DYK.... SEC Team Size Policy

[cobbwebb0710]

And don’t forget that 10 of those 68 players was walk on’s. It would be nice to just have half of the players back that transferred out just for depth. Morris should have stayed but it was obvious it wasn’t playing time he was looking for.

Is Morris playing at all for Oklahoma? I don’t remember seeing him Saturday. If he’s not even playing as a backup or in mop up duty, does anyone else find that intere$ting?

GBO!!

 

[dobre_shunka]

Choosing 70 from 105 is really different than choosing 70 from 71. Even bigger divide when you compare the strength of rosters

Being the one who got left behind on road trips would sort of suck

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Being the one who got left behind on road trips would sort of suck

We should start taking Dee out on the town, during away games.
GBO!!

 

[De La Cloobs]

Choosing 70 from 105 is really different than choosing 70 from 71. Even bigger divide when you compare the strength of rosters

This is the comment I was looking for.

 

[rjd970]

Choosing 70 from 105 is really different than choosing 70 from 71. Even bigger divide when you compare the strength of rosters

^ This is why we are outmanned.

 

[CAVPUT]

I made the same comment Saturday night. How many of our players would see the field for bama or uga?

I'm not sure we'll ever be able to recruit to the level of bama, uga, fl or lsu again. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of Heupel when he was hired, but I think his offense and play calling might be something of an equalizer. Sure, the defensive coordinators in this league will get a handle on his offense eventually just like they did with Gus. Still, I think he and this staff have a way of connecting to these kids. Just get to the point where we lock down this state and consistently finish in the top 15-20 in recruiting and I think we can have some success in this league. Might even contend for the east ever so often. One thing is certain. We'll score and have some fun.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I'm not sure we'll ever be able to recruit to the level of bama, uga, fl or lsu again.

Dude.

The world isn't ending. The sky isn't falling. What goes around, comes around. We'll be back on top again one day, and probably not as far away as most folks think. So lighten up a bit on the "ever again" terminology.

 

[CAVPUT]

I think ONCE we get the recruiting investigation closed out (the UT internal one), recruiting will pick up. Josh Heupel's developing a real name for himself and his staff, and the program is getting juiced up with its potential. People well beyond Knoxville are noticing. That will include recruits. Just gotta show them that they'll be able to compete immediately in the post-season, for the SEC and for bowls and championships. Then they'll come.

And that could happen faster than the timeline you mention. We could, conceivably, see a strong uptick in the coming class. Maybe. With some luck in timing. If that were to happen, 2022 would be the year of inexperience but better quality depth, and 2023 we could start honestly challenging for the East and Atlanta.

I just can't fathom why the admin hasn't shut this damned investigation down and settled with the gump by now. It's almost like spoiled children who just won't let go of a problem. I'm not saying pay him what he's asking because he's directly responsible for this chit storm and the current state of this program. Still, give him 5 mil and move the hell on. Get this off the plate so Heupel has some shot at recruiting. Guy is busting his arse to get this school back to being competitive in the east, but the admin is doing him no favors at all. Cut Heupel a break and make this crap go away.

 

[Delmar]

It's not depth per se. We have, as you pointed out, enough depth to fill a travel team of 70.

It's QUALITY depth. Some teams, like Bama and UGa, have 4* and 5* players in their 3rd and 4th string. Others see a drop-off as you go down the depth chart. The drop-off is steeper for some teams than others.

With the Vols, you see an immediate drop just going from 1st string to 2nd (example: offensive line with and without the Mays brothers). That's where the disadvantage comes from. It only gets worse as the game goes on and we begin reaching deeper into the depth chart.



I think, largely speaking, our starters could start most anywhere. Certainly anywhere not named Bama or UGa. But our 3rd string and 4th string, those fellas might not make the 105 at a lot of SEC schools.

Love the lads for wearing the orange, absolutely love them, but the quality of our 3rd string and beyond starts to get a bit uncompetitive in several position groups.

Thank you. A lot of folks just don’t understand the term “quality depth”. We have some good players among the starters. But you can see what has happened when some of them go down. When it happens to Bama or Georgia, they just plug in another 4 or 5 star. We don’t have that luxury.

 

[CAVPUT]

Is Morris playing at all for Oklahoma? I don’t remember seeing him Saturday. If he’s not even playing as a backup or in mop up duty, does anyone else find that intere$ting?

GBO!!

Aren't Lawrence and Gray there, too? Are they starting? How are they playing?

 

[Volrocketman]

There's another facet at play here that most people seem to have forgotten. With the "free year" the NCAA granted every athlete last year because of COVID, schools are allowed to have more than 85 scholarship players for the 2021 season. That places our 71 (68) scholarship level even farther in the hole against most of the other teams that currently have 85, 90, 95(???) scholarship players.

 

[VolMarine1371]

Is Morris playing at all for Oklahoma? I don’t remember seeing him Saturday. If he’s not even playing as a backup or in mop up duty, does anyone else find that intere$ting?

GBO!!

that’s why I said it was obvious that playing time wasn’t what he was looking for.

 

[CAVPUT]

Dude.

The world isn't ending. The sky isn't falling. What goes around, comes around. We'll be back on top again one day, and probably not as far away as most folks think. So lighten up a bit on the "ever again" terminology.

Fulmer had a stretch where it was the "perfect storm". UGA was down and so was SC and Clemson hadn't made the national scene yet. NC was also not much of a player. He was able to cherry pick from those talent rich states. Hard to see that sort of situation arising again anytime soon. Just keeping it real. Still, TN is growing much stronger with instate recruiting. Can't fill an entire class with TN kids, but we should be able to have 12-15 from the state going forward.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Aren't Lawrence and Gray there, too? Are they starting? How are they playing?

Key Lawrence made a “key” play in their comeback win against Kansas on Saturday.
I guess you just crushed my conspiracy theory.
GBO!!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

that’s why I said it was obvious that playing time wasn’t what he was looking for.

I was thinking that maybe Oklahoma got word to not play him, since Pruitts lawyer is throwing around accusations. But as stated previously, Key Lawrence played.
GBO!!

 

[wmcovol]

I’ve seen a lot of posts recently about how we only have 71 scholarship players.

Did you know that all road teams in the SEC are limited to 70 players?

Home teams are allowed to dress as many players as are eligible, but they can only play 80.

Typically, teams play around 40-45 players per game, although special teams can raise that number (starters on special teams vs backups).

When we traveled to Tuscaloosa this weekend, we still had to leave one scholarship player behind, and when uga comes to Knoxville, they will have one less scholarship player than us.

Multiple injuries at one position can put pressure on position, like our O-line, but 70 players gives you 3 deep at each position with 4 spots for kickers, punters and longsnapppers.

My son played on a college baseball team as a freshman that had a coaching change the prior summer. His team had 4 seniors, 5 or 6 Juniors, the majority of the STARTING lineup was freshmen ( 4 of the 8 position players). The team had the same scholarship numbers as anyone but the physical difference was alarming. While Tennessee may have 70, the opponents 70 is far more experienced, stronger, etc than Tennessee. It just takes time to rebuild.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

Kinda misses the point, which is that injuries are typically impacting your best players.

Another way to look at it: a team with 85 scholarship players has an advantage over a team with 70, because if each team has 10 injuries, the team with 85 still has 15 other scholarship players to draw from, while the team with 70 has 0.

The impact is also uneven. For instance, we've had a lot of RB injuries this season, but we also have a lot of depth at RB, so the impact there has been somewhat muted. However, we've also had a lot of OL injuries and we have zero quality depth there, so the impact there has been huge.

 

[Unknown Muppet]

I’ve seen a lot of posts recently about how we only have 71 scholarship players.

Did you know that all road teams in the SEC are limited to 70 players?

Home teams are allowed to dress as many players as are eligible, but they can only play 80.

Typically, teams play around 40-45 players per game, although special teams can raise that number (starters on special teams vs backups).

When we traveled to Tuscaloosa this weekend, we still had to leave one scholarship player behind, and when uga comes to Knoxville, they will have one less scholarship player than us.

Multiple injuries at one position can put pressure on position, like our O-line, but 70 players gives you 3 deep at each position with 4 spots for kickers, punters and longsnapppers.

Most of the time, the guys who get left behind tend to be young guys who wouldn't play on a deep team, guys looking to redshirt, and guys nursing injuries. Having 71 means you are bringing 15 guys who probably would sit in a normal situation. These dudes plus the four spots for special teamers put you at 52 scholarship players who play in a normal year. You start eliminating some dudes for injuries, and things get real thin real quick.

 

[EZE]

If you have a total of 70 and let’s say 7 get injured, you then have a total of 63 that can play.

You can travel with the best and most healthy 70. However if your limited to say 63……you don’t get to “choose.”

It would be really nice to have a few “extra” quality players right about now………wouldn’t you say………even if you travel with 70.

Shhhhh…you’ll upset the narrative that UT and Alabama were evenly matched.

 

[VolMarine1371]

I was thinking that maybe Oklahoma got word to not play him, since Pruitts lawyer is throwing around accusations. But as stated previously, Key Lawrence played.
GBO!!

So had Gray along with Too Too at Bama and Crouch at Michigan State.

 

[37620VOL]

If you upgrade the talent level, having only 70 isn't a real excuse. That's 3 deep at every position.

Except 30 are freshmen or red shirt freshmen, so we only have ~40 developed players to form an SEC level 2 deep. We have razor thin margins at LB and oline. It's not debatable.

 

[BlinghamptonVol]

Is Morris playing at all for Oklahoma? I don’t remember seeing him Saturday. If he’s not even playing as a backup or in mop up duty, does anyone else find that intere$ting?

GBO!!

I don’t think OU has had any mop up duty this year!