Players we missed out on?

#53
#53
I don't know how much it can be classified as missing out, because it's not like UT didn't recruit Lawrence. Him and his family just knew Butch was a fraud and it wouldn't be good for his career. But not being able to get him when he was clearly a kid that wanted to be a Vol would probably be the biggest "what if" because he could have changed the trajectory of the program, NFL career be damned.

I got to say that since Patrick Willis was awesome from day 1 and an NFL HOF that wanted to come to UT, the staff just didn't think he was that good, that's got to be the biggest "miss" I can think of.
 
#55
#55
I thought Turner was a complete bust, but actually had a decent career. 138 catches, 1752 yards, 17 TD's in four years, caught 10 TD's his senior year. 3rd round pick. Played 11 games as a true frosh for the 05' Trojans, one of the greatest teams of all-time.
 
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#57
#57
landscapingvol said:
We need to define “missing out on” because some of y’all are listing recruits that were never coming here
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How do you define it?

I had to stretch the definition for some more than others, but all of the guys I named were either committed here at one point, we finished among their top choices (even if there was a solid first choice), or, in a couple cases, were local guys or self-described Vol fans. Someone like Randy Moss may sound like a stretch, but we were right there in the mix before he chose Notre Dame, then in the mix again before he chose FSU, and would have landed him if we had decided to let him have his third chance.
 
#58
#58
landscapingvol said:
We need to define “missing out on” because some of y’all are listing recruits that were never coming here
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In truth, no one except coaches or the players involved knows how close any are to coming here.

The two Stone Mountain linebackers promised Chavis they were getting ready to fax in letters and sent them in to LSU an hour later. It’s rare coaches even know how close it is.

Most kids tell multiple schools they are coming there. It’s the way it is.
 
#59
#59
LWSVOL said:
In truth, no one except coaches or the players involved knows how close any are to coming here.

The two Stone Mountain linebackers promised Chavis they were getting ready to fax in letters and sent them in to LSU an hour later. It’s rare coaches even know how close it is.

Most kids tell multiple schools they are coming there. It’s the way it is.
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Lamar Dawson did the same thing. Apparently told four different staffs(including TN)that he was signing, before officially signing with USC.
 
#61
#61
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
How do you define it?

I had to stretch the definition for some more than others, but all of the guys I named were either committed here at one point, we finished among their top choices (even if there was a solid first choice), or, in a couple cases, were local guys or self-described Vol fans. Someone like Randy Moss may sound like a stretch, but we were right there in the mix before he chose Notre Dame, then in the mix again before he chose FSU, and would have landed him if we had decided to let him have his third chance.
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Walter Nolan had no interest in Tennessee and while Derrick Henry visited Tennessee that really doesn’t mean much because he originally committed to Georgia before switching to Alabama. Tee Higgans made it pretty clear he wasn’t going to play for Jones
 
#63
#63
#1fulmerite said:
Much like the kid from Goodpasture (I think) that ended up at USC. Was there something more to that issue because it seems he was a hard no to Fulmer at the end.
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Turner at Goodpasture was coming through when USC was THE hot school at the time. I don’t know if it mattered how much Fulmer went after him. USC was pulling studs from everywhere but the Pete Carroll/Bush scandal they never really recovered from even with those athletes.
 
#64
#64
landscapingvol said:
Walter Nolan had no interest in Tennessee and while Derrick Henry visited Tennessee that really doesn’t mean much because he originally committed to Georgia before switching to Alabama. Tee Higgans made it pretty clear he wasn’t going to play for Jones
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We were the only other school Nolen visited after committing to A&M, which he did officially and unofficially. We were also in his top 5, which was as far as he narrowed it. To say he had no interest is a big stretch. We definitely missed out on Higgins because we held on to Butch too long. His not wanting to play for a horrible coach didn’t mean that we didn’t miss out on him. Butch should have been fired after 2016.

Henry could have been a reach by me, I may have been a bit more optimistic of our chances at one point than I should have been, and it was 13 years ago.
 
#67
#67
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
We were the only other school Nolen visited after committing to A&M, which he did officially and unofficially. We were also in his top 5, which was as far as he narrowed it. To say he had no interest is a big stretch. We definitely missed out on Higgins because we held on to Butch too long. His not wanting to play for a horrible coach didn’t mean that we didn’t miss out on him. Butch should have been fired after 2016.

Henry could have been a reach by me, I may have been a bit more optimistic of our chances at one point than I should have been, and it was 13 years ago.
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Considering Tennessee tried to buy him as a recruit twice and failed twice is a pretty indication he wasn’t coming to Tennessee
 
#69
#69
landscapingvol said:
Considering Tennessee tried to buy him as a recruit twice and failed twice is a pretty indication he wasn’t coming to Tennessee
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You do realize that one of the essential elements of having missed out on a guy is that he couldn’t come here, right? If he had come here, he wouldn’t qualify for the list. Not coming here is not an argument to say he doesn’t belong on the list, it’s a prerequisite for even being discussed.
 
#71
#71
I I'll give a positive one.

Many people were concerned with losing Dylan Brooks(now playing for the mighty jayhawks) and Cody Brown when Pruitt was fired. Running back and edge have been some of our strongest positions.
 
#72
#72
Volunteer_Kirby said:
Steve Spurrier
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IN 61 Steve Sloan from Bradley was the top rated qb in the country. He didnt even consider us as dumbass drunk Bowden Wyatt was still running the single wing. He went to Alabama.

The next year Spurrier at Science Hill was the top rated qb and same thing, he ended up at UF.

Wyatt's response, "I'm not changing my system for anybody." Thankfully he was fired in the summer of 63 for being drunk at the SEC annual meeting.
 
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#73
#73
utvols74 said:
I saw "Cobb-Webb" in the rain against Auburn at Neyland in '89 IIRC. One of the best 1-2 punches at RB at UT. Webb was the best RB ever at UT. The 1989 Cotton Bowl was a thing of beauty for him.
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I agree. If he hadn't stolen Bryan Kimbro's credit card, he might have played as a true freshman.
 
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