OL Improvement

#1
ThreatLevelOrange

ThreatLevelOrange

Wish that I was on ol’ Rocky Top
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Messages
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#1
The drop off in this program post 2007 coincides with our massive inability to field a strong offensive line.

Kiffin/Cregg had a few good players on that line, but we had 2 undersized walkons starting. Aaron Douglass was going to be the guy, then transferred.

Dooley salvaged a really good 2010 class and had to start 3 true freshman OL. We did develop them under two good coaches. But there was nothing in reserve.

Jones had no idea how to recruit nor develop SEC caliber linemen. In his 1st 4 recruiting classes, these are the only OL to complete their eligibility at UT: Kendrick, Robertson, and Thomas. Everyone else transferred, was an injury hardship, or was dismissed. His final class yielded Trey Smith, Calvert, and Locklear. We will see if those last 2 finish their eligibility on the hill.

This is the situation Pruitt walked into. OL strength makes it all go. Majors and Fulmer had it rolling with an all SEC candidate every season. Almost every starter got a look by the NFL. But we’ve been so weak in this area, particularly under Jones. In his last year vs Kentucky, he trotted Kendrick out there with a concussion, because he had no one else to play. That’s a disgrace.

Chaney and Friend aren’t recruiting injury risks or oversized TE for the job. They are recruiting grown men, and stacking enough depth to allow some of them up to 2 full years to develop before they see the field. We aren’t going to run as a result of trickeration or a scrambling QB. It will be by moving the line of scrimmage, setting up a vertical passing game. I can’t wait to see it happen.
 
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#5
#5
MSME Vol said:
Dooley was also the genius that thought not signing a single OL recruit in your class was an ok thing to do.
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Yep. When I say “nothing in reserve” I meant literally no players! Some of the classes we had under Dooley and Jones were highly rated because we signed excessive numbers of skill players.
 
#13
#13
Pacer92 said:
Assuming Cade Mays is eligible, this unit could be special.

Really like the potential of incoming freshmen Javontez Spraggins, James Robinson and Cooper Mays too..
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Pacer92 said:
Assuming Cade Mays is eligible, this unit could be special.

Really like the potential of incoming freshmen Javontez Spraggins, James Robinson and Cooper Mays too..
Click to expand...
That would make 4 5stars and a 5th yr rss trans from bama starting.
 
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#14
#14
Migh
Zues1 said:
Right on Threatlevel. I been preaching this for years. The lack of a quality SEC OL has been the main culprit of UT's decline. You can thank Dooley and Jones for that.
Once you start stacking the hogs 2-3 deep you got it rolling.
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Might even stretch the blame to the AD's who hired them. For all the grief Fulmer took for hiring a guy who had never been a head coach, he knew a football guy when he saw one. Pruitt inherited a team many considered not up to SEC standards. He knew football and personnel from all over. I would say the program had to be rebuilt brick by brick, but I get a little nauseous using that reference. I think it's ironic an old O lineman with with no head coaching experience when he got his HC job, might have been the one to set the road to recovery in motion. GBO
 
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#16
#16
TNbuc2 said:
Migh

Might even stretch the blame to the AD's who hired them. For all the grief Fulmer took for hiring a guy who had never been a head coach, he knew a football guy when he saw one. Pruitt inherited a team many considered not up to SEC standards. He knew football and personnel from all over. I would say the program had to be rebuilt brick by brick, but I get a little nauseous using that reference. I think it's ironic an old O lineman with with no head coaching experience when he got his HC job, might have been the one to set the road to recovery in motion. GBO
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I agree "b by b" makes me sick also. I think of the "butch" commercial with him laying bricks in a mailbox base. He couldn't do that any better than he built football programs.
How bout "man by man"??
 
#17
#17
Dudleys87 said:
If we can’t get what we want from the OL coming back and the guys coming in we’re cursed.
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#18
#18
savannahfan said:
I agree "b by b" makes me sick also. I think of the "butch" commercial with him laying bricks in a mailbox base. He couldn't do that any better than he built football programs.
How bout "man by man"??
Click to expand...
Dooley was a lawyer and Jones was a car salesman. Glad to have a coach who is not a great public speaker but knows how to evaluate and develop. His new coaching hires are working out, at least in recruiting.
 
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#19
#19
There is very good talent and good depth on this OL. I do not see a reason they should not be one of the best in the SEC and nation. They still need RB's who can hit holes and break tackles. They still need a QB who can manage the O and get the ball out to the right guy on time.
 
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#20
#20
ThreatLevelOrange said:
Dooley was a lawyer and Jones was a car salesman. Glad to have a coach who is not a great public speaker but knows how to evaluate and develop. His new coaching hires are working out, at least in recruiting.
Click to expand...
Dooley was fired by UT and hired by the Cowboys. He left the Cowboys and got caught up in Odom's dismissal. He's now been hired by the Giants as a "Senior Offensive Assistant". Jones... has been getting coffee for Saban since being fired by UT.

Dooley may be a jerk. He may struggle to lead and get the best out of players. But people in the "business" trust his knowledge of the game.

Everyone appears to understand how completely incompetent Jones is.... and a poor leader of the players and staff to boot.
 
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#21
#21
ThreatLevelOrange said:
The drop off in this program post 2007 coincides with our massive inability to field a strong offensive line.

Kiffin/Cregg had a few good players on that line, but we had 2 undersized walkons starting. Aaron Douglass was going to be the guy, then transferred.

Dooley salvaged a really good 2010 class and had to start 3 true freshman OL. We did develop them under two good coaches. But there was nothing in reserve.

Jones had no idea how to recruit nor develop SEC caliber linemen. In his 1st 4 recruiting classes, these are the only OL to complete their eligibility at UT: Kendrick, Robertson, and Thomas. Everyone else transferred, was an injury hardship, or was dismissed. His final class yielded Trey Smith, Calvert, and Locklear. We will see if those last 2 finish their eligibility on the hill.

This is the situation Pruitt walked into. OL strength makes it all go. Majors and Fulmer had it rolling with an all SEC candidate every season. Almost every starter got a look by the NFL. But we’ve been so weak in this area, particularly under Jones. In his last year vs Kentucky, he trotted Kendrick out there with a concussion, because he had no one else to play. That’s a disgrace.

Chaney and Friend aren’t recruiting injury risks or oversized TE for the job. They are recruiting grown men, and stacking enough depth to allow some of them up to 2 full years to develop before they see the field. We aren’t going to run as a result of trickeration or a scrambling QB. It will be by moving the line of scrimmage, setting up a vertical passing game. I can’t wait to see it happen.
Click to expand...

I agree with the assessment about the OL. We have not had the sustained dominate running game we are use to seeing for almost 2 decades. I would argue though for you to go back and review your date. The drop off in this program started after the 2001 SECCG.
 
#22
#22
sjt18 said:
Dooley was fired by UT and hired by the Cowboys. He left the Cowboys and got caught up in Odom's dismissal. He's now been hired by the Giants as a "Senior Offensive Assistant". Jones... has been getting coffee for Saban since being fired by UT.

Dooley may be a jerk. He may struggle to lead and get the best out of players. But people in the "business" trust his knowledge of the game.

Everyone appears to understand how completely incompetent Jones is.... and a poor leader of the players and staff to boot.
Click to expand...
Dooley was a better X/O coach than Jones. Wow, I can’t believe I typed that. He did have a better staff (except Sunseri). But he didn’t stand up for his coaches and the culture suffered. He was not a motivator or as good of a recruiter, and didn’t want former players around.

As for Jones, We are lucky that some of the parents did not sue the University for the unnecessary health risks he put them through. There’s a reason he can’t get hired with his overall W/L record.
 
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#23
#23
piratelifeforme said:
I agree with the assessment about the OL. We have not had the sustained dominate running game we are use to seeing for almost 2 decades. I would argue though for you to go back and review your date. The drop off in this program started after the 2001 SECCG.
Click to expand...
We quit challenging for the National title at that point, but we still had some serious studs on the OL throughout the decade. Munoz and Sears were All Americans. Aside from Trey Smith, we’ve barely even heard anyone make All Conference.
 
#24
#24
MSME Vol said:
Dooley was also the genius that thought not signing a single OL recruit in your class was an ok thing to do.
Click to expand...
Dooley signed 10 OL's in 3 years. Jones signed 17 in 5 years. 3.3 per year vs 3.4 per year.

Dooley's ship had already sunk by that 3rd year with it being openly rumored that he wanted to negotiate a way out. He wasn't nearly as "energetic" as Jones in recruiting... but there's more to him failing to sign OL's in that last class than just not wanting/trying to.

Dooley is/was a guy who knew the game. He's a guy who under the right starting conditions might have been able to sustain someone else's work. He was never a guy who could build a program at the SEC level. He didn't have the leadership or the understanding to do it. I personally view him with more pity than contempt.

Jones on the other hand doesn't know the game and resorted to used car salesman tactics to get players... which cost both the player and the program later. I think he's a fraud. I think he destroyed the careers of several good prospects who trusted him. I think he's very much worthy of contempt.
 
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#25
#25
ThreatLevelOrange said:
The drop off in this program post 2007 coincides with our massive inability to field a strong offensive line.

Kiffin/Cregg had a few good players on that line, but we had 2 undersized walkons starting. Aaron Douglass was going to be the guy, then transferred.

Dooley salvaged a really good 2010 class and had to start 3 true freshman OL. We did develop them under two good coaches. But there was nothing in reserve.

Jones had no idea how to recruit nor develop SEC caliber linemen. In his 1st 4 recruiting classes, these are the only OL to complete their eligibility at UT: Kendrick, Robertson, and Thomas. Everyone else transferred, was an injury hardship, or was dismissed. His final class yielded Trey Smith, Calvert, and Locklear. We will see if those last 2 finish their eligibility on the hill.

This is the situation Pruitt walked into. OL strength makes it all go. Majors and Fulmer had it rolling with an all SEC candidate every season. Almost every starter got a look by the NFL. But we’ve been so weak in this area, particularly under Jones. In his last year vs Kentucky, he trotted Kendrick out there with a concussion, because he had no one else to play. That’s a disgrace.

Chaney and Friend aren’t recruiting injury risks or oversized TE for the job. They are recruiting grown men, and stacking enough depth to allow some of them up to 2 full years to develop before they see the field. We aren’t going to run as a result of trickeration or a scrambling QB. It will be by moving the line of scrimmage, setting up a vertical passing game. I can’t wait to see it happen.
Click to expand...

You get a like not for the content, which I agree with, but for “trickeration.” Well done.
 
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