Recruiting Football Talk VII

[Lloyd_Christmas]

The roster isn't deep enough to make it through the end of the year anyway. Then you start to count up the injuries.

When the OL is in the shape that it is, and you're shuffling the defense... it's just not going to work out.

The only thing we can do is contribute via Volunteer Club, and encourage others to do so. That's the only way we can improve the roster to improve the performance.

Otherwise you're just getting pissed because you aren't witnessing a miracle.

Hooker's play did a lot to cover up the deficiencies on the team. With a lot of super seniors (most, if not all, are mid-SEC level talent), we're going to see a lot of young guys playing bigger roles starting next season. I almost look at this season as Heupel saying thank you to the guys that stuck around since they've started several super seniors that likely are a lot less talented than their younger back-ups. I can see the bigger picture strategy of what Heupel has done to manage the roster so more older guys didn't transfer and kill their depth while keeping the young guys engaged since they see all the open positions coming up.

 

[knoxvol52]

When: Sunday, November 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: ESPNU

Cool thanks...I will be watching ...I enjoy the FCS playoffs...better than watching the Idaho Potato Bowl...

 

[BigSteve09]

 

[Revived2002]

5-7
7-6
6-7
5-7
5-7
5-7
7-6
9-4
9-4
4-8
5-7
8-5
3-7
Heupel Hired:
7-6
11-2
7-4* - chance to finish 9-4

Some should learn to be thankful for 3 consecutive bowl appearances at this point. I'm just thankful it's going the right direction 1 step at a time.

It’s either a coach whose record looks like Heupel’s on the list above or it’s all of those 5-7 seasons.

That’s it - that’s the choice Tennessee has, based on their history. For example, Fulmer, Battle and Heupel are the only coaches ever to get to a bowl game in each of their first three seasons…

 

[Jackcrevol]

Wasn't you saying that Tennessee shouldn't lose to Missouri..because they shouldn't be in same conversation as Tennessee?

Yes, and I stand by that. Was there something about Missouri in that last post (I stopped reading after the part about Huepel), that I missed?

If I recall, my comments on Mizzou were made after we forgot to show up. Hot take. I own up to it, was a bad take.

But I 100% stand by the fact that we should never lose to that program, in general. HS Stadium, 0 tradition, poopoo fanbase more suited for a hockey match. Dont belong in the SEC.

Do I think we got outcoached in that game? Yeah. Even out talented. But I dont look at as an indictment on Heup, overall. Guy's a great young coach. He's the guy.

Whatever changes he decides to make, or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ all good. just need to land some dudes.

 

[VolGee4]

Stephen is just as stupid. They whole bloodline are marketing geniuses, football we todds.

One thing the Cowboys have done well is draft. A list of players on their current team that they drafted and who have performed well.

 

[LA Vol]

it happens all the time…. it happened with Josh Dobbs

Dobbs and his parents wanted a redshirt so he could get a master's in a five-year BS-MS engineering program. It wasn't a demand or a promise-- it was a goal.

 

[peaygolf]

Cool thanks...I will be watching ...I enjoy the FCS playoffs...better than watching the Idaho Potato Bowl...

Wanting a 1st round bye, obviously, but a 1st round game vs UT Martin would be fun.

 

[butchna]

Sorry but Stephen Jones runs draft room now not Jerry....he told his dad they weren't drafting Manziel plus Dallas has their QB of future Trey Lance...

Been a marked difference in their talent evaluations and gathering. Key is Stephen worked in personnel from the ground floor up and built relationships with scouts and analysts…trusts their process. He doesn’t “tell Jerry” (he calls his dad Jerry) anything. He sells him that is what he wanted to do anyway. Zack Martin over Manziel was one. Another was Jerry wanted to trade up to land another QB crush, Paxton Lynch, and Stephen whispered in his ear that the extra 4th rounder involved was too costly…as Jerry knew. Another QB disaster averted. If Stephen had been more involved, the Joey Galloway and Roy Williams trade disasters don’t happen imo.

 

[LA Vol]

Yep….. from what i heard reported earlier….. we had a plan on how to develop him physically and mentally…. No plans to redshirt him but it looks like we were close enough to a redshirt that they decided to go ahead and take it.

The risk-reward scenario changed as the season went on. Some games were closer than anticipated, injuries keep piling up and the season got away. IDT anyone thinks he'll need the RS-- just how it played out.

 

[VolNRaleighNC]

Many on here still didn’t learn the lessons from those years. And they will invite many more of them upon all of us if they get their way.

Maybe I’m just delusional. I choose not to specifically pull out the worst stretch in modern UT football era and set the bar for acceptance as better than that.

I mean the season is/was over a couple of games ago so just a lost cause of arguments and opinions now.

It was a travesty that we didn’t pick up a QB in the portal. Very clear that, whether planned or unplanned, Nico wasn’t going to be a factor whatsoever. We really only had 1 QB this year that had a really good bowl game last year over a team that wasn’t nearly as talented as people thought and that pulled the wool over most peoples’ eyes. Josh couldn’t do anything during the season because they put all their eggs into the Overthrow Joe basket. CJH isn’t a QB whisperer that’s for sure.

Every one of our opponents was beatable this year. Even Bama and UGA. Preseason I was not counting Bama and UGA as wins but in-season expectations can change and was certainly optimistic about competing with them. Well, we didn’t. Vandy was more competitive vs UGA than us. With the talent we had, and knowing that we could possibly have added to it with a portal QB (that part is hypothetical at this point), and definitely with how all of our opponents looked…. 8-4 is definitely a disappointment. We didn’t show up and play a competitive 4 full Qtrs vs any ranked opponents. Didn’t beat anyone with a pulse. And got worse in every facet as the year went on.

Again, maybe I’m just living in another unrealistic realm. Call me a nega or whatever but I’m not going to be happy just because we matched the best of the worst in UT football.

 

[Patmo]

“I want the younger guys to develop”

How they gonna do that on the bench?

Mental reps.

 

[JCVol00]

It’s very clear the QB was a major limitation for us this year.

However, so was Heupel’s unwillingness to play someone else.

And his unwillingness to bring help at qb if he knew we weren’t going to play Nico. Spencer Sanders went to Ole Miss knowing he was likely the back up to Dart and it was a crowded qb room, but he still went there. So yes, we absolutely could have brought another qb in if our staff gave the effort, but they didnt

 

[LA Vol]

Would you say that any blame towards Halzle should be limited? It seems pretty obvious that they've scaled the offense way back to what they think Joe can handle.

They've game-planned around Joe. He's inconsistent and he's different in games than he is in practice. It's been that way since he got to Knoxville.

 

[butchna]

'Lil Cousins going to the Play-Off's

Find out at 11:30 CST if we get a 1st round bye...........(on the bubble for a Top 8 seed)

Playoff Bound! Govs Cage Bears in Defensive Brawl to Claim UAC Playoff Bid - Austin Peay State University Athletics

Not our “Lil Cousins”. They’re the wild brood two streets over whose mom never married but ran around with your dad between breaks with your mom throughout high school and your entire childhood. When Dad goes out for cigarettes, their lawn gets mowed and repairs magically happen. Their mom also seems to buy every article of clothing and toy you outgrew from that flea market Dad trades at.

 

[LA Vol]

What’s your take on the rb rotation? It seems Wright is in then we don’t see him forever like after first drive yesterday.

He's been dinged up. They manage him, but sometimes, he taps out. Not sure about yesterday, specifically.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

They need to do lot of work in the portal this off-season. They look awful and I’m just tired of watching the same secondary every yr. Nobody plays a zone worse.

 

[VolGee4]

Maybe I’m just delusional. I choose not to specifically pull out the worst stretch in modern UT football era and set the bar for acceptance as better than that.

I mean the season is/was over a couple of games ago so just a lost cause of arguments and opinions now.

It was a travesty that we didn’t pick up a QB in the portal. Very clear that, whether planned or unplanned, Nico wasn’t going to be a factor whatsoever. We really only had 1 QB this year that had a really good bowl game last year over a team that wasn’t nearly as talented as people thought and that pulled the wool over most peoples’ eyes. Josh couldn’t do anything during the season because they put all their eggs into the Overthrow Joe basket. CJH isn’t a QB whisperer that’s for sure.

Every one of our opponents was beatable this year. Even Bama and UGA. Preseason I was not counting Bama and UGA as wins but in-season expectations can change and was certainly optimistic about competing with them. Well, we didn’t. Vandy was more competitive vs UGA than us. With the talent we had, and knowing that we could possibly have added to it with a portal QB (that part is hypothetical at this point), and definitely with how all of our opponents looked…. 8-4 is definitely a disappointment. We didn’t show up and play a competitive 4 full Qtrs vs any ranked opponents. Didn’t beat anyone with a pulse. And got worse in every facet as the year went on.

Again, maybe I’m just living in another unrealistic realm. Call me a nega or whatever but I’m not going to be happy just because we matched the best of the worst in UT football.

Yes, all just fan conjecture. How do you bring in a decent portal QB when he knows Milton is the starter and Nico is the developed 5 star behind him? You can do it in a video game, I guess.

People who say Heupel isn’t a QB whisperer are just throwing out his 10 years of history. It’s all right there. Sure, Milton struggled, but we also play two top 5 teams every year. This year, we are going to end up losing to three top 10 teams.

But I don’t get why people just want to forget the 15 years we went through. Heupel deserves some equity for last year, and you see that our floor with him is much higher than the records during the 15 years. Fan emotions cloud judgments.

Yes, things need to improve, and I think you will see changes and our 5 star QB get developed.

 

[volbeast33]

The risk-reward scenario changed as the season went on. Some games were closer than anticipated, injuries keep piling up and the season got away. IDT anyone thinks he'll need the RS-- just how it played out.

i agree Redshirts are a waste nowadays…. His development is the most important of our future…. Chances are pretty high that Nico as a true freshman wouldn’t have won us any of the games that we lost.

 

[JCVol00]

Yep. The coaches have said multiple times in multiple venues that there were no pre-season plans to RS Nico. He needs to develop, but game experience helps him, too. I'm sure the "We want Nico!" chants did not go unheard.

So from where hes only played in 3 games this season, he is guaranteed a rs now, right? Do you think we a good bit of Nico vs Vandy?

 

[knoxvol52]

I hated Jeremy Pruitt from day 1 thought it was a terrible hire by Fulmer and it was....couldn't coach a lick.only good thing he did was getting Hyatt, Tillman, Hooker, Bryon Young, and the OT drafted y Bears...

 

[SoilVol]

How has Webb and Nimrod looked to everyone?

Hard to accurately judge with this qb but are they flashing/impressing you guys?

I see a lot of potential. Not sure either will be #1s, but I’m curious what others think.

A lot of potential. Webb might be a step slower than he needs to be, but he's a big dude and has shown great hands. Nimrod has shown good route running and getting open but has missed 50/50 balls. Needs to work on contested catches imo. But I think both can be good receivers for us.

 

[peaygolf]

Not our “Lil Cousins”. They’re the wild brood two streets over whose mom never married but ran around with your dad between breaks with your mom throughout high school and your entire childhood. When Dad goes out for cigarettes, their lawn gets mowed and repairs magically happen. Their mom also seems to buy every article of clothing and toy you outgrew from that flea market Dad trades at.

3rd cousin, 2nd removed........

 

[TheMookieMonster]

The coaches did not plan on redshirting Nico. There was no promise made as a condition of his recruitment. They planned to get him game experience throughout the season, but things did not go as planned. Opportunities to play him were missed, and now that the season is almost over, the risk-reward scenario has changed. He'll get a RS because that's how the season unfolded. Nobody's thrilled about how the QB situation or the offense played out this year.

At least people can stop telling me I’m wrong now and use that as an excuse for the coaching staff. We failed with the QB situation this year. Plain and simple.

 

[SpringBokVol]

Joe was not good.

He isn’t good.

I was way wrong. I thought at worst he would be above average.

I think the coaches fell for practice joe and were just waiting for him to figure it out.

He severely limited this team and their potent.