'20 GA OL Tate Ratledge (UGA commit)

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ā€œThe way they talk, the way theyā€™re working to be, I think itā€™d be great to be a part of that,ā€ said Ratledge. ā€œAnd Iā€™ve gotten a really good relationship with (Tennessee quarterback commitment) Harrison Bailey, and he stays on me all the time. (It helps) knowing people in that class that I could possibly be friends with and stuff. I talked to (offensive line) coach (Will) Friend for a good bit, and Cooper Mays was up there. Talked to him a lot,ā€ Ratledge said of his most recent visit with the Vols. ā€œI talked to Coach Pruitt for a little while ā€” for probably about an hour.

ā€œ(Mays is) kind of in the same boat I am, trying to make a decision ā€” just kind of stuck in a bind between some schools ā€” and we talk every now and then over social media, and weā€™ve kind of gotten to know each other because heā€™s been on the past three visits Iā€™ve been on.ā€ Seeing Tennesseeā€™s spring game and attending the Volsā€™ first spring scrimmage on March 30 showed Ratledge that theyā€™ve made noticeable strides on the field. ā€œTheyā€™ve improved a lot since last year, in my opinion ā€” on their offensive line especially,ā€ he said. ā€œLast year, I remember going up there during the spring and seeing them, and their offensive line was tiny. This year, they look a lot better ā€” a lot better.

ā€œI like seeing the progress. I mean, Iā€™m not going to be scared to go in somewhere and compete. Iā€™m not looking for a place that, if it was a wide-open alley (to a starting job), thatā€™s the reason Iā€™m going to go there. ā€œThem just signing those two five-star tackles, I mean, that doesnā€™t really bother me,ā€ Ratledge added, referring to Vols freshman Wanya Morris and incoming signee Darnell Wright. ā€œIā€™ll go in there and compete with them. It doesnā€™t bother me.ā€

Friend and Tennessee tight ends coach Brian Niedermeyer both have built strong relationships with Ratledge in recent months. Ratledge said one of the highlights of his latest trip to Knoxville was joining Vols tight end signee Sean Brown, a fellow Rome native, in playing a game of H-O-R-S-E with Niedermeyer in Pratt Pavilion ā€” Tennesseeā€™s basketball practice facility ā€” before the Volsā€™ spring game. ā€œMe and Coach Niedermeyer have gotten a really good relationship,ā€ Ratledge said. ā€œHeā€™s got a great sense of humor.ā€ Friend has made it clear to Ratledge that he could play a major role on Tennesseeā€™s offensive line.

ā€œHe told me that he could see me playing guard or tackle ā€” just wherever I seem to fit ā€” which doesnā€™t bother me because, wherever I can play, Iā€™ll play,ā€ Ratledge said. ā€œIt doesnā€™t bother me.ā€ Heā€™s coming off a visit to Georgia on Saturday for the Bulldogsā€™ spring game. "It was really good just talking to (offensive line) coach (Sam) Pittman and (head) coach (Kirby) Smart after and talking to some of the recruits there,ā€ Ratledge said. ā€œThe relationship with Coach Pittman stands out a lot, because heā€™s been recruiting me for about four years now, it seems like. And I guess I just keep building relationships with him and Coach Smart and all the other coaches there.

ā€œ(Pittman) says that theyā€™re going to lose two tackles this year, most likely, in Isaiah Wilson and Andrew Thomas. And he said that Iā€™m his number-one priority on his offensive line to sign in this class. Thatā€™s really what he tells me. Thatā€™s really his message to me.ā€ Ratledge said he will ā€œprobably take some official visits this summer, fallā€ before deciding on a college. But heā€™s still hoping to decide on a school within the next few months. ā€œI want it over before the season, for sure,ā€ he said.
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coskramer said:
The biggest hurdle is Georgia will probably lose both starting tackles. TN will be starting 2 freshman. That will be the biggest challenge IMO.
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It's a weak pitch, IMO. They have plenty of depth behind those starting tackles, certainly more than UT does. Just because two guys leave at UGA doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of 4 and 5 stars waiting in line. And if there aren't then Pittman isn't quite the recruiter he's made out to be.

Morris and Wright are two guys who've yet to play a down, one isn't even on campus yet. Weak pitch by Pittman, honestly.
 
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Ron Swanson said:
It's a weak pitch, IMO. They have plenty of depth behind those starting tackles, certainly more than UT does. Just because two guys leave at UGA doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of 4 and 5 stars waiting in line. And if there aren't then Pittman isn't quite the recruiter he's made out to be.

Morris and Wright are two guys who've yet to play a down, one isn't even on campus yet. Weak pitch by Pittman, honestly.
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It helps to have family that wants him at TN, but they will let him make his own decision.
 
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Ron Swanson said:
It's a weak pitch, IMO. They have plenty of depth behind those starting tackles, certainly more than UT does. Just because two guys leave at UGA doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of 4 and 5 stars waiting in line. And if there aren't then Pittman isn't quite the recruiter he's made out to be.

Morris and Wright are two guys who've yet to play a down, one isn't even on campus yet. Weak pitch by Pittman, honestly.
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This. They have Mays and Salyer in the fold. Not to mention the no 2 OT in Jones already committed and by all accounts in a good spot for Paris Johnson the no 1 OT.

Hopefully the family ties and the relationships he is building with Bailey, Mays, and Nieds will put us over the top.
 
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BigOrangeTrain said:
I think you are right Ron but here is the big question. Is Friend as good of a coach as Pittman?
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We don't know yet. Friend didn't have a line full of 5 stars last year to work with. We'll see if there is improvement this year. Friend has been good everywhere else he has been though.
 
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kemotoe said:
UGA fans will have you believe Friend is the reason Richt got fired and Pittman is the best in he nation.
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This couldn't be further from the truth since Friend left with Bobo to go to CSU. Now, bringing in Schottenheimer along with Rob Sale to coach the OL, THAT probably got Richt fired. We generally liked Will Friend as a coach and almost as much as a recruiter.
 
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