Faizon Brandon Has to be coming in as true freshman starter no doubt.

[Mccage]

No to the portal qb. Didn't help this year, won't help next yr except to force one of our qb to enter portal.

Redshirt Faison and go with our 2 young stud qb's

We didn’t have much choice this year did we? Joey has exceeded my expectations and truth be known everybody else except the few trolls on here.

 

[JRich]

Exactly how I feel!

 

[WaywardVol]

I didn't say anything to the contrary of who might recruit. My point is that Heupel doesn't recruit"scared" as you ignorantly claimed

If Heupel wasn’t scared to lose players, he’d hit the portal for the best QB out there. Someone expected to start. He won’t. Why? Because he’s SCARED of the impact on his current QB room. So, you’ll have zero experience at QB and a competition between a true freshman and a RS freshman. Merk hits the portal regardless.

 

[ochocinco]

If Heupel wasn’t scared to lose players, he’d hit the portal for the best QB out there. Someone expected to start. He won’t. Why? Because he’s SCARED of the impact on his current QB room. So, you’ll have zero experience at QB and a competition between a true freshman and a RS freshman. Merk hits the portal regardless.

psst we have a transfer starting right now…Injust can’t comprehend how some of you people will just blatantly lie to desperately try to find a way to complain and blame Heupel for anything imaginable. It’ll never make sense to me.

 

[MurphyVol]

Just throwing this name out there- Taron Dickens @ WCU is electric. He's small at 5'11" 180 lbs, but he is getting attention nationally.

33 TDs vs 2 INTs so far.

Against Mercer yesterday, the best team in SoCon, he threw for over 500 yards and 7 TDs.

Earlier this season he shattered the NCAA record for consecutive completions by starting the Wofford game completing his first 46 passes. He finished that game 53-56 attempts.

Word is that Pitt has a high level of interest but his play in recent weeks has put him on a lot of radars.

 

[smokeycoonhoundUT]

I guess we’re already writing off GMac?

 

[njvols]

Well he's got one QB in the NFL as QB2
I still think bigger schools may start using the portal more for QBs rather than spending NIL on HS QB
Guess we'll see

Yeah, it's dicey. We've got Merk, Gmac, and incoming Frosh. First year starters in SEC is tough. We don't have time for training wheels. JMO, but it seems GMac has more upside than Merk, but what do I know. All three of these QBs could/should do quite well with time. Bringing in a proven QB who has the chops has paid off for us pretty well.

 

[WaywardVol]

psst we have a transfer starting right now…Injust can’t comprehend how some of you people will just blatantly lie to desperately try to find a way to complain and blame Heupel for anything imaginable. It’ll never make sense to me.

Only because our starter bailed after spring ball. Do you really think that’s a good example?

 

[ochocinco]

Only because our starter bailed after spring ball. Do you really think that’s a good example?

It actually shows he’s more likely to bring a transfer since there was so much catch up to do at that point. And the pickings were slim but he made it work. Of course with a returning starter he wouldn’t before that.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

Yeah, it's dicey. We've got Merk, Gmac, and incoming Frosh. First year starters in SEC is tough. We don't have time for training wheels. JMO, but it seems GMac has more upside than Merk, but what do I know. All three of these QBs could/should do quite well with time. Bringing in a proven QB who has the chops has paid off for us pretty well.

It may get to the point you spend NIL big bucks on a known QB and other day 1 spots and then spend lower amounts on high up side 3* to fill out depth.
It comes down to do you want to spend $2mil on a 5* HS kid that will sit the bench for a year and no clue if they're actually any good or grab a QB with playing history, unless something changes with the portal or how NIL is handled, each year you may worry more about buying a quality team every year more so than coaching up players and leaving that to lower conferences

 

[wmcovol]

Yeah, it's dicey. We've got Merk, Gmac, and incoming Frosh. First year starters in SEC is tough. We don't have time for training wheels. JMO, but it seems GMac has more upside than Merk, but what do I know. All three of these QBs could/should do quite well with time. Bringing in a proven QB who has the chops has paid off for us pretty well.

Hey, 2nd year starters is tough in a lot of cases. See Nussimer, Lagway, Sellers, Arnold. Last year see Milroe, Beck, Ewers, Thorne.

 

[volfan411]

It may get to the point you spend NIL big bucks on a known QB and other day 1 spots and then spend lower amounts on high up side 3* to fill out depth.
It comes down to do you want to spend $2mil on a 5* HS kid that will sit the bench for a year and no clue if they're actually any good or grab a QB with playing history, unless something changes with the portal or how NIL is handled, each year you may worry more about buying a quality team every year more so than coaching up players and leaving that to lower conferences

THis^^. Does Tenn spend 2 million each on G-Mac and Brandon or opt to put all their eggs in one basket and invest dollars in other skill positions. I have said it multiple times on here the days and having two 5 star QB’s on your roster are gone with the transfer portal. You are going to have an elite starter and a couple of depth players behind said starter IMO.

 

[rocytop2624]

I guess we’re already writing off GMac?

No but he will have competition.

 

[rocytop2624]

Can Aguilera get another year?

 

[GVF]

Only because our starter bailed after spring ball. Do you really think that’s a good example?

Apparently it is, since we brought in a QB and didn't go with one of other two.

But, we got Gmac on roster, Brandon coming in, and Merck who may ro may not stay. All highly rated QB's out of HS. Keep going and getting a portal QB everytime you have an opening because your 4&5* QB recruits lack experience, and soon enough you won't be able to sign many 3*'s either.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

THis^^. Does Tenn spend 2 million each on G-Mac and Brandon or opt to put all their eggs in one basket and invest dollars in other skill positions. I have said it multiple times on here the days and having two 5 star QB’s on your roster are gone with the transfer portal. You are going to have an elite starter and a couple of depth players behind said starter IMO.

Agree, the days of stacking 5* players 3 deep like Saban used to do are gone. You got to play em or lose em now. The 5*'s will only sit for a season.

 

[VolFanNC09]

Gmac was a 5* at one point, Faizon is a 5*, I would prefer we roll with Gmac and then Faizon unless there is a slam dunk from the portal. We need to spend dollars on keeping our roster and adding a good safety, LB and DBs.

 

[volfan411]

Agree, the days of stacking 5* players 3 deep like Saban used to do are gone. You got to play em or lose em now. The 5*'s will only sit for a season.

And player development is going to be a point of emphasis in the future. At some point every team is going to be an injury away from depending on a 2-3 star to save their season. We saw it this year with the injury to Gibson and have to depend on a talented but inexperienced freshman. We will never know what could have been had Gibson not gotten injured or McCoy been able to play.

 

[WaywardVol]

Apparently it is, since we brought in a QB and didn't go with one of other two.

But, we got Gmac on roster, Brandon coming in, and Merck who may ro may not stay. All highly rated QB's out of HS. Keep going and getting a portal QB everytime you have an opening because your 4&5* QB recruits lack experience, and soon enough you won't be able to sign many 3*'s either.

They brought in a QB out of desperation. GMac’s family was clear that he WANTED to redshirt to improve his physique. He had zero desire to start at this juncture. Merk? No way they were going with two QBs, one of which was seeking to redshirt.

This year, they have two top 5 stat QBs and they don’t want either leaving. Heupel has every right to prove me wrong. I think they’d be crazy not to seek an experienced, proven starter. Especially with that schedule.

 

[volfan411]

Agree, the days of stacking 5* players 3 deep like Saban used to do are gone. You got to play em or lose em now. The 5*'s will only sit for a

Duplicate post

 

[swampfoxfan]

Can Aguilera get another year?

I hope not

 

[njvols]

Hey, 2nd year starters is tough in a lot of cases. See Nussimer, Lagway, Sellers, Arnold. Last year see Milroe, Beck, Ewers, Thorne.

Yeah hard for me to figure...maybe OC change or like that pitcher in majors who plows thru teams the first time he faces teams and next time around is tougher because he's been scouted up. SC, on paper should have been much better on offense, but they clearly wiffed on the complimentary parts in WR room.

 

[rocytop2624]

I hope not

You don't think he would be better next year?

 

[swampfoxfan]

I'm only sure that someone will start and I'm going to wait until the start of next season to find out.

My prediction, Gmac starts, fazion red shirts, merk portals and we ride with what's left.

 

[Mccage]

Yeah, it's dicey. We've got Merk, Gmac, and incoming Frosh. First year starters in SEC is tough. We don't have time for training wheels. JMO, but it seems GMac has more upside than Merk, but what do I know. All three of these QBs could/should do quite well with time. Bringing in a proven QB who has the chops has paid off for us pretty well.

All of are 1st time starters in the SEC at one point