How Clay Helton Helped Get C Tillman to UT

[SNAFU]

Clay was still the HC at USC and didn't have a spot for Tillman. USC had offers out to Amon-Ra St. Brown, then #2 receiver nationally and Devon Williams, then #6. The following year, USC would sign Drake London. When he spoke to Tillman at his HS while recruiting another player, he was shocked to learn that Tillman was initially being recruited by only Haiwaii and UNLV and both backed away.

So he passed along Tillman’s name and information to Tyson. "Of course Helton went to his brother with his hot tip, but if Tyson had still been on USC’s staff, Helton probably would have called other schools on Tillman’s behalf.
“We’ve always shared information, and we’ve always helped each other,” Clay said. “In (Tillman’s) case, it was just to help a kid out that I couldn’t believe didn’t have a ton going on.”

The Athletic

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Clay Helton is widely recognized as one of the genuinely good people in the college football world.

 

[wmcovol]

some kids are grossly overrated and some are grossly underrated. Glad we got tillman.

 

[IndianaVol]

Who are them other two guys ???
No seriously, I've never heard of them guys...

 

[SNAFU]

After becoming Tennessee’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Justin Hunter in 2012, he could have entered the NFL draft. But another year in Heupel’s offense catching passes from Hooker could push him higher on teams’ draft boards.

 

[SNAFU]

Who are them other two guys ???
No seriously, I've never heard of them guys...

Amon-Ra St. Brown- Detroit Lions, 2021 stats- 90 rec out of 119 targets for a 10.1 yd avg, 5 TDs
Devon Williams went to Oregon and signed this past year as undrafted FA by the Ravens

 

[IndianaVol]

Amon-Ra St. Brown- Detroit Lions, 2021 stats- 90 rec out of 119 targets for a 10.1 yd avg, 5 TDs
Devon Williams went to Oregon and signed this past year as undrafted FA by the Ravens

Thanks SNAFU - had never heard of either.
The St. Brown guy seems pretty solid.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Clay was still the HC at USC and didn't have a spot for Tillman. USC had offers out to Amon-Ra St. Brown, then #2 receiver nationally and Devon Williams, then #6. The following year, USC would sign Drake London. When he spoke to Tillman at his HS while recruiting another player, he was shocked to learn that Tillman was initially being recruited by only Haiwaii and UNLV and both backed away.

So he passed along Tillman’s name and information to Tyson. "Of course Helton went to his brother with his hot tip, but if Tyson had still been on USC’s staff, Helton probably would have called other schools on Tillman’s behalf.
“We’ve always shared information, and we’ve always helped each other,” Clay said. “In (Tillman’s) case, it was just to help a kid out that I couldn’t believe didn’t have a ton going on.”

The Athletic

THIS is the kind of thing all those vaunted recruiting sites and experts can never fully account for. Something good to keep in mind when one is temped to start the hand Wringing over the number of five stars Alabama and Georgia pull in

 

[Vol8188]

I don’t really see Tillman as a great job of scouting or a failure of the recruiting services. He played at one of the best programs in the nation, so he had plenty of exposure. He also wasn’t a major contributor as a freshman. Granted he played but the running joke was if he was in the game it was going to be a run.

Rather I see him as a guy who has worked his way into being a high caliber player, which I honestly respect more

 

[LittleVol]

THIS is the kind of thing all those vaunted recruiting sites and experts can never fully account for. Something good to keep in mind when one is temped to start the hand Wringing over the number of five stars Alabama and Georgia pull in

There's simply too many good players coming out of the high school ranks now for these "recruiting analysts " to properly cover.

 

[OrangeTsar]

There's simply too many good players coming out of the high school ranks now for these "recruiting analysts " to properly cover.

Still no substitute for the eyes of a coach sitting in the stands or on the sidelines on a Friday night. That’s why Heup trying to build those relationships with HS coaches is SOOOO critical. Something that by all accounts our previous coaches appear to have either neglected or else actually harmed

 

[OrangeTsar]

I don’t really see Tillman as a great job of scouting or a failure of the recruiting services. He played at one of the best programs in the nation, so he had plenty of exposure. He also wasn’t a major contributor as a freshman. Granted he played but the running joke was if he was in the game it was going to be a run.

Rather I see him as a guy who has worked his way into being a high caliber player, which I honestly respect more

But a good scout or evaluator can often see the potential in a player, even if it has not been displayed much in game time. So I kind of see it as both

 

[njvols]

THIS is the kind of thing all those vaunted recruiting sites and experts can never fully account for. Something good to keep in mind when one is temped to start the hand Wringing over the number of five stars Alabama and Georgia pull in

I agree, but I'd still trade Bama/UGA with 5*s two deep and a few misses here and there vs a diamond in the rough who everyone missed out on.

 

[MadWorld]

I had to look up Jordon Young, the recruit that spurred UT for FSU and we got Ced instead. Transferred to FAU this spring after tallying 15 catches for 184 yards a 1 TD for FSU.

 

[OrangeTsar]

I had to look up Jordon Young, the recruit that spurred UT for FSU and we got Ced instead. Transferred to FAU this spring after tallying 15 catches for 184 yards a 1 TD for FSU.

In Fairness, with Pruitt’s offense, I can’t fault a WR for choosing another school over UT at that time

 

[VolDaddy61]

After becoming Tennessee’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Justin Hunter in 2012, he could have entered the NFL draft. But another year in Heupel’s offense catching passes from Hooker could push him higher on teams’ draft boards.

Out of curiosity...who was the last UT receiver to post bacc to bacc 1k seasons ?!

 

[Teeman]

Thanks for posting. A lot of people had forgotten how we got Tillman. And this time last year, not many were interested.

 

[Stacmot]

I wonder how much this happens. If kids don’t play 7vs7 or go to camps they just don’t get exposed. Tillman has such a great story! So many kids from my area that can relate to him

 

[HalfullVol]

So Clay Helton gets credit for "discovering" CedTillman by telling his brother Tyson to look into him?

Brotherly love I guess.

What, again, is Clay Helton doing these days?

 

[VegasBaby!]

So Clay Helton gets credit for "discovering" CedTillman by telling his brother Tyson to look into him?

Brotherly love I guess.

What, again, is Clay Helton doing these days?

HC at Georgia Southern

Clay Helton - Football Coach - Georgia Southern University Athletics

 

[VegasBaby!]

This story was first told in February 2018 by several media outlets including Rivals and KNS. The KNS story is linked below:

Tennessee signs Las Vegas wide receiver Cedric Tillman after late offer

 

[JFreak]

Out of curiosity...who was the last UT receiver to post bacc to bacc 1k seasons ?!

Believe Joey Kent was our first and only. Meach almost certainly would have had he not turned pro after his junior season.

 

[SN-A-C Orange]

I hope he gets 1,000+ this season ....
But with teams likely to double him much of the time and make other people beat them .... it is likely going to be tougher than it was last season.
I think I would rather have 3 receivers with 900 yards... which would mean we are a much more well rounded team and that would suggest that we

 

[Probably_in_Class]

THIS is the kind of thing all those vaunted recruiting sites and experts can never fully account for. Something good to keep in mind when one is temped to start the hand Wringing over the number of five stars Alabama and Georgia pull in

When we start winning at the rate Bama and UGA do, then we can stop caring about how they recruit...

 

[Probably_in_Class]

This story was first told in February 2018 by several media outlets including Rivals and KNS. The KNS story is linked below:

Tennessee signs Las Vegas wide receiver Cedric Tillman after late offer

He didn't quote the full story (which he shouldn't cause it's behind a paywall), but the current one goes into a lot more depth about Tillman's time at Tennessee. The point about Helton is really just the opening. Here is the link for anyone with a subscription.

The Athletic on Tillman