RockyTopTexas
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In turn his S&C conditioning lead to injury and random helmets on the ground for players to step onI think skills improved under Pruitt but he didn't have the leadership or HC skills to pull things together.
Jones signed enough talent to end this walk through the valley. He was just not a very good coach... starting with thinking he was much smarter than he was. He thought he was going to reinvent football in the SEC with his offense and philosophy on S&C.
A) The point of mentioning Ekeler's comments was that the way we quantify "top tier" talent is flawed. His point is that, whether you sign the 30th ranked class or the 8th ranked class, the raw talent is roughly the same...unless you get a Trevor Lawrence or Leonard Fournette.....
I agree development is extremely important but in this conference even top tier development only will be 3rd in the east.
Ok but what about when our rivals such as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are getting top classes and top tier development?
You are spot on. Players like Eric Berry can play well under any coach. Most have to be coached to obtain their potential.Mike Ekeler made a comment shortly after being hired that there are only about 3-5 players in each class that are really special difference-makers. After that, there are a bunch of guys that can be good with the right development.
I think that's going to be the key to this staff's success...not whether they sign top rated classes...but how do they develop them? Tennessee will attract enough talent. Always has. But for the last decade-plus, Tennessee hasn't had coaches that adequately developed that talent.
Want proof if this? Kentucky had SIX players drafted into the NFL this last weekend. Have they ever had a higher rated class than Tennessee? Not to my recollection. Yet, they were a better team last year (really the last 3 years), they kicked Tennessee's ass last year, and they just put six guys in the league by developing them. The only thing stopping Kentukcy from being a real force in the East was QB play.
Stoops gets the most of his talent. Franklin did that at Vanderbilt, achieving two 9-win seasons without top 25 classes. You can look around the country and see evidence of the theory that development trumps rankings. Hell, Clemson began a dynasty with classes ranked 10-20, not top 5. NOW they're getting top 5 classes, but that's not how they got there (I also think rankings can be self-fulfilling sometimes...if a kid is offered by Bama or Clemson now, he's rated higher, so their classes are inevitably rated higher as a result).
This isn't to say that Tennessee shouldn't or won't attract top rated talent. It's to say that it's not the end-all, be-all. If Heupel & Co. can get the guys they feel they can work with and mold into their system, create a winning culture, and develop those guys, they'll be successful, regardless of where they fall in the recruiting rankings.
In these discussions about talent, development. coaching, we like to debate which is the most important. We like to figure out which is the best. Some will say, "coaching makes the difference". Others, "it's the jimmys and joes, not the xs and os".
The truth is it ALL matters. It is ALL important. Talent isn't enough. Coaching up athletes with lower potential isn't enough. Scheme can overcome for a while but eventually others catch on to your trends. Competing, winning consistently, establishing a dynasty need every available metric they can get to be favorable.
I agree development is extremely important but in this conference even top tier development only will be 3rd in the east.
Same way Clemson went from trash to perennial competitor for the title. Develop what you have and can get and roll up momentum like a big snowball.Gotta get the top rated guys and develop them. To get the top rated guys, you have to win at a high level. To win at a high level you have to have the top rated guys.
I honestly have no clue as to how TN can solve this dilemma.
We have to cheat. But not get caught or tell on ourselves and actually develop the talent.Gotta get the top rated guys and develop them. To get the top rated guys, you have to win at a high level. To win at a high level you have to have the top rated guys.
I honestly have no clue as to how TN can solve this dilemma.
Gotta cheat better. We know UGA bama, Florida and all the top dogs are doing it. If Tennessee is offering you to come there, be mediocre for 3-4 years and Bama is offering you a corvette and the chance to win multiple championships it’s a obvious choice for anyone who isn’t a Tennessee fan. We have to cheat betterTrue but it’s like you said. How do you catch up to the teams you mentioned when they are just so far ahead?
JG kicked our ass last year. Especially against KYMike Ekeler made a comment shortly after being hired that there are only about 3-5 players in each class that are really special difference-makers. After that, there are a bunch of guys that can be good with the right development.
I think that's going to be the key to this staff's success...not whether they sign top rated classes...but how do they develop them? Tennessee will attract enough talent. Always has. But for the last decade-plus, Tennessee hasn't had coaches that adequately developed that talent.
Want proof if this? Kentucky had SIX players drafted into the NFL this last weekend. Have they ever had a higher rated class than Tennessee? Not to my recollection. Yet, they were a better team last year (really the last 3 years), they kicked Tennessee's ass last year, and they just put six guys in the league by developing them. The only thing stopping Kentukcy from being a real force in the East was QB play.
Stoops gets the most of his talent. Franklin did that at Vanderbilt, achieving two 9-win seasons without top 25 classes. You can look around the country and see evidence of the theory that development trumps rankings. Hell, Clemson began a dynasty with classes ranked 10-20, not top 5. NOW they're getting top 5 classes, but that's not how they got there (I also think rankings can be self-fulfilling sometimes...if a kid is offered by Bama or Clemson now, he's rated higher, so their classes are inevitably rated higher as a result).
This isn't to say that Tennessee shouldn't or won't attract top rated talent. It's to say that it's not the end-all, be-all. If Heupel & Co. can get the guys they feel they can work with and mold into their system, create a winning culture, and develop those guys, they'll be successful, regardless of where they fall in the recruiting rankings.
Gotta get the top rated guys and develop them. To get the top rated guys, you have to win at a high level. To win at a high level you have to have the top rated guys.
I honestly have no clue as to how TN can solve this dilemma.
Good sound post. You can also look at what Barnes did with our basketball team. He has put a decent number of guys into the NBA and that has allowed him to recruit at a level maybe even he has never recruited at.Mike Ekeler made a comment shortly after being hired that there are only about 3-5 players in each class that are really special difference-makers. After that, there are a bunch of guys that can be good with the right development.
I think that's going to be the key to this staff's success...not whether they sign top rated classes...but how do they develop them? Tennessee will attract enough talent. Always has. But for the last decade-plus, Tennessee hasn't had coaches that adequately developed that talent.
Want proof if this? Kentucky had SIX players drafted into the NFL this last weekend. Have they ever had a higher rated class than Tennessee? Not to my recollection. Yet, they were a better team last year (really the last 3 years), they kicked Tennessee's ass last year, and they just put six guys in the league by developing them. The only thing stopping Kentukcy from being a real force in the East was QB play.
Stoops gets the most of his talent. Franklin did that at Vanderbilt, achieving two 9-win seasons without top 25 classes. You can look around the country and see evidence of the theory that development trumps rankings. Hell, Clemson began a dynasty with classes ranked 10-20, not top 5. NOW they're getting top 5 classes, but that's not how they got there (I also think rankings can be self-fulfilling sometimes...if a kid is offered by Bama or Clemson now, he's rated higher, so their classes are inevitably rated higher as a result).
This isn't to say that Tennessee shouldn't or won't attract top rated talent. It's to say that it's not the end-all, be-all. If Heupel & Co. can get the guys they feel they can work with and mold into their system, create a winning culture, and develop those guys, they'll be successful, regardless of where they fall in the recruiting rankings.
Thats the key. Get top talent and develop/ get the best out of a player by putting them in position to do what they do best.Ok but what about when our rivals such as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are getting top classes and top tier development?
Urban meyer said something like great players will get you 9 wins coaching another 2-3 and leadership 1. The bulldogs problem is coaching and always seeming to have a team that has a weak unit on the team that is often there down fall in big games.Ok, so lets use Georgia as a point. They had a school record 9 players drafted this 2021 cycle. However, this program cannot seem to get to the level production-wise of a consistent top 3 program nationally....at least thats what many or even most Ga. fans would say. So clearly Kirby is recruiting at a very, very high level. But are these Georgia players being "developed" and draft-able and not being coached? To me, it actually seems to be necessary to have all three......recruit at a reasonably high level, develop your players to be close to the best they can be in college, and coach them to be a part of a philosophy or team and win. That seems about right to me.