Interesting thought on in-state recruiting by Hubbs

[DaddyChad]

It’s interesting because it’s almost harder to recruit some instate kids than out of state kids. They’ve been close enough to the dumpster fire to see the flames the last few years

 

[Savannahbayvol]

Good grief, it’s all about personal relationships with the HS coaches across the state and then their kids. And, with the exception of Garner, this entire staff can relate to a lot of the other new-to-Tennesse transplant families, especially here in MidTenn.

I don’t buy the crazy suggestion that this staff first contacted our elite in-state recruits Wednesday night…if that’s what the claim is. Not a chance.

"They called the top 23 in-state recruits Wednesday night."

What part of this says this was the first time they contacted them?

 

[VOLINVONORE]

We're top 15 with barely any In state prospects. I really don't care if we get zero in state recruits if we keep recruiting so well in other states. Good recruits are everywhere. Chasing stars on in state TN recruits is a recipe for disaster.

I don't agree with that. If we had signed another 3-4 instate players, we would have been somewhere around 3-4in the SEC and 6-7 in the Nation. We need to get the best players in the State, If they have the character we are looking, and continue our out of State recruiting in Georgia, North & South Carolina, Florida, etc. Signing instate players also increases local and State fan support.

 

[manUTe__VOL]

my neighbor is a VFL, he said that he has heard through back channels that Pruitt did not care about instate talent and basically burned all of the bridges with the HS coaches in TN. Heupel is having to rebuild those relationships. Go figure.

This is an absurd and baseless claim. Where is Greg Emerson from? Eric Gray? Cooper and Cade Mays? idk.....the list goes on.

Jeremy Banks
Elijah Simmons
Alontae Taylor
Theo Jackson
Jackson Lampley

..... do I need to keep going?

 

[savannahfan]

Part of that was getting a late start. Given that we didn't even have a staff till February, and we had the investigation overhanging it all, they did an amazing job. 2023 and 2024 are going to be better litmus tests for their recruiting ability IMO, but to get a top 15 class with all the difficulties they face is very good.

All this recruiting of high school players is the end results. FIRST I think you have to recruit the high school coaches. I expect in most if not all really good highly respected HS programs, the most influence (other than family) on a player being recruited is his coach.

 

[Firebirdparts]

The word is that there are trainers in the state steering kids away from UT.

That's interesting to think about. This would be a good place to buy influence, and perhaps people already have. I have no idea how much individual coaching/training goes on, but it sounds like it's not insignificant for skill players and might be pretty common for quarterbacks. If Mom and Dad don't want to pay for that, perhaps the selling of influence pays for it.

No offense to anybody, but my opinion was that all the Tennessee coaches I ever heard of never cared much for in state talent. I don't think I would pay much attention to somebody saying they "heard a rumor" that "one coach" didn't recruit Tennessee. I thought none of them ever made that a priority.

 

[savannahfan]

Actually, it was pretty well known that Pruitt did not get along well with the coaches at the Middle TN powers. That was discussed in pretty good detail during his tenure. The Pruitt apologists just chose to bury their heads in the sand with this fact.

Pruitt did emphasize Memphis more than Butch who barely emphasized Memphis at all. David Johnson (Pruitt's former RB coach) had strong connections here in Memphis. Pruitt also took advantage of down MSU, Ole Miss, and Arky to cherry pick the talent out of Memphis as well. Butch might have chosen to avoid Memphis since Hugh Freeze had Ole Miss doing well and Hugh had extensive connections in town. Butch did emphasize Middle TN much more than Pruitt.

Pruitt - as to Memphis - birds of a feather flock together.
Pruitt - as the mid state - different birds!!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

To be fair, Dooley did recruit one of the best offenses UT ever had, but also had assembled THE worst defense they ever had.

Only he forgot to recruit OFFENSIVE LINEMEN!
GBO!!

 

[Fullfillmer]

we have some excellent recruiters on staff BUT none had ever recruited Tennessee. They called the top 23 in-state recruits Wednesday night.

Regarding NPA and D1:

It's not something that I have knowledge of since I am in East Tennessee - but
I can say that they profile 3 kids in Ky uniforms on their home page so that's not great. If they have a bias against UT - that's not good for us - it's also not good for NPA or for the kids. His comment about the NFL db - should not even be relevant one or two staff's removed from when that db was going to school at UT.

CJH - just seems like a good guy on top of being a good coach - with a really good staff - he has changed the entire culture here - the first thing he did was make spring practice fun for the student athletes - so what happened here with Pruitt or Butch's staff - simply not relevant.
I know watching Daniel Hood Roofing and other UT athletes that have found success in the state and have built a "Brand" that a Tennessee kid that plays at Tennessee once they return to Nashville or Memphis is going to have a much stronger brand and much greater name recognition and have people want to hire them or work with them if their brand includes graduate of or played football at THE University of Tennessee vs, any other school.

If DE and NPA have a negative bias - they need to set that aside - it's a bad look on top of bad for their clients.
If DE has encouraged players to go to UT - would be great if he could drop a few names otherwise I am thinking -- mehh - No. If he did, I think we would have heard about it, but will let him weigh in if that is truly the case.
I can say that statistically - if they were being impartial - the UT roster should be littered with their clients.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

Pruitt - as to Memphis - birds of a feather flock together.
Pruitt - as the mid state - different birds!!

I thought about going where you went with the Memphis area coaches. There are some dirty coaches in this area and some of the players that went to UT originated from those programs. I did not want to paint too broadly though since I know the coaches at one program that sent kids to UT and they seem to be legit. That's why I mentioned other reasons (David Johnson) and OM/Arky/MSU being down. But yeah, cheaters tend to flock together and there's still a lot of that in this area 25 years after Tim Thompson, Lynn Lang, etc.

 

[Carp]

I don't agree with that. If we had signed another 3-4 instate players, we would have been somewhere around 3-4in the SEC and 6-7 in the Nation. We need to get the best players in the State, If they have the character we are looking, and continue our out of State recruiting in Georgia, North & South Carolina, Florida, etc. Signing instate players also increases local and State fan support.

Not if those players simply took the spots from other elite guys in our class. Much rather have Tayvon Jackson than Ty Simpson for example, despite the star difference.

The point is, get a great class anyway you can and don't focus so much on in-state recruits. Elite recruits are everywhere.

 

[Ledzepvol]

Just a general statement on recruiting, I think Coach Heupel and staff did a great job with this class considering the numerous obstacles, and pretty sure we all agree with that. Been a Vols fan for 50 years, and I believe the one big key in recruiting is Clemson.. Dabo has turnover now, two new coordinators for his offense and defense, and a new Athletic Director, my point being Tennessee used to go into the Carolinas and Mid Atlantic area and get some of the very best kids. As long as we take care of business on the field going forward against South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, etc. and start competing and beating against the likes of Bama, UGA, UF, etc.. and then add in Clemson starting to trend downwards, we can rack up in the Carolinas, Mid Atlantic, get more Tennessee kids, a few Georgia kids, etc.. To me, Clemson and what happens to them, and they hopefully get worse means better players and opportunities for the Big Orange in the future. Go Vols!

 

[FïreBall]

We just need to have someone relate to em like UT Coach Brian Neidermeyer did!

Remember when he was recruiter of the year? Yeah good times...

 

[Rifleman]

Pruitt was a mole from Bammer that was sent by Satan ( Saban) to destroy our program.

We've been in hell for a while now . . .







But soon things will be back in their proper place

 

[bigorangepoppa]

Don't have any idea about past recruiting classes, other than what has been said at that time. Word was that Fulmer didn't recruit Memphis much, just more or less allowed coaches from surrounding states to come in and sign the top players from that area. And we have to look at the situation from an honest perspective; the state of Tennessee football for the last 13 years at the very least, has not been a big draw for instate kids. We have to realize these recruits in the coming years need to see a good program on the field. This years recruits were 4-5 years old when this debacle started.

 

[KingtUT]

With the new transfer rules, im not so sure it isnt best for us to miss out on in state talent at first. Let them go explore, learn, and then realize its time to come home. ??

 

[joceppyjoe]

We just need to have someone relate to em like UT Coach Brian Neidermeyer did!

It is legal now bring back Moose

 

[Big151Orange]

One if the biggest things that affected the instate recruiting was replacing the entire recruiting department. They are the ones that help forge and foster those relationships with coaches.

I had forgotten about this and suspect many others had as well. It will take time to rebuild the in-state relationships, but after this year’s ESD, I’m convinced this staff will get it done.

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

I expect Heupel to recruit TN much better for the mere fact that he isn't an arrogant p***k like Pruitt.

It helps to be somewhat likeable when building business relationships and that effectively is what recruiting is for these coaches across all levels, a business.

 

[savannahfan]

I thought about going where you went with the Memphis area coaches. There are some dirty coaches in this area and some of the players that went to UT originated from those programs. I did not want to paint too broadly though since I know the coaches at one program that sent kids to UT and they seem to be legit. That's why I mentioned other reasons (David Johnson) and OM/Arky/MSU being down. But yeah, cheaters tend to flock together and there's still a lot of that in this area 25 years after Tim Thompson, Lynn Lang, etc.

I was not necessarily thinking of cheating. (even though Memphis has over the years made an artform of it) If you haven't noticed Memphis teams (not so much the private schools) for the most part, play the game on athletic ability alone. Not much discipline. It becomes very noticeable when they come up against the well coached teams of mid and east Tn. This is what I was thinking of when I made the comparison. To me this was what I saw most of the time with the Pruitt effort, not much coached up ability and only a fair amount of everything else.

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

It’s interesting because it’s almost harder to recruit some instate kids than out of state kids. They’ve been close enough to the dumpster fire to see the flames the last few years

This is exactly right! I live in mid-TN and it is not the overwhelming pro-UT region it once was. For one thing, so many "outsiders" have moved to the state. It's harder to find true born and raised locals. You won't see nearly the UT decals on vehicles as the '98 era. And the same is true of many of these' kids HS coaches. They aren't good ol' boy VFLs steering their best players to Knoxville. I'd bet many of them are googly-eyed Nick Saban fans that brush against him at a coaching clinic and think they are a disciple of the greatest coach ever!

 

[stillavol]

my neighbor is a VFL, he said that he has heard through back channels that Pruitt did not care about instate talent and basically burned all of the bridges with the HS coaches in TN. Heupel is having to rebuild those relationships. Go figure.

Yet Pruitt took 6 of the top 10 prospects in the state his last year. Not defending Pruitt but facts show otherwise. Alontae Taylor, Jeremy Banks, Eric Gray, Omari Thomas, Jabari Small, Cooper Mays etc were all in state recruits.

 

[stillavol]

Win and they will come.

Elite talent wants to play for championships. That is why Bama, OSU, GA etc can come in and basically get who they want. Once UT starts beating them things will change. These lower tier bowls we have on every street corner don't mean as much. Close to 3 out of 4 teams make a bowl game. Nothing like the days when you had to earn it. Schedule 4 OOC cream puffs, win 2 more games and you're bowling.