Recruiting a worry

[VolMarine1371]

recruiting is weak, even with the bad start very disappointed. Wiffed on most our big names really, butch jones staff recruited better. Way better...no way we break top 15. I don’t even see us chasing the 5 star talent this year.
Yeah numbers aren’t everything but we are not recruiting well at all right now. We may be better next year but prob dip again. Pruitt needs results next year or may get worse. I hope to be proven wrong and they cobble together a respectable sec class. Just sucks to be 9 or 10th in sec

Ok I’ll play along!! Explain to me /us how it could be better and what’s so bad about the current class?

 

[LittleVol]

Everyone jumping on OP.

We beat USC and everyone believes Pruitt is the next Saban.

If we lose another game this year everyone will be wanting to fire Pruitt.

Recruiting is above average on a national scale, but below average in the SEC.

Agreed, but it's only November.

Pruitt closed with Wright and To'oto'o last year. Two top 50 players who have lived up to the billing.

Recruiting isn't just about rankings. It's about recruiting for need as well. Depth is a real thing but someone has to start...
And if you're starting 22 is as good as Alabama. Then you can beat them!

If you look at each class and where Pruitt is succeeding by position, you can see that he is building some depth but more importantly he's getting elite starters.

Jalin Hyatt and Jimmy Calloway at WR is an example of great evaluation.

It's easy to recruit when you're Bama, but even Saban knows to recruit for need and not just best available.

 

[Gandalf]

We have 9 spots left to fill. 4-6 will be four star players. Mostly in-state DLinemen. We have an outside possibility with 2 to 3 5 stars in Washington, Sewell, and Jarrett. Yes I realize that is a stretch. We will definitely and more 4 or 5 stars than 3 to close out this class, which will make it the second year in a row that's happened since Kiffin. Recruiting is fine. We just need to keep winning.

Finally, someone in the thread with the relevant facts to refute the obtuse OP post. If we had a full class already or if we had continued to struggle midsection, there would be more reason for concern. Losing a highly rated 4* hurt but seems more due to personal friendships. IF and its a big IF, we stay on the current tragectory, Pruitt and staff of 5* National Champion recruiters will pull in a great class that is exactly targeted to our needs. Recruits are going to see what Chaney is doing with our QBs and Pruitt and Ansley on D and will be running here.

 

[AdmiralVFL98]

Butch Jones was a better recruiter? Hahahahahahahahaha. Perhaps Botch was able to get classes with respectable star averages as deemed by the sites that compile such things, but what happened once they got here? They either left early, under performed, or were not coached/used to their fullest potential. This is a garbage post. Pruitt has his boys moving in the right direction and regardless of class ranking is making the Vols a better team than the one he inherited. Find a different hobby than watching college football recruiting if it makes you feel so negative OP. I guess trolls gonna troll.

 

[basspond]

Right now we're the 3rd best 3-5 team in the country. So, we should have 5-stars lining up to get their shot at breaking into our roster and maybe actually getting to play in a couple of years.

Those new to VN, note font color.

 

[sjt18]

I think maybe I'll be a little more patient than the OP. He's right. Jones looked "great" on NSD. But about 20 of his 51 or so 4/5* players never made any kind of significant contribution at UT. Many of the others didn't live up to their hype.

UT currently has 16 commits. MSU has 22. UT will pass them. USCe has 18. UT will pass them. No one currently ranked below UT is going to pass the Vols. The final finish will depend on whether some of the guys expected to commit do so and what UF, Aub, and TAM do. All are within striking range if UT finishes stronger than they do. Worst case they finish 7th in the SEC.... with 5 of the 6 teams ahead of them currently ranked in the top 25. TAM is always going to have an inherent recruiting advantage when they can capitalize.

Last, there are plenty of good players out there with 3 stars beside their name. Find them. Coach them up. Win games. UT signed 10 3* players last year. Six of them have contributed already. Two have started. The rest look very much like future contributors with some development.

Here's a bit of a preview. These are 3* recruits from the '18 class... the one completed on very limited time. Banks (playing before his problems), Tillman, J Johnson, Shrout, Flowers, Garland, Harris, George. All have played some or a lot. George is in the CB rotation. Flowers was before getting injured. Johnson is one of UT's first 8 OL's. Shrout looks good. Tillman is getting PT.

The point is that it is far more important to get, develop, and coach talent than to worry a lot about a "ranking".

 

[orangemadam]

Very good point. Why dis the OP because he brought up a point that most of you know is true at this stage but you don't want to admit?

We are behind the others in getting the commits. Hopefully this will change, but at this particular stage, the signs are pointing toward us not getting who we had hoped.

examples - the kid who decommitted, Gilbert, Washington, the LSU wide receiver. and the list goes on. None of the 5* have committed to us. The big programs have 5* commits.

 

[UTK]

There's zero reason to freak out about recruiting at the moment. Is it where we need it to be? No. Will it end up where it needs to be? No. It's that simple. BUT. All things considering, we have a lot of spots to fill. We will fill them and still end up with a top 15 class most likely. We really need Top 7-8 classes go be, but we ain't getting that until we win with the guys we have. Is what it is.

 

[sjt18]

Very good point. Why dis the OP because he brought up a point that most of you know is true at this stage but you don't want to admit?

We are behind the others in getting the commits. Hopefully this will change, but at this particular stage, the signs are pointing toward us not getting who we had hoped.

examples - the kid who decommitted, Gilbert, Washington, the LSU wide receiver. and the list goes on. None of the 5* have committed to us. The big programs have 5* commits.

Do you know who the coaches "hoped to get"?

UT has wasted a lot of scholarships on 5* players... who weren't over the past couple of decades.

 

[DoyleMcOrange]

The problem is, you have a bunch of people wearing orange tinted glasses on here that are very quick to denounce anyone who talks out against Pruitt.

There are quite a few problems.

But that is not one of them.

 

[CornFlake]

lol

 

[BowlBrother85]

recruiting is weak, even with the bad start very disappointed. Wiffed on most our big names really, butch jones staff recruited better. Way better...no way we break top 15. I don’t even see us chasing the 5 star talent this year.
Yeah numbers aren’t everything but we are not recruiting well at all right now. We may be better next year but prob dip again. Pruitt needs results next year or may get worse. I hope to be proven wrong and they cobble together a respectable sec class. Just sucks to be 9 or 10th in sec

The part I placed in bold makes it seem like you aren't following recruiting then. We went after QB Haynes King very hard. He chose Texas A&M. We are still after Noah Sewell, though he is unlikely to pick Tennessee. Though I felt the same way about Henry To'oto'o last year at this time. Pruitt finished strong last year, so who knows? I am disappointed that neither Baron or Hardy have committed yet, but I still feel good about them. Finally, you mention how Butch Jones recruited, but did it ever matter how high his classes were ranked, considering how putrid he and his staff were at player development? And it is way too early to speculate on next year... but you not only did, but have already concluded that the class won't be very good? There is nothing to base that on yet.

 

[Yanks24]

One word for this: Wow

 

[ptcarter]

OP did overplay his hand.
But, there is some concern for those that follow recruiting.
GSU loss was brutal image wise. That and late BYU collapse were used against us by rivals.
I’m sure they seized on “Pruitt in hot seat national memes”.

However, if we continue to improve and get a bowl game, we can legitimately brag about the vast improvements and player development over the course of the season.

GSU loss will have minimal impact if we win out.
The fact we dominated USCe - a team that beat GA doesn't bode well for either UGA or USCe -and you could say Muschamp outcoached Smart that day. Can use that in recruiting.
Bama game wasn't an embarrassment, except for on big play.
Neyland rocked loud after half time of USCe. For those who thought we'd lose them all except UTC after our first game... well it's NOT THAT.

Should do OK.

 

[JMSqb11]

We have a whole forum dedicated to recruiting, and a host of other topics. It's all laid out in that forum as to how we'll finish based on who commits and signs. IMO we aren't in bad shape and should finish no lower than 12th nationally. Bear in mind the season isn't over yet and UT needs to continue the good play.

As long as we finish top 15-20 nationally, I am happy for the first 2-3 years of Pruitt. I trust him to fill the 25 spots with guys he thinks he can develop and produce sooner than later. I'd rather have that than someone who tries to get any and ever 4 and 5 star possible and then tries to figure out how to put them in spots and positions. Butch did that and it failed.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

If we don't get to six wins, the early season losses will be the entire story of the off season and Pruitt will enter the 2020 season on the hot seat. SC win made post season more realistic but this team cannot look at any opponent as chalk. UAB lacks talent bit they can play with discipline, which is what any over matched road dog needs to do to give themselves a chance.

 

[vfl_gbo]

There are quite a few problems.

But that is not one of them.

Then you haven't been on this site very long or very much.

 

[DougVol]

recruiting is weak, even with the bad start very disappointed. Wiffed on most our big names really, butch jones staff recruited better. Way better...no way we break top 15. I don’t even see us chasing the 5 star talent this year.
Yeah numbers aren’t everything but we are not recruiting well at all right now. We may be better next year but prob dip again. Pruitt needs results next year or may get worse. I hope to be proven wrong and they cobble together a respectable sec class. Just sucks to be 9 or 10th in sec

Urine

 

[GrizzlyVol]

recruiting is weak, even with the bad start very disappointed. Wiffed on most our big names really, butch jones staff recruited better. Way better...no way we break top 15. I don’t even see us chasing the 5 star talent this year.
Yeah numbers aren’t everything but we are not recruiting well at all right now. We may be better next year but prob dip again. Pruitt needs results next year or may get worse. I hope to be proven wrong and they cobble together a respectable sec class. Just sucks to be 9 or 10th in sec

Recruiting ain't over yet

 

[aaronvol]

Smells like a Florida fan...

 

[give_him 6]

 

[JohnD13]

recruiting is weak, even with the bad start very disappointed. Wiffed on most our big names really, butch jones staff recruited better. Way better...no way we break top 15. I don’t even see us chasing the 5 star talent this year.
Yeah numbers aren’t everything but we are not recruiting well at all right now. We may be better next year but prob dip again. Pruitt needs results next year or may get worse. I hope to be proven wrong and they cobble together a respectable sec class. Just sucks to be 9 or 10th in sec

Go away

 

[Pride85]

recruiting is weak, even with the bad start very disappointed. Wiffed on most our big names really, butch jones staff recruited better. Way better...no way we break top 15. I don’t even see us chasing the 5 star talent this year.
Yeah numbers aren’t everything but we are not recruiting well at all right now. We may be better next year but prob dip again. Pruitt needs results next year or may get worse. I hope to be proven wrong and they cobble together a respectable sec class. Just sucks to be 9 or 10th in sec

Another idiot troll! Even if not, another lame brain that can't actually comprehend how recruiting works or is too lazy to actually read the dozens of comments from various posters addressing you question.

 

[EZE]

I haven’t heard the fat lady yet. No need to panic until it is time to panic.

 

[DoyleMcOrange]

Then you haven't been on this site very long or very much.

Not many folks care what happens on this site, I don't think. Fans and the Coaches care about the recruiting class and about wins and losses.

I don't think a few sunshine pumpers on a fan message board have much influence on that.