Lock down the state, please!

[TUSKtimes]

Lance Thompson couldn't put a fence around Memphis. There ain't enough barbed wire in the world to lock down Tennessee.

 

[KBVol]

I am so tired of seeing TN players at other colleges doing great things! Seeing Tyrel Dodson have a pick six for Texas A&M makes me sick. Can we PLEASE lock down the state like we did in the 90's for the most part? I hope Pruitt and company will lock down TN and poach from FL, GA, NC, and SC a ton!!!

Tough to lock down a state where you’re the 3rd or 4th best team. Think back years and years and years ago, if you were alive, to when Tennessee was a good program and the best team in the state....was anybody realistically thinking that Memphis or MTSU could or should “lock down the state”? Of course not.

 

[PACKERVOL]

UT won a NC with a ton of TN talent back in the 90s. The talent level in this state is far better now!!! I didn't say we have 85 players from TN. But, I would love to have between 25% to 33% of the team from TN that are studs!!! The point is. We aren't getting enough of the instate studs. Don't try to make my post something that it isn't!!!!!!! You are one of the best at trying to do so!!!

Totally agree with you, and gave you 2 Likes!

 

[KBVol]

UT won a NC with a ton of TN talent back in the 90s. The talent level in this state is far better now!!! I didn't say we have 85 players from TN. But, I would love to have between 25% to 33% of the team from TN that are studs!!! The point is. We aren't getting enough of the instate studs. Don't try to make my post something that it isn't!!!!!!! You are one of the best at trying to do so!!!

I think our respective definitions of “ton” is significantly different.

When Tennessee has been great, they’ve recruited very well regionally and nationally, with only a handful of good Tennessee players. That was certainly true in the 90s. I do agree that the instate talent is far better now, and that we should be getting the best players in the state to stay home. But 21-25 players from Tennessee that are studs is a bit unrealistic imo.

 

[tennrich1]

This argument works both ways. If LSU locked down their state then peyton manning is a tiger. Eric Berry is a bulldog. Albert Haynesworth is a tiger or gamecock. How many great players have we gotten from Florida? Virginia? Carolinas?

Yeah I tried to stay out of this discussion but there have always been big time players from the state of Tennessee who starred at out of state colleges. And a always will be. Just typing that I had a plethora of names flying through my mind.

 

[Orange defense]

http://ontheworldmap.com/usa/united-states-map.jpg
Let’s lock down all 50 states.

 

[jeff1vol]

Well TN has THREE OL in the 20 class that are ranked in the Top 100 overall rankings! Good place to start.

 

[LittleVol]

Well TN has THREE OL in the 20 class that are ranked in the Top 100 overall rankings! Good place to start.

2020 In-State is as good as it has ever been.

I want about 10 guys In-State for the 2020 class. Skill players and lineman

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

I am so tired of seeing TN players at other colleges doing great things! Seeing Tyrel Dodson have a pick six for Texas A&M makes me sick. Can we PLEASE lock down the state like we did in the 90's for the most part? I hope Pruitt and company will lock down TN and poach from FL, GA, NC, and SC a ton!!!

I'm cool with that as long as FL, GA, TX, OH and CA don't lock down their collective States!

 

[VolsGrad1989]

I think our respective definitions of “ton” is significantly different.

When Tennessee has been great, they’ve recruited very well regionally and nationally, with only a handful of good Tennessee players. That was certainly true in the 90s. I do agree that the instate talent is far better now, and that we should be getting the best players in the state to stay home. But 21-25 players from Tennessee that are studs is a bit unrealistic imo.

So, it is unrealistic to get 5-6 of the top 15 players from the state every year. That isn't unrealistic at all. It should be done!

 

[wmcovol]

Some here argue just for arguing sake.

Sad truth is the previous staffs did a terrible job evaluating of instate talent. Other schools came in and took advantage. Many of these kids aren’t like Stevens who has family in La. Most were not aggressively pursued by Tennessee until it was too late or not at all. Now that’s just wrong. Tennessee should be in on instate kids early as anyone.

 

[jim pique]

wmcovol,Doolittle would not talk to most highschool coaches in this state or nearby Ga.Von Bell,from northern Ga. was a big UT fan his whole life;but Dools never talked to him or anythig until days before signing day.He also signed no OLmen one year.He probably thought Stone,Tiny,Zack,and Jujuan James were going to ztay forever.I still believe that Dools was brought to UT as a red herring,to give his daddy and mommy's Georgeeaa a boost in the east by eliminating one rival.

 

[jim pique]

Big Orange paranoia runs rampant in these hills.As does corn squezzin's.

 

[TNnative]

Guess it works for all your CJP (circle jerk pals)

Dream on. My door don't swing in that direction.

 

[jakez4ut]

Problem with the legacy class was not SEC enough linemen. Most of those guys were skill players. The TN guys we are losing to Clemson, UGA, Bama, OK, and OSU are buying into the recruiting pitch of winning and development. The problem for us is that it's hard to win and put a bunch of guys in the NFL when we're not getting the same share of elite talent that we used to. CJP faces the same problem that Dooley and Jones faced, he's going to have to win some games against the big boys with lesser talent and not choke any more away against the teams we should beat.

problem with that right now is the list of teams we "should" beat is pretty small. we just finished 5-7 and beat two teams we shouldn't have.

 

[jakez4ut]

So, it is unrealistic to get 5-6 of the top 15 players from the state every year. That isn't unrealistic at all. It should be done!

it all depends on what you need.

part of the problem with the last staff was that if you were a 4* from TN, we were going to take you, no matter what.

this staff isn't going to do that, and htey proved it this cycle.

all that matters is whether or not they win more htan they lose with hte ones they want.

 

[wmcovol]

problem with that right now is the list of teams we "should" beat is pretty small. we just finished 5-7 and beat two teams we shouldn't have.

I watched the Outback bowl, Vols would have beat Kentucky again that day, and every day since they kicked that pu$$y ass in Knoxville. Tennessee was just better than them in the matchup. That said, Vols would have lost to Missouri and Vandy about the same amount cause their offenses were much more balanced. I still dont know how Ky beat those two teams.

 

[VolsGrad1989]

it all depends on what you need.

part of the problem with the last staff was that if you were a 4* from TN, we were going to take you, no matter what.

this staff isn't going to do that, and htey proved it this cycle.

all that matters is whether or not they win more htan they lose with hte ones they want.

it all depends on what you need.

part of the problem with the last staff was that if you were a 4* from TN, we were going to take you, no matter what.

this staff isn't going to do that, and htey proved it this cycle.

all that matters is whether or not they win more htan they lose with hte ones they want.

I agree. I didn't say Pruitt and the other coaches shouldn't take a 4-5 star guy just because he is from TN. I said Pruitt and staff should be able to get a third of the top talent in the state based on needs. UT is going to recruit lineman, lbs, qbs, and skill players every year. TN has had several of each that were highly rated nationally that should be a good fit for Pruitt's system.

 

[HoptownVol]

You dont win championships with a team full of TN instate guys.

LOL

 

[lifeisdeep]

Ok, I mean lock down the state for the most part. I agree. UT will never get them all. There is probably close to a 500 people a month moving into this state from other places. By locking down the state, I mean UT gets the vast majority. I would be ecstatic with 66%!!! =)

Nashville alone gets way more than that per month.