Building For 2017

#1
zjcvols

zjcvols

"On a Tennessee Saturday night."
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#1
The injuries are almost unbearable but there is a positive. It's developing guys for next year.

We all thought next year we were going to take a step back because we would lose huge contributors (Hurd, Kamara, Sutton, JRM, Barnett, Dobbs). While we don't know how how much losing Dobbs will hurt (we definitely know losing Barnett is going to hurt) our experience for next year is going to increase.

While Foreman is a senior, Baylen Buchanan has played a lot more than expected and will likely be a starter next year. Marquill Osborne has gotten some run also.

Cortez McDowell has shown he can be a viable starter at the Will LB spot for 2017.

John Kelly didn't play much against Alabama, but we saw how good he can be against TAMU and will get more PT in the coming weeks with Kamara out.

Not only that, but with guys like O'Brien gone and McKenzie out for the year, we will see increased roles from Kyle Phillips, Johnathan Kongbo, Dimarya Mixon and Quay Picou at DT. Especially young guys like Phillips and Kongbo who can take over Barnett and Vereen's spot next year. This is Shy Tuttle's time to become a force.

And how about the offensive line. We are talking about bringing a lot of game experience back next year. The starters for next year will probably be (left-right): Kendrick/Robertson/Thomas/Jones/Hall but Drew Richmond and Venzell Boulware have seen significant action this year and Marcus Tatum got reps against the #1 team in the country.

And at other linebacker spots Colton Jumper has improved, Elliot Berry is raw but has talent, plus Dillion Bates has seen time throughout the year along with Gavin Bryant and Daniel Bituli.

It's ugly. The injury situation is as bad as I've seen it. We should get everyone back on the offense line and (besides Sutton) everyone back in the secondary along with Kirkland. We can still win the last five games and get to Atlanta, all while building depth for 2017.

There is no doubt I'd rather have a healthy 2016 team (who I think would be right in the thick of the playoff discussion) but now 2017 doesn't look like a team that won't have the experience to make it to Atlanta but a young team with plenty of playing time behind it that can really improve and make noise.
 
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#2
#2
I haven't seen alot of potential to develop. None of it matters if we don't get stronger and faster.
 
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#3
#3
Bigun said:
I haven't seen alot of potential to develop. None of it matters if we don't get stronger and faster.
Click to expand...

You not seeing much potential to develop is not surprising at all. You're not a head football coach at a powerhous D1 football program. So there is that.
 
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#4
#4
BigOrangeTrain said:
You not seeing much potential to develop is not surprising at all. You're not a head football coach at a powerhous D1 football program. So there is that.
Click to expand...

What potential do you see? Usually guys that are going to be difference makers and dominate have already shown up by now. Barnett, JRM and Sutton were all very very good as Frosh and Soph's. Other than DKjr, I don't see anyone on the defense ready to take the next steps. Of course every lauded Micah Abernathy because he fell down on the ball 3 times one game but that is all he has done.

If you want to compete with the Bama's of the world you need difference makers. Right now we don't have any difference makers except for Barnett and after this year he, JRM and Sutton are all gone as well.
 
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#5
#5
Yeah but if we keep getting hit with injuries at this rate, it won't matter. Got to find the root cause(s).
 
#6
#6
Buchanan really needs to bulk up and be more physical, he is getting man handled. But outside of that he has been solid for a freshman.
Osborne has shown that he is talented and needs more reps.
Bituli needs to step up and be DKjr's understudy. He is fierce when he's on the field, just needs the cerebral part of the defense.
Warrior needs to see more reps at safety, I believe he can be a solid player and really showed leadership potential when he was getting the team fired up after the targeting call.
Tyler Byrd has been a great playmaker and just takes the ball out of the air whenever it's near him. He really needs to see more touches AND more targets by Dobbs.
We have several young receivers that are talented and can be great here. Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson come to mind.
People have raved over JG all offseason and fall, I remember seeing something about him talking to Ethan wolf during halftime of the Florida game because he had a couple drops. Showed a lot of leadership to come up to an upperclassmen and tell him he can do better.
Kongbo is very talented, just needs to hone his skills. He is playing out of position right now and still trying to learn the game at the same time. Give him some time.
I wish we didn't have to burn Tatum's redshirt but now that it's gone he needs more playing time. He also needed that redshirt year in the weight room.
I think our 2016 class will end up being arguable our best class despite it being ranked 10 spots lower. It's talented with great playmakers and leaders emerging all around.
 
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#7
#7
Another thing you have left off is that it's year 2 of Shoop's system and there are a whole host of players that will know it a lot better than they do now..
 
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#8
#8
Bigun said:
What potential do you see? Usually guys that are going to be difference makers and dominate have already shown up by now. Barnett, JRM and Sutton were all very very good as Frosh and Soph's. Other than DKjr, I don't see anyone on the defense ready to take the next steps. Of course every lauded Micah Abernathy because he fell down on the ball 3 times one game but that is all he has done.

If you want to compete with the Bama's of the world you need difference makers. Right now we don't have any difference makers except for Barnett and after this year he, JRM and Sutton are all gone as well.
Click to expand...

I am not qualified enough to think I can see potential. You obviously think you are. You are not. You have zero clue as to who will be difference makers and who wont. Its your opinion, I respect that. But I think you are wrong.
 
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#10
#10
Just kinda playing around with what the d line and linebackers would look like next year (updated their class/year and included the ones committed to us currently). Also those weight predictions were just my opinion. Obviously Stripling will get them where they need to be.
 

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#14
#14
BigOrangeTrain said:
I am not qualified enough to think I can see potential. You obviously think you are. You are not. You have zero clue as to who will be difference makers and who wont. Its your opinion, I respect that. But I think you are wrong.
Click to expand...


You realize we have a whole forum dedicated to potential......it's called the recruiting forum. Why don't you go yell at them.
 
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#17
#17
I would like to see Dormady and Jones get some reps at QB with the tougher competition out of the way, with all the injuries it's hard to say if UT can put the games away early enough for them to see the field though.

PS, I hope you guys can get another episode of the podcast out soon.
 
#18
#18
Vols_14 said:
Buchanan really needs to bulk up and be more physical, he is getting man handled. But outside of that he has been solid for a freshman.
Osborne has shown that he is talented and needs more reps.
Bituli needs to step up and be DKjr's understudy. He is fierce when he's on the field, just needs the cerebral part of the defense.
Warrior needs to see more reps at safety, I believe he can be a solid player and really showed leadership potential when he was getting the team fired up after the targeting call.
Tyler Byrd has been a great playmaker and just takes the ball out of the air whenever it's near him. He really needs to see more touches AND more targets by Dobbs.
We have several young receivers that are talented and can be great here. Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson come to mind.
People have raved over JG all offseason and fall, I remember seeing something about him talking to Ethan wolf during halftime of the Florida game because he had a couple drops. Showed a lot of leadership to come up to an upperclassmen and tell him he can do better.
Kongbo is very talented, just needs to hone his skills. He is playing out of position right now and still trying to learn the game at the same time. Give him some time.
I wish we didn't have to burn Tatum's redshirt but now that it's gone he needs more playing time. He also needed that redshirt year in the weight room.
I think our 2016 class will end up being arguable our best class despite it being ranked 10 spots lower. It's talented with great playmakers and leaders emerging all around.
Click to expand...

I am not worried about Buchanan getting stronger. He is a true freshman and will greatly benefit from the off season training. He has the genes and will be a very good player.
 
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#19
#19
BigOrangeTrain said:
I am not qualified enough to think I can see potential. You obviously think you are. You are not. You have zero clue as to who will be difference makers and who wont. Its your opinion, I respect that. But I think you are wrong.
Click to expand...

You think the guy is wrong and completely unqualified to make an opinion simply because he doesn't see what you want him to see. Brilliant.

A D1 coach simply gives an opinion on potential too.
 
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#21
#21
This is true. I hoped we would build the depth in the second half of blowouts, but this will accomplish the same thing.
 
#22
#22
BigOrangeTrain said:
I am not qualified enough to think I can see potential. You obviously think you are. You are not. You have zero clue as to who will be difference makers and who wont. Its your opinion, I respect that. But I think you are wrong.
Click to expand...

Only time will tell. Whoever is best at evaluating talent will become evident by who wins the SEC each year and who is the also-ran.

The question I have for fans is what kind of coach do you think UT is supposed to hire? A coach that is pretty good and can beat most teams but never the best teams, or a coach that plans on dominating the SEC and establishing a new world order?

Right now I can't say which one Butch is, but it will become more and more apparent very quickly.
 
#23
#23
orangeluvr said:
Nothing builds a program like a roster full of 4and 5* recruits.... see bama.
Click to expand...

Yep. While the OPs point is well taken, experience won't mean much if the talent isn't there. I question our talent level on the OL and at LB/secondary. Maybe the pessimist in me, but I suspect this roster isn't as talented as we'd like to think
 
#24
#24
Bigun said:
What potential do you see? Usually guys that are going to be difference makers and dominate have already shown up by now. Barnett, JRM and Sutton were all very very good as Frosh and Soph's. Other than DKjr, I don't see anyone on the defense ready to take the next steps. Of course every lauded Micah Abernathy because he fell down on the ball 3 times one game but that is all he has done.

If you want to compete with the Bama's of the world you need difference makers. Right now we don't have any difference makers except for Barnett and after this year he, JRM and Sutton are all gone as well.
Click to expand...

According to Big Orange Fail Train, to be able to evaluate talent, criticize a coach, or comment on a scheme, one has to have played at least 10 years of football, with at least 2 being at NFL level, head coached at the JUCO level at least, and recruited at least 1 player for a division 1 team.

Then, and only then, are you qualified to have an as a college football enthusiast.
 
#25
#25
I feel like next years team definitely can be better assuming the QB is not a drop off. QB could actually be better. As amazing as Kamara is, we do not even use him other than 1 game against Texas A&M. 3 carries against Va Tech. Barnett and Vereen are big losses, but Austin Smith and Darrell Taylor are likely primed for bigger roles and Khalil and Shy should be much better as Juniors. We did not have Reeves-Maybin or Cam Sutton this year anyways.
 
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