bryhez
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Most Overrated Recruiting Class Tennessees No. 1 2005 Class
Its not that this 2005 Vols class turned out terribly, it just didnt nearly live up to the expectations of that early Wednesday in February 2005. When then-coach Phillip Fulmer finally announced his class, it looked like a new era at Tennessee would emerge. The Vols faithful had good reason to believe the SEC championship and another national championship were within grasp, considering the talent they had pulled in since 2002. With five-star quarterback Jonathan Crompton, cornerback Demetrice Morley, running backs LaMarcus Coker and Montario Hardesty, wide receiver Slick Shelley, tight end Jeff Cottam and linebacker Rico McCoy all donning Orange, everyone had good reason to believe the Vols drought without a conference title since 1998 would come to an end. Instead, an unexpected end came into view. Crompton never lived up to his SuperPrep Elite 50 status, and didnt lead the Vols to anything but mediocrity, while the tenures of Morley, Shelley and Coker in Knoxville were short-lived. Fulmer was fired Nov. 2, 2008. Cromptons best season came in 2009, when he finished with 26 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. The Vols went 7-6, losing to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where Crompton was a mediocre 15/26 for 235 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Interestingly, with all the hyped recruits that Tennessee signed that year, it almost didnt seem to matter that they lost out on Elite 50 wide receiver Patrick Turner (USC, drafted in the third round by the Miami Dolphins in 2009) and offensive lineman and Sandra Bullocks
this from Scout.com
Its not that this 2005 Vols class turned out terribly, it just didnt nearly live up to the expectations of that early Wednesday in February 2005. When then-coach Phillip Fulmer finally announced his class, it looked like a new era at Tennessee would emerge. The Vols faithful had good reason to believe the SEC championship and another national championship were within grasp, considering the talent they had pulled in since 2002. With five-star quarterback Jonathan Crompton, cornerback Demetrice Morley, running backs LaMarcus Coker and Montario Hardesty, wide receiver Slick Shelley, tight end Jeff Cottam and linebacker Rico McCoy all donning Orange, everyone had good reason to believe the Vols drought without a conference title since 1998 would come to an end. Instead, an unexpected end came into view. Crompton never lived up to his SuperPrep Elite 50 status, and didnt lead the Vols to anything but mediocrity, while the tenures of Morley, Shelley and Coker in Knoxville were short-lived. Fulmer was fired Nov. 2, 2008. Cromptons best season came in 2009, when he finished with 26 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. The Vols went 7-6, losing to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where Crompton was a mediocre 15/26 for 235 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Interestingly, with all the hyped recruits that Tennessee signed that year, it almost didnt seem to matter that they lost out on Elite 50 wide receiver Patrick Turner (USC, drafted in the third round by the Miami Dolphins in 2009) and offensive lineman and Sandra Bullocks
this from Scout.com