Crouch equal to McKenzie, Hurd & Kamara

#51
#51
Ref4Life said:
It’s hard to watch a player that drew comparisons to Ricky Williams in high school play linebacker instead of RB. He was rated 5* number 1/2 back until he got hurt and had to sit most his senior season. I know he’s learning a new position but he’s not even close to as good a linebacker in my opinion. Please change my mind VN because it’s hard for me to watch our rb core play thinking we are wasting this talent
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J.Hurd just didn't want to play RB either. A select few ever have lengthy NFL careers and that could be the reasoning behind the decision. JMO
 
#52
#52
sjt18 said:
Blame Jones, not Hurd.

Hurd wasn't a cancer of himself. Jones mismanaged player relationships from the time he arrived. Hurd was a VERY talented guy and just one of many talents that Jones found a way to squander. Blaming ANY of that on Hurd is ridiculous. It is 100% on Jones.
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Hurd didn't have the greatest attitude but the ending of his UT career was 100% on Jones. It blows my mind really... poor OL play, horrible fit for the system and didn't finish 4 years, yet he finished how high in the record book for yards at the school? I absolutely loved to watch him play and think he was grossly underrated when it came to the Furnette/Henry discussion. Can't blame the kid for getting ffrustrated when he was pretty much screwed by Butch. Imagine him with Chaney's offense...
 
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#57
#57
He's put up decent stats honestly. He's behind a couple of guys, he's also a freshman learning two new positions. He played a little LB in high school, but he was mainly a RB. He'll be fine.
 
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#58
#58
MikeVol44 said:
He's a FRESHMAN in the SEC.....and he's playing very WELL at OLB......

He's got 3 more years.....you might want to wait a few years before drawing any conclusions
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This. He's playing very well. Marquez Callaway barely touched the field as a freshman, look at him now. I'm always amazed at how people expect every player to be Herschel Walker when they get here. There's a huge difference between an 18 year old and a 22 year old.
 
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#59
#59
VolinMichigan said:
McKenzie, Hurd and Kamara all have one thing in common - a coaching staff that didn't demand enough from them. I'll even give Kamara somewhat of a pass because his coaches didn't recognize how talented he was and sat him to placate a man-child who thought he was owed everything. Butch and his staff did McKenzie and Hurd a disservice by not demanding they be their very best and work hard to earn their starting role. And we can see how that worked out for UT. McKenzie is now a third string offensive linemen and Hurd transferred. Hurd might have a good NFL career, but he was an absolute cancer in UTs locker room when he was here. I feel bad for Kamara that he didn't get played over Hurd when he was clearly the more talented player.
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I am not a fan of the way Hurd quit the team, but the guy was 440 yds away from being #1 all time rusher in school history. Think about that for a minute and remember how the lines of yesteryear compared to what he had to work with.

ALTERNATE POINT OF VIEW: While I too agree he was likely a cancer in the locker room, could it be that he was more demanding than the coaches?
 
#60
#60
Ref4Life said:
It’s hard to watch a player that drew comparisons to Ricky Williams in high school play linebacker instead of RB. He was rated 5* number 1/2 back until he got hurt and had to sit most his senior season. I know he’s learning a new position but he’s not even close to as good a linebacker in my opinion. Please change my mind VN because it’s hard for me to watch our rb core play thinking we are wasting this talent
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He is infinitely more valuable at OLB/DE, if you dont understand this you dont understand football.
 
#61
#61
You're dramatically underestimating Crouch at LB. Remember, he's a true Freshman right now. Most true Freshman LBs don't even see the field. Look at a guy like Darrell Taylor who didn't really break through till his 4th and 5th seasons.

The only standard that Crouch doesn't look good at LB is comparing him to To'o To'o, who is probably the best Freshman LB in the country.
 
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#63
#63
VolForLife83 said:
McKenzie was a bust. Hurd and Kamara were beasts. The kid wants a longer career, so he is choosing to play defense. He may not be "the man" on defense, but he will be one of them and he's only going to get better in time
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Hurd was a pampered baby.
 
#64
#64
tbones0711 said:
J.Hurd just didn't want to play RB either. A select few ever have lengthy NFL careers and that could be the reasoning behind the decision. JMO
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The reason we landed him is because he DID want to play RB...but not in the scheme Butch implemented. He was an ideal downhill runner imo and reneging on the deal to include the offset I glimpsed in the bowl game against Northwestern cost Butch both Hurd and DeBord...imo.
 
#65
#65
Ref4Life said:
Just think he would be the man as a running back. Don’t see him being the man on D. To’o on the other hand
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He's still swimming more than To' I think. He's a true FR of course. Plus I think Pruitt likes him better at OLB and had to move him inside with the exodus of the 2 ILBs earlier.

I would love to see him get 20+ carries a game and see what happens. But, I think we'll see a star manifest if he stays at LB too.
 
#66
#66
LB is a tough position to learn at this level in one year. I am sure if it appears maybe after next year he's not going to make it at LB the coaches will make a move. He has too much phyiscal ability to stand next to Pruitt alot.

HenryT is an exception. Hes a natural LB, probably played it mostly his entire HS career and has taken off. Crouch missed most of his sr yr.
 
#67
#67
BowlBrother85 said:
McKenzie performed very well in the camps, especially at The Opening where he announced his decision. He missed his senior season due to changing schools but he had a good film from his time at De La Salle. I honestly don't think his being overrated had anything to do with his dad. I'm not sure what to attribute it to but poor development under Butch Jones's staff may have played a part.
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Head scratcher. It must have been a problem up stairs. When he came in that summer totally out of shape, we saw his fate sealed. I chalk his mediocrity (I don't call him a bust) up to simple lack of "want to". Some people get passionate about challenges and others coast. KM had the natural talent to coast a bit and still play. But, you can't coast and elevate to greatness.

All JMO.
 
#69
#69
It reminds me of Hurd wanting to switch to WR, and purportedly Butch saying no—just reversed. Crouch wants to be an LB and so the coaching staff recognize they’d rather have that talent than make him play RB and him go elsewhere.

Which could be reading into it a little too much, but he didn’t seem too hype after scoring that touchdown Saturday. Either he keeps the business mentality approach or he didn’t really like having to take snaps at RB IMO.
 
#70
#70
Al Wilson was a RB and LB in HS. The staff wanted to switch him to safety because they thought he was too small for the SEC. But Al wanted to stay at LB so they let him. He went on to become arguably the greatest LB in UT history. Calm down- he has the talent so let it play out.
 
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#71
#71
Other_Guy said:
Hurd didn't have the greatest attitude but the ending of his UT career was 100% on Jones. It blows my mind really... poor OL play, horrible fit for the system and didn't finish 4 years, yet he finished how high in the record book for yards at the school? I absolutely loved to watch him play and think he was grossly underrated when it came to the Furnette/Henry discussion. Can't blame the kid for getting ffrustrated when he was pretty much screwed by Butch. Imagine him with Chaney's offense...
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I don't think it had to be a bad fit. Hurd had speed to get the edge in addition to power. He caught the ball very well and operated in space well. IMO, Jones' system really didn't work for anyone very well. He thought of himself as a brilliant innovator who was going to bring his "power spread" and change the way football is played in the SEC. His massive ego was only matched by his delusional incompetence.

I think Hurd gets a bad rap. He felt the pressure of Jones' toxic culture because he was the face of what was supposed to be a new age in UT football. His signing was supposedly the centerpiece of the resurgence. I personally don't think the guy would have had a bad attitude if the team had been well coached and winning games even if he shared more PT.

I too would have LOVED to have seen what Chaney would have done with Hurd and the rest of that very talented group of skill players. I like UT's receivers now but think about Chaney with Kamara, Hurd, Kelly, and Malone plus Callaway and Jennings. You could even throw Croom and Wolf in there for good measure.

The amount of talent Jones squandered or else got injured with his asinine development/S&C program is downright criminal.
 
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#73
#73
HE'S A FRESHMAN!!. HE DIDN'T PLAY FOOTBALL HIS SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL!!!

It's ridiculous to say he won't be a excellent LB at this point. I like that they use him in short yardage on offense, but to say he would be the savior to our running game is just speculation. Maybe the line is just not good at run blocking to make our RB's look better.
 
#74
#74
Just a note on McKenzie. He DID come in as a 5 star recruit...and they never do that based on who their parents are. He played poorly while here...certainly not up to his rating....but still got drafted cuz of his raw physical specs and potential. Now? He's a backup olineman. Coulda been so much more.
 
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