Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXXI

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#4,026
#4,026
Darth_Shiveman said:
There's a difference between mocking someone's faith and pointing out when someone's comparison of himself to Christ is self-serving and out of touch.


Last I checked, Jesus wasn't crucified for cheating at football and High Freeze missing a bowl game and losing a few scholarships doesn't hold a candle to being publicly tortured to death.
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Let me know when you've caught up entirely.
 
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#4,030
#4,030
What's your analysis of where th team's head is at heading into the game? Are the guys set to graduate or jump to the NFL focused? What about the guys who know their position coaches are toast?
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Brice:

Players love Mo. They do. I wrote that recently in VFTT, and some didn't like it but my point wasn't excusing anything but merely to say these dudes love Coach Mo and play their butts off for him. OL has not been developed well enough. Dudes play really hard for Strip as well. I think Strip and Gillespie are the Vols' two best positional coaches.

I think this team is invested, I really do. I may be wrong, but I think UT can absolutely produce another dominant bowl performance as we have seen in back-to-back years under Butch Jones.
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#4,032
#4,032
Do you thinking Davenport has any comprehension of the blowback she'll get from Tennessee fans if she drags her feet too long or (god forbid) blows the Blackburn hire? Cheek was always much aligned by Vol fans IMO it had at least some role in him being forced out.
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Brice:

I think Davenport probably understands the temperature of the state and the fan base better right now than Cheek did. She's from Western Kentucky, been at Michigan. Has to understand the magnitude of these things in making such a major career move. I know red tape must be cleared, but as someone I trust and respect greatly told me today, it's been clear since spring UT would force out Cheek and Hart. How did it not have a clearer roadmap of progression in place?

Few folks mentioning it, but someone else from football whom I also believe in told me within the past 10 days that UT will greatly miss Keith Carver in Knoxville now that he's fully transitioning into his role as UT-Martin Chancellor.
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#4,034
#4,034
On a F.U.B.A.R. scale of 1 to 10 - with 10 being the most extreme case of F.U.B.A.R. - just how F.U.B.A.R. would you say we are right now? TIA
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Brice:

You know, I have actually seen it worse. And here's why: There's still good talent in the football program, there's still a chance to add even more good talent and UT now has decent funds to handle stuff as it arises. It's not as bleak as 2012, when everyone knew after the UK loss that ended 2011 that Dooley's clock was ticking and no one wanted to come work for him except up-and-comers or older coaches fine with one-year deals. I think Blackburn would take matters case by case and be willing to do a two- to three-year deal for assts if he felt necessary to help CBJ succeed.

Plus, the East still isn't loaded, yet. And I do think Ole Miss will get sanctioned further. Even a recruit today at the UA Game said Hugh Freeze told him Ole Miss might be ineligible for postseason play next year. So, all is not well, but I don't have any single person with a negative feedback on Chancellor Davenport, and I do think she'll be a better fit.

But let's all be real: The longer UT doesn't have a boss for Butch, who needed one this year to help him, encourage him, mentor him and more, then the longer it becomes a factor on potential coaching moves as well as recruiting.
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#4,035
#4,035
Any concern with losing one of the following: Azzanni, Thig, Scott, Gillespie?
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Brice:

Coaches I talk with and other reporters around the nation that swap info with me have told me within the past week, some of whom have been close with folks at cincy for a while, that Z isn't likely an option there. Could become an option at UConn, potentially, for Edsall I was informed this week.

Don't see Scott leaving at this point unless someone wows him with an OC job. Ditto for Gillespie. Both, I am told, are expected to get raises. Wouldn't be stunned to see Scott get more involved in the offensive planning. Someone indicated to me he's called plays before, though I'm not sure if that was when he was interim at Miami or what.

Thig, as I've noted, is not someone I believe the Vols would try to get into a bidding war to retain, as I've mentioned recently. He's good recruiting, but also is probably facing stiffer competition in Georgia thanks to Smart than ever before, not to mention all the younger, fiery dudes coming up. And let's be real: whatever the reason, UT linebackers have not developed enough in recent years.
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#4,036
#4,036
Basilio said on his show today that the new Chancellor was opening this up to a national search. Are you hearing this? Your update this morning made it seem like half of the AD had their resume on the street. FWIW, I am seeing a great deal of instability in my interactions with the University. It seems like people are very distracted.
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Brice:

I don't see it as truly national. UT is obligated b/c of having them on "retainer' to use Parker Search Firm to some extent in these instances, and Davenport has an obligation to herself as well as UT to do what she truly believes is best for Rocky Top b/c of how the system is structured for the A.D. to report more directly to the Chancellor. Remember, this has been discussed a lot this year b/c plenty of folks believed Hart handled matters fine by passing issues along to Cheek, who then did not do the same for DiPietro and his office.

I am sorry if some folks found my VFTT overly negative, b/c it was not meant to be that way. It was just blunt. Frankly, I could've written some of those items last week, but fact is it was Christmas week and while I didn't see it as negative, I also knew it wasn't warm and bubbly. I am told a great number of folks in the A.D. are seeking employment elsewhere. It's happening now at UT but doesn't mean it's uncommon when transition is inevitable, and clearly UT is preparing for transition atop the A.D.

I still think that Blackburn and the Northwestern A.D. remain the top guys, with Blackburn still IMO probably at roughly 80% odds. Only other name I've heard this week is that of the current Cincy A.D., and this is really interesting: he's the guy who was at Colorado when CBJ jilted the Buffs to come to Rocky Top. And he's the guy who then hired MacIntyre. And that's as good a hire as the one I think Cincy's old A.D. has made at VaTech: Justin Fuente. Those two coaches would get my national coach of the year votes this year.
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#4,037
#4,037
You would think with Davenports past at a place like Michigan she would understand the importance of athletics and how it can help the university. I understand her wanting to have some say in the hire since she'll ultimately be judged by it, but I really think we need one before the dead period ends so any new position coaches have time to recruit at least.

Also, I don't think it's Blackburn or bust, but if we do go outside the system that persons resume better be impeccable
 
#4,038
#4,038
John love these chats. You bring it every single time. Now my question:

What would you say the two biggest bombshells (1 positive and 1 not) to hit the AD and/or football program will be between now and signing day? Could be recruiting suprises, coaching changes, AD shake ups etc. Thanks
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Brice:

I thought I'd faced a bevy of tough questions already; this one might be toughest. Obviously, any A.D. search that doesn't end in hiring David Blackburn, IMO, is asking for a minefield of disasters. Too many folks in the building, on the campus, in the donor ranks and throughout the state as well as Vol Nation want that guy.

I think the Vols still land a big fish on the recruiting trail between now and NSD. I love how CBJ has closed, and I think he is positioned to close even stronger thanks to the trio of Gillespie, Scott and himself. IF Vols add in some of these guys we've discussed, I think they could close with 2-3 big fish.
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#4,039
#4,039
I'm probably going to get roasted for asking this, but why was Hart forced out? Aside from the Tyndall fiasco seems like he did a solid job.
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Brice:

Hart was the scapegoat for the Lady Vols fiasco and the Title IX stuff and as I noted earlier, it was held against him for not reporting stuff directly to the President's office even though it is set up to have a chain of command of A.D. to Chancellor to President.

The Tyndall fiasco unfolded poorly, I agree, but Hart rescued UT in that matter when he flew directly to the NCAA and cut Tyndall ASAP. The hire was done largely by Jon Gilbert, and Gilbert learned a great deal from that situation and, again, will be a fine AD imo in the future. I could see him running things at UTC whenever UT wakes up and brings DB to Rocky Top.
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#4,040
#4,040
drvenner said:
Is it a boycott about the poor late season performance, or is it just not having a desire to go to Nashville? I would much rather go to New Orleans, too. Do these donors go to every bowl game?
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They all live in Nashville and are going to drink as tailgate. Just going to watch the game on broadway.
 
#4,041
#4,041
Where is the discussion/ predictions thread for our BOWL game tomorrow? Will Nebraska's Tommy Armstrong Jr. play? With Nathan Gerry (All Conference - Nebraska Safety) ruled ineligible, will we be able to air it out against them? TIA
 
#4,044
#4,044
BigZiti09 said:
What is Brice talking about? 2 to 3 big fish? LOL. That is laughable.
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Not totally laughable if we get some new coaches. That is always a wildcard.

Not sure of his definition of big fish though. My definition is top 50 player nationally.
 
#4,047
#4,047
Dust10 said:
Not totally laughable if we get some new coaches. That is always a wildcard.

Not sure of his definition of big fish though. My definition is top 50 player nationally.
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I don't see how getting those coaches would attract a big fish this year. Who are they recruiting currently that they would be able to attract to UT? If they come on in early January, that gives them only a month to even try to sway a top recruit. Larry Scott's situation was just different from any of these guys.
 
#4,049
#4,049
LynxVol said:
I don't see how getting those coaches would attract a big fish this year. Who are they recruiting currently that they would be able to attract to UT? If they come on in early January, that gives them only a month to even try to sway a top recruit. Larry Scott's situation was just different from any of these guys.
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Would agree with all of that.
 
#4,050
#4,050
It gets crazy every year after the dead period and names always pop up... this year will be no different.
 
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