'25 Portal Thread

[Govolsman98]

Absolutely, but they are unproven and don't have experience... that's a big deal in the SEC... we don't have a track record/stats on them, only presuming and hope... Oh, and now a new QB that will need to get a chemistry and timing with them...

Hope is free and makes me feel good so I'm rolling with it

 

[VolByLaw]

On Mason Nelson:
https://247sports.com/player/mason-nelson-46083496/

He's finished his visit at Tennessee. He's not sure where he's visiting next if anywhere. He has seen New Mexico and Vanderbilt. He is not visiting Cincinnati or Minnesota because they took other tackles.

Likes Coach G and his development of players. Hopes to make a decision sooner rather than later. Tennessee has two other DT's currently scheduled to visit.

-Hubbs

 

[WesTnVol]

That can’t be right. This was Heupel’s fault

Y’all remember what CTV said last year about transfers only looking for the biggest bag, “Don’t waste our time or yours”. I feel like all of our coaches have the same attitude.

 

[knoxvol52]

Y’all remember what CTV said last year about transfers only looking for the biggest bag, “Don’t waste our time or yours”. I feel like all of our coaches have the same attitude.

I believe that's the attitude the Head Coaches should have. I'm not paying a damn dime over what your talent level is...

 

[bpalmer28]

I agree and it’s very frustrating and will continue to bite us in the a$$. We need a f’n GM!!!!!

Then again, we did make the playoffs last year. Many portal champions did not.

 

[Vol423]

So we're good at WR compared to last year? LMAO The only returning WR with any true experience is Brazzell

Our wide receivers last year were NOT good, and that is being charitable. We were playing older, but less physically talented guys. We will now be playing younger, less experienced, but more physically gifted guys. We'll see. It could be addition by subtraction like it was with our DB's last year. We have almost no returning production, but let's not pretend that anybody was happy about our WR's last year. They were a massive disappointment.

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

you must have missed reading comprehension in school... where did I say experience was all that matters and if you don't have it you are worthless? We have potential talent, but only one WR has true experience that we can go by... Lot a potential talent, but not a lot of proven success in games in the SEC... SMH

Bahahaha

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

Well buckle up, they'll prove themselves to be worthy. Remember that .

Remember the name

Travis Smith

 

[SmyrnaATLVolisback]

On Mason Nelson:
https://247sports.com/player/mason-nelson-46083496/

-Hubbs

I love coach G. That dude could have twelve top flight players and he would still want more depth.

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

Then again, we did make the playoffs last year. Many portal champions did not.

Agreed. I would rather be low on the number of transfers than high, as we can invest in real player development, system fits, and only take in people we absolutely need.

What Kiffin and Norvell are doing are not sustainable. Kiffin's wheels feel off last year after looking promising, and Norvell's team never even got off the bus. Both are stocked up on a bunch of "me first" portal mercenaries.

 

[CaliVol2009]

Agreed, but then again, Nico couldn’t hit them when they were running free on deep balls to save his life.

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

Hope is free and makes me feel good so I'm rolling with it

 

[Vol423]

View attachment 737660

I liked it for great gif usage, but I don't agree with the sentiment with respect to our football team this year.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

I love coach G. That dude could have twelve top flight players and he would still want more depth.

Hes the only one on this staff like that


The rest seem to want just enough to fill out a team.

 

[jvols1999]

On Mason Nelson:
https://247sports.com/player/mason-nelson-46083496/

-Hubbs

Chop/G teaching a master class. Upwards of 4-5 targets for max 2 (but maybe only 1 spot). Gives us a) options and b) leverage over those options in terms of compensation, which flows through the entire roster/DL room.

 

[Orange_Crush]

View attachment 737660

Hope almost drove me insane once. Then I kicked that crazy ***** to the curb and eventually met my wife... Thank God!

 

[VolsFan-TX]

Difference is we are going after these type of players while Texas and Ohio State are going after Watson

TX spent a reported $22.3 million for their 2024 football roster, OSU spent $20.3 million, UGA spent $18.4 million, and TN spent $11.6 (per Top College Football Playoff Teams Ranked by NIL Collective Funds - CollegeNetWorth.com). If TN is going to compete with these schools for every recruit, then we will need to raise more money. Many of these transfer players are signing where they can make the most money and the biggest spenders are not in Knoxville.

 

[volsfan_17]

Chop/G teaching a master class. Upwards of 4-5 targets for max 2 (but maybe only 1 spot). Gives us a) options and b) leverage over those options in terms of compensation, which flows through the entire roster/DL room.

Coach G been playing the bag/leverage game for a lot longer than it's been legal.

 

[jasonvol18]

I’m hoping he sees it that way. I feel like anytime Ohio State is in the mix for a wideout that is never a good thing . With Smith and Tate being there, hopefully that will push him away

That's what I'm hoping for..guess the other side of it they develop WR's better than we have lately.

 

[jasonvol18]

On Mason Nelson:
https://247sports.com/player/mason-nelson-46083496/

-Hubbs

Who are the other DT's besides the NC guy?

 

[Vol423]

TX spent a reported $22.3 million for their 2024 football roster, OSU spent $20.3 million, UGA spent $18.4 million, and TN spent $11.6 (per Top College Football Playoff Teams Ranked by NIL Collective Funds - CollegeNetWorth.com). If TN is going to compete with these schools for every recruit, then we will need to raise more money. Many of these transfer players are signing where they can make the most money and the biggest spenders are not in Knoxville.

Reportedly...I don't believe any of these stories. There is no central repository collecting this data. These stories are just speculation.

 

[VolsFan-TX]

Reportedly...I don't believe any of these stories. There is no central repository collecting this data. These stories are just speculation.

Do you think we are spending more that TX, OSU, and UGA? I don't.

 

[Vol423]

Do you think we are spending more that TX, OSU, and UGA? I don't.

Maybe not, but there is no way to really know. What is definitely known is that we HAVE beaten both Ohio State and Georgia (not positive about Texas in the NIL era) for specific players, like David Sanders.

 

[volinexile17]

TX spent a reported $22.3 million for their 2024 football roster, OSU spent $20.3 million, UGA spent $18.4 million, and TN spent $11.6 (per Top College Football Playoff Teams Ranked by NIL Collective Funds - CollegeNetWorth.com). If TN is going to compete with these schools for every recruit, then we will need to raise more money. Many of these transfer players are signing where they can make the most money and the biggest spenders are not in Knoxville.

Spending the most money doesn’t always equal winning. Just look at baseball over the past decade. Plenty of teams with massive total payrolls flop. Plenty of teams with smaller payrolls win. As long as we are spending competitively, we should be in the hunt.

 

[VolsFan-TX]

Spending the most money doesn’t always equal winning. Just look at baseball over the past decade. Plenty of teams with massive total payrolls flop. Plenty of teams with smaller payrolls win. As long as we are spending competitively, we should be in the hunt.

I completely agree. My post was in response to many complaining about losing some recruits to TX, OSU, and other bigger spenders. I agree that money doesn't always equate directly to winning, but having a higher-rated roster often helps. Our coaches have to find the right balance within the spending limits.

The table below, while not directly NIL-related, offers some further insight into what we are facing with some of our competitors. The table was taken from (NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025) as reported from the schools themselves. Notice the "Total AD Revenue" and "Contributions" sections. Those are some staggering numbers for OSU, TX, AL, Mich, etc. OSU has a total Athletic Department revenue of $251,615,345 while TN has a total AD revenue of $154, 566,935. That is a difference of $97,048,410!!! Their ticket sales are 69% higher than TN's and their contributions are 79% higher than TN's. Of the 17 schools listed ahead of TN in the table, we only have more contributions than Kentucky, which means there are 8 other SEC schools with contributions to the AD greater than TN's (TX, AL, GA, LSU, A&M, FL, OU, and Auburn).