From what we've seen of this team

[Utstrong]

I don't expect next year to be much different. Is there some talent there? Sure. But there will still be plenty of holes and question marks. My biggest hope is that the new coach will truly play the best at each position. Not going to call them out, but there have been OL, LB, and DBs that consistently make the same mistakes and yet play basically the entire season.

 

[TNinSC]

A good coach could turn all this talent around in a heartbeat. Maybe not a 10 win season, but def something better than what was on the tv last night. There is no will to play nor morale in that locker room. He's lost the team and the fan base.

 

[hamburgerVol]

That’ doesn’t change the fact that Butch Jones is not the right coach for Tennessee. It’s time for a divorce.

 

[1985Vols]

I don't expect next year to be much different. Is there some talent there? Sure. But there will still be plenty of holes and question marks. My biggest hope is that the new coach will truly play the best at each position. Not going to call them out, but there have been OL, LB, and DBs that consistently make the same mistakes and yet play basically the entire season.

This team has a ton of talent, probably three times as much talent as the Mizzou them that just laid 50 points on us. Albeit, some of our best talent is or has been injured most of the season. However, 2 of our best players Kelly and Gaulden are still playing and the new coach's first job will be to try and keep both of these players around for their Senior season. The right coach ( Gruden) could come in with a great staff and turn this current roster ( including Jennings and Kirkland) and make this a team that could compete for an SEC East championship next season. I liken it to when Bruce Pearl took Buzz Petersons players and made them a contender in his first season. It can happen!

 

[Utstrong]

There are pieces, but look at Georgia, auburn, and Alabama. Big games are won in the trenches. Where are those players at Tennessee (outside of Trey Smith)?

 

[TNinSC]

There are pieces, but look at Georgia, auburn, and Alabama. Big games are won in the trenches. Where are those players at Tennessee (outside of Trey Smith)?

Locklear should be a beast. Just needs a good coach who can develop. And if for some reason Mays decides to come back, the ol will be straight.

 

[Backwards K]

Locklear should be a beast. Just needs a good coach who can develop. And if for some reason Mays decides to come back, the ol will be straight.

Trey Smith is the only SEC level offensive lineman in the program. The others would do a better job if they just fell down and rolled around on every play. At least someone might trip over them occasionally.

Most of these OL are slow, weak, out of shape, and they don't give much effort. Ryan Johnson played guard the entire game and he may be the first interior lineman in NCAA history to play an entire game and never even touch an opposing player.

 

[Teeman]

There are pieces, but look at Georgia, auburn, and Alabama. Big games are won in the trenches. Where are those players at Tennessee (outside of Trey Smith)?

That's exactly why Cade Mays is so critical. The O-line has struggled since before CBJ got there. I would still maintain that the coaches under CBJ have not gotten the most out of the talent they had. One of the biggest mistakes made was not keeping Sam Pittman. That being said, the talent is there this year on the D-line to play much, much better than it has. I had to laugh when the announcers were talking about how good UT pass defense is. I screamed at TV, "It's because we can't stop the run!" After watching Martin last night, I wonder what they think now.

 

[Cartervol]

There isn't as much talent as everyone believes. The new coach will have to purge some players, just not as many as Butch had too. A lot of what is here is very average.

 

[TNinSC]

Trey Smith is the only SEC level offensive lineman in the program. The others would do a better job if they just fell down and rolled around on every play. At least someone might trip over them occasionally.

Most of these OL are slow, weak, out of shape, and they don't give much effort. Ryan Johnson played guard the entire game and he may be the first interior lineman in NCAA history to play an entire game and never even touch an opposing player.

Yeah the line let the mizzou de's look like a bunch of michael Strahans.

I def agree with most of what you said. I was just saying that i think a good staff could've had locklear more of a contributor at this point of the season.

 

[CAVPUT]

There are pieces, but look at Georgia, auburn, and Alabama. Big games are won in the trenches. Where are those players at Tennessee (outside of Trey Smith)?

Exactly. We have a smattering of good talent, but overall, I think our talent is greatly over rated.....across the board. I see little on either LOS to be excited about other than smith. LB is a huge disappointment as is the secondary and wide receivers. We are decent at RB and I feel like kicker looks okay. Nothing special and certainly not upper echelon of the SEC.....east.

Really, I don't see this roster being ready to explode under a new coach. We have serviceable talent that can help keep us in bowl eligibility talk for the next few years, but this roster will need to be retooled and I would expect a lot of turn over once the new coach arrives. There are so many players than need to move on that its almost laughable.

 

[DEFENDTHISHOUSE]

I don't expect next year to be much different. Is there some talent there? Sure. But there will still be plenty of holes and question marks. My biggest hope is that the new coach will truly play the best at each position. Not going to call them out, but there have been OL, LB, and DBs that consistently make the same mistakes and yet play basically the entire season.

Lots of talent that isn’t being developed by an inept coaching staff.

 

[TNinSC]

That's exactly why Cade Mays is so critical. The O-line has struggled since before CBJ got there. I would still maintain that the coaches under CBJ have not gotten the most out of the talent they had. One of the biggest mistakes made was not keeping Sam Pittman. That being said, the talent is there this year on the D-line to play much, much better than it has. I had to laugh when the announcers were talking about how good UT pass defense is. I screamed at TV, "It's because we can't stop the run!" After watching Martin last night, I wonder what they think now.

Sam Pittman had the boys playing. I couldn't believe that box headed idiot let him go

 

[volgrad500]

I think the amount of talent we have has been grossly overstated.