ESPN CFB insider: Tennessee talent comparable to Alabama, LSU

#1
weallvol

weallvol

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#1
“I’d put them in the same breath,” Haney said. “That’s really the illustration of what Butch Jones has done at Tennessee. Look at the talent they had three-to-four years ago when he got there. It was abysmal on both lines of scrimmage. The offensive and defensive lines were horrific. They were closer at that point to the bottom of the league than the top of the league. Now, they’re in the same conversation as LSU and Alabama.”

ESPN CFB insider: Tennessee talent comparable to Alabama, LSU
 
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#3
#3
Georgia, Alabama, Florida, LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Tennessee all have good 1st team players

yes, Old Miss too
 
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#4
#4
They're burning couches in the streets here in Alabama, for someone to even slightly intimate that Tennessee can now be mentioned in the same breath with Alabama. On the other hand, I've heard a bunch of them say that they are nervous about coming to Neyland especially if Tennessee runs the table to that point!
 
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#5
#5
LA vol7 said:
They're burning couches in the streets here in Alabama, for someone to even slightly intimate that Tennessee can now be mentioned in the same breath with Alabama. On the other hand, I've heard a bunch of them say that they are nervous about coming to Neyland especially if Tennessee runs the table to that point!
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I love it
GO VOLS
 
#6
#6
How is that possible if most of our starters were 3*s in high school considering stars are really important to some of us? Maybe we just have a good coaching staff whose very good at evaluating talent? Idk....
 
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#8
#8
VolFreakJosh said:
How is that possible if most of our starters were 3*s in high school considering stars are really important to some of us? Maybe we just have a good coaching staff whose very good at evaluating talent? Idk....
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But most of our starters weren't 3 stars.....outside of our OL, our QB, our RBs, the majority of our WRs, our DEs, our DTs, our LBs, our safeties and likely 1 of our 2 starters at CB were 4 or 5 stars coming out of highschool.
 
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#10
#10
VolFreakJosh said:
How is that possible if most of our starters were 3*s in high school considering stars are really important to some of us? Maybe we just have a good coaching staff whose very good at evaluating talent? Idk....
Click to expand...

Most of our players were not 3 stars. We have more 4 stars than 3 stars in the 2 deep.
 
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#11
#11
Not going to matter if we don't have a decent passing game. Shut down our ground game and then what? Dobbs should have had at least 5 picks in the South Carolina game and it only takes a couple to stall your team and get you beat. That's the only part of our game I worry about. If they crowd the line and make Dobbs beat you through the air it's going to be a long day. Hopefully his improvement as some have indicated is real.
 
#12
#12
LA vol7 said:
They're burning couches in the streets here in Alabama, for someone to even slightly intimate that Tennessee can now be mentioned in the same breath with Alabama. On the other hand, I've heard a bunch of them say that they are nervous about coming to Neyland especially if Tennessee runs the table to that point!
Click to expand...

Lol, Finebaum's show had meltdowns about this from Ohio, California, and everywhere in the South today. NOBODY wants to recognize or believe it. Changes nothing, cuz it's real, real damn real! GBO! lol
 
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#13
#13
First team? Absolutely. Second team? In most spots. Alabama is deep all across the field on the two deep. But I don't disagree with that opinion at all.
 
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#14
#14
UTandUNC said:
Most of our players were not 3 stars. We have more 4 stars than 3 stars in the 2 deep.
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Projecting starting lineup 2016

Offense
Dobbs: Composite 3*
Smith: Composite 3*
Thomas: Composite 3*
Robertson: Composite 3*
Wolf: Composite 3*
Wiseman: Composite 3*
Kendrick: Composite 3*
Richmond: Composite 4*
Hurd: Composite 4*
Malone: Composite 4*
Jennings: Composite 4*

Defense
Barnett: Composite 4*
Sutton: Composite 3*
Mckenzie: Composite 5*
Vereen: Composite 3*
Vickers: Composite 3*
JRM: Composite 4*
Kirkland Jr. Composite 4*
Martin: Composite 4*
Gaulden: Composite 3*
Berry: Composite 4*
Kelly Jr. Composite 4*

We do have a good share of 4* & 5*s but a very good chunk of our starters on offense and defense were 3*s coming out of high school as well.
 
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#15
#15
chuck0303 said:
Not going to matter if we don't have a decent passing game. Shut down our ground game and then what? Dobbs should have had at least 5 picks in the South Carolina game and it only takes a couple to stall your team and get you beat. That's the only part of our game I worry about. If they crowd the line and make Dobbs beat you through the air it's going to be a long day. Hopefully his improvement as some have indicated is real.
Click to expand...

The Oline will be much better as well as the WR. Teams will crowd the line at their peril.
 
#16
#16
He says closer to the bottom than the top... That's an understatement. Wasnt many teams that were worse than the Vols during that 3 year stretch. If you really really think about it, UT was atrocious overall. Sadly, many of us didn't believe that this was as long a job as Butch was telling us, but it has been. The fact UT was so close to being really good last year -ahead of schedule IMHO- shows how far hes brought the program. Now he has made some vast upgrades, I can't wait to see how this year will pan out.
 
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#17
#17
weallvol said:
“I’d put them in the same breath,” Haney said. “That’s really the illustration of what Butch Jones has done at Tennessee. Look at the talent they had three-to-four years ago when he got there. It was abysmal on both lines of scrimmage. The offensive and defensive lines were horrific. They were closer at that point to the bottom of the league than the top of the league. Now, they’re in the same conversation as LSU and Alabama.”

ESPN CFB insider: Tennessee talent comparable to Alabama, LSU
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I disagree with his comments regarding UT not having any talent on either line when Butch arrived at UT. The Vols had talent on both lines as evidenced by the guys that are now on NFL rosters that were on Butch's first UT team. As McCullars and Jennings are both good examples of such.

For the most part, Butch has upgraded the talent level at UT with the biggest difference being the depth, speed and talent that he has added on both sides of the ball by recruiting faster and more physical players. Under Dooley, UT had mostly big guys lacking the speed to compete on special teams and defense in the SEC. Butch has certainly fixed that problem with his recruiting. He has built a roster at UT that resembles LSU, Florida or Florida State, and that's the biggest difference from the Dark Days of Dooley!
 
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#18
#18
LA vol7 said:
They're burning couches in the streets here in Alabama, for someone to even slightly intimate that Tennessee can now be mentioned in the same breath with Alabama. On the other hand, I've heard a bunch of them say that they are nervous about coming to Neyland especially if Tennessee runs the table to that point!
Click to expand...

I remember the UT-Alabama series from the late 1960's and do not recall this game ever being played with both teams being undefeated. Not sure it will happen this year with us having 3 tough back to back games immediately before playing Alabama. I won't complain about the schedule because true champions see it as a challenge and not an obstacle. But our challenge is easily evident this year.
 
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#19
#19
VolFreakJosh said:
Projecting starting lineup 2016

Offense
Dobbs: Composite 3*
Smith: Composite 3*
Thomas: Composite 3*
Robertson: Composite 3*
Wolf: Composite 3*
Wiseman: Composite 3*
Kendrick: Composite 3*
Richmomd: Composite 4*
Hurd: Composite 4*
Malone: Composite 4*
Jennings: Composite 4*

Defense
Barnett: Composite 4*
Sutton: Composite 3*
Mckenzie: Composite 5*
Vereen: Composite 3*
Vickers: Composite 3*
JRM: Composite 4*
Kirkland Jr. Composite 4*
Martin: Composite 4*
Gaulden: Composite 3*
Berry: Composite 4*
Kelly Jr. Composite 4*

We do have a good share of 4* & 5*s but a very good chunk of our starters on offense and defense were 3*s coming out of high school as well.
Click to expand...

If you're gonna do this you should do better research.

Dobbs was a 4 star.
 
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#20
#20
chuck0303 said:
Not going to matter if we don't have a decent passing game. Shut down our ground game and then what? Dobbs should have had at least 5 picks in the South Carolina game and it only takes a couple to stall your team and get you beat. That's the only part of our game I worry about. If they crowd the line and make Dobbs beat you through the air it's going to be a long day. Hopefully his improvement as some have indicated is real.
Click to expand...
I think we're still good enough to beat them on the ground even if they load 8 in the box.
 
#21
#21
It's amazing what happens when we actually recruit defensive and offensive lineman. That's where the game is won.
 
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