18]

Absolute delusional....keep pumping. You've got 3 years to go.

Right. Because admitting that you don't have enough information to make an ironclad conclusion as opposed to concluding failure after 5 months... makes me the deluded one.

The only one "pumping" is you. I've long said the odds are against Heupel being successful even if he's a good coach. In this very thread the sum of what I've said is that he will have to find talent that he isn't getting through traditional recruiting at this point. Nowhere did I predict he would or wouldn't... only that he had to.

The "delusion" is thinking you have God like omniscience about future events... that is 100% YOU.