Recruiting

[BigOrangeTrain]

Outside the top 25 would be pretty disappointing. Even Dooley had us in the top 25, with the exception of his final year.

I get that but Dooley isn’t facing anywhere near the mountain that Heupel is. I think we will end up 28-30. The program is in much worse shape than when Dooley had it. It is what it is.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Butch recruited I think almost 2 top 5 recruiting classes. Why wouldn't CJH be able to do the same.

Heupel can’t recruit 60+ recruits in 2 classes. Butch didn’t have to follow a complete house cleaning from the AD, entire recruiting and coaching staff. Butch didn’t deal with massive player exits.

 

[901 Orange]

I think Heupel is a bright offensive mind and will def improve our lackluster offense but my concern is can he recruit at a high enough level here to succeed. And is it a huge deal even if he can’t recruit to the level of Butch and Pruitt if he does a better job of in game coaching and coaching the kids up. We all know Butch and Pruitt were good recruiters but terrible in game coaches with their recruits especially Pruitt. I do think JH will get 5 full seasons here to turn it around. What are you guys overall expectations for Heupel?

Just worry about the coaching. Its something about developing players that brings other players in herds. Tennessee recruits itself honestly. We have the best of everything that you can offer a kid. Think about what our program has gone through over the last decade. With all that, we havent had a recruiting class rank outside of the top 25 since 2008. If CJH can develope these guys and not shoot himself in the foot during crucial situational football he can win big here.

 

[VolFanNC09]

Things aren’t as bleak as it might seem. Got a few solid recruiters, and we will hit the transfer portal pretty hard. I don’t see is finishing out of the top25. I can see us landing a more National set of recruits though. Especially the Midwest. The defense has 3 top notch recruiters right now. I can see them setting us up well for the future

 

[onevol74]

I am excited! I predict 2022 class to be top 15.

Regardless of who the coach has been in the past we have always landed top15 classes. UT recruits itself. And with a young dynamic staff that Coach Hype is putting together I think we can be better than most suggest.

If I were UT I would omit a bowl ban since it hurts the conference. I hope we have some collateral information in the report that implicates other SEC programs and should use it to suggest that if you ban us then you should also ban some of the major players in the SEC.

 

[VolFaninFla]

He seems to have done well with a lot lower recruiting classes than we have had lately.

That may have something to do with the competition he was playing. BUT...he may also just be better at developing players. I hope so.

 

[peaygolf]

6 is the floor.........

........of a 100 floor high rise

 

[VolFlAlum]

He requires a particular skill set for his offense, RBs that can catch (really good) out of the backfield and can line up in the slot/WR positions is paramount. If you like seeing the ball in the air, you will get your chance to see it a lot in the offense....1st down or 3rd down, heck all downs. CJH be throwing that rock all over the place. The question is, can it be effective in the SEC against...........you know who?

Go Vols!

Check out the stats at UCF, last year RBs averaged 3 catches per game.......not as well utilized as they should have been

 

[VolFlAlum]

I think Heupel is a bright offensive mind and will def improve our lackluster offense but my concern is can he recruit at a high enough level here to succeed. And is it a huge deal even if he can’t recruit to the level of Butch and Pruitt if he does a better job of in game coaching and coaching the kids up. We all know Butch and Pruitt were good recruiters but terrible in game coaches with their recruits especially Pruitt. I do think JH will get 5 full seasons here to turn it around. What are you guys overall expectations for Heupel?

UCF recruiting went from #1 in the conference to #4 and kept trending downward under CJH........the biggest knock was that he was not recruiting Florida well which is mind boggling. Word is the HS coaches didn't like him. Heck he didn't even recruit Dillion Gabriel, that credit goes to Mckenzie Milton. He was resorting to recruiting kids from Germany!

 

[Devo182]

Thoughts are we’re going to suck for a while. Despite whether Heupel is or isn’t the guy. Some expect an miraculous turnaround but it’s going to take time and a lot of it.

Sort of disagree - a good offense can make up for a lot these days and this is the best QB room in 15+ years. Not saying we will compete with the big boys right away, but I see 6-6/7-5 Y1 - the best first year record since Fulmer.

 

[Devo182]

UCF recruiting went from #1 in the conference to #4 and kept trending downward under CJH........the biggest knock was that he was not recruiting Florida well which is mind boggling. Word is the HS coaches didn't like him. Heck he didn't even recruit Dillion Gabriel, that credit goes to Mckenzie Milton. He was resorting to recruiting kids from Germany!

Not at all accurate. In his 4 classes, 3 of them were the best for UCF for that decade. On top of this, he went very heavy on P5 transfers (including 7 in just 1 year alone) and those do not count toward recruiting rankings.

 

[N.ohio vol]

Recruiting well is overrated if they transfer out.

Good point.

 

[turnuptheVOLtage]

I want to see just a little bit of improvement game to game, season to season. And an offense that is somewhat unpredictable...

 

[greenbacknative]

On "A to Z" sports page, they are talking a lot about Tyson and a couple other guys, but no mention of Arch manning. Any news locally about him?

 

[jsc1973]

Anybody competent can recruit a top 25 class to an SEC team, except for Vandy where they have other constraints. There might be a bowl ban and scholarship restrictions for a year or two and that would hurt, but UT sacrificed Pruitt and Fulmer on the altar of the NCAA God of Probation, which hopefully will satisfy his anger and minimize any sanctions.

I'm much more concerned at this point with the ability of the coaching staff to get the most out of the talent they have, than whether or not they can get it and waste it like Butch did so well. If they can do that, then they can do what UT did in 2019 and check off the beatable teams for a respectable season. Then show the program is on the right track and get more good players.

 

[GreyWolf1129]

The 2021 season will be a "throwaway" from the recruiting perspective. It takes a minimum of 2 years to build relationships, identify recruits, woo them, and then sign them. When you add in the completely new staff; new philosophies on both offense and defense; and pending NCAA penalties, anything in the Top 30 in the 2022 class is a win. With that being said...

If this staff can develop players and win games, then the timeline shortens. The recruits of 2022 and beyond are not blind. If UT starts winning, then the athletes will come. Bama is gonna be Bama, and then there's UGA, LSU, UF, TXAM, and you gotta know Lane Kiffin is going to somehow sell Oxford to top-flight players. I'm much less worried about Leach. He's recruiting a full level below, and coaching one level up, than where the rest of the SEC is. His best bet is to keep his Northwest recruiting pipeline open. They worry me not.

For UT, the 2021 season is all about chemistry. Can the staff come together, and put together a team that can reach its' potential? If so, then I'm less focused on the number of wins, and more focused on how that message plays with the Class of 2022, and beyond.

AD White knew what he was getting into, and took the job. So did Coach Heupel and every other member of the UT coaching staff. They think they can win here, or they would not have taken the job under the cloud of NCAA sanctions. Let's hope they are up to the challenge.

For now, UT is going to have to do more with less when it comes to recruiting. We've done it before, and we can do it again. As it stands today, UT is not in the same zip code as Bama, UGA, UF, TXAM, LSU, or maybe even Auburn or Mississippi. We're somewhere down in USCe, Arkansas, Mizzou, and Leach land. Just north of UK and Vandy. It is what it is. But if this staff, and this team, can play above their heads in 2021, then the Class of 2022, and no later than the season of 2024, will be where UT starts to become a force in the SEC again. Both in recruiting, and on-field results. JMO.

Just win, baby.

Go Vols.

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

Heupel can’t recruit 60+ recruits in 2 classes. Butch didn’t have to follow a complete house cleaning from the AD, entire recruiting and coaching staff. Butch didn’t deal with massive player exits.

Butch created the exits as his roster attrition and injury retirements were astonishing.

 

[rockytophigh]

Rodney Garner.....the man can recruit. This was a HUGE get imho

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

The 2021 season will be a "throwaway" from the recruiting perspective. It takes a minimum of 2 years to build relationships, identify recruits, woo them, and then sign them. When you add in the completely new staff; new philosophies on both offense and defense; and pending NCAA penalties, anything in the Top 50 in the 2022 class is a win. With that being said...

If this staff can develop players and win games, then the timeline shortens. The recruits of 2022 and beyond are not blind. If UT starts winning, then the athletes will come. Bama is gonna be Bama, and then there's UGA, LSU, UF, TXAM, and you gotta know Lane Kiffin is going to somehow sell Oxford to top-flight players. I'm much less worried about Leach. He's recruiting a full level below, and coaching one level up, than where the rest of the SEC is. His best bet is to keep his Northwest recruiting pipeline open. They worry me not.

For UT, the 2021 season is all about chemistry. Can the staff come together, and put together a team that can reach its' potential? If so, then I'm less focused on the number of wins, and more focused on how that message plays with the Class of 2022, and beyond.

AD White knew what he was getting into, and took the job. So did Coach Heupel and every other member of the UT coaching staff. They think they can win here, or they would not have taken the job under the cloud of NCAA sanctions. Let's hope they are up to the challenge.

For now, UT is going to have to do more with less when it comes to recruiting. We've done it before, and we can do it again. As it stands today, UT is not in the same zip code as Bama, UGA, UF, TXAM, LSU, or maybe even Auburn or Mississippi. We're somewhere down in USCe, Arkansas, Mizzou, and Leach land. Just north of UK and Vandy. It is what it is. But if this staff, and this team, can play above their heads in 2021, then the Class of 2022, and no later than the season of 2024, will be where UT starts to become a force in the SEC again. Both in recruiting, and on-field results. JMO.

Just win, baby.

Go Vols.

I agree these next 2 years won’t be awesome. But he has enough talent right now to run his offense. The test will be whether he forces players to fit his system or whether he tweaks it to fit their skills. Butch Jones tried running the same offense with Worley and Peterman as he did with Dobbs. But he wanted to redshirt Dobbs (twice) when he was clearly the best QB on the team.

On D, he isn’t recruiting to a system. He has 4 good recruiters, and 2 exceptional recruiters to bring in athletes. We will play - and need - a lot of bodies with this style of play. I like the plan on both sides.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Butch recruited I think almost 2 top 5 recruiting classes. Why wouldn't CJH be able to do the same?

He will do better than Butch.

 

[fla orange]

You see a fast paced offense in Leach's and somewhat with Kiffen, neither had big win percentage, but were very entertaining. We will have a hyped up version and the only such offense in the East. A lot of these type Offenses in the Big 12 you would have 56 to 52 games like with Texas Tech back in the day, Baylor and we'd laugh how they had no defense! Imagine a high scoring Vol team now tell me an offense to match the scoring? Florida last year but Trask! Gone Toney! Gone Pitts! Gone. Ya never know!

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Outside the top 25 would be pretty disappointing. Even Dooley had us in the top 25, with the exception of his final year.

Heupel can’t recruit 60+ recruits in 2 classes. Butch didn’t have to follow a complete house cleaning from the AD, entire recruiting and coaching staff. Butch didn’t deal with massive player exits.

Butch was still recruiting kids who were 10-13 the last time we made an SEC championship game. Heupel is going to be recruiting kids who were barely out of diapers when we last went to Atlanta. Add on the pending sanctions and all the public kicks to the nuts the program has had since 2015 and Heupel's job is much harder, he is more or less starting not just from scratch but in a deep hole. It's going to take time.

 

[VolFlAlum]

Not at all accurate. In his 4 classes, 3 of them were the best for UCF for that decade. On top of this, he went very heavy on P5 transfers (including 7 in just 1 year alone) and those do not count toward recruiting rankings.

Absolutely not true. Three years under Frost and GOL in the past decade UCF recruited as high as 50, 54 and 55 based on the 247 rankings.......CJH class was ranked a very unimpressive 75th in 2020, 7th in the conference!!!! with very few Florida recruits.....and this is dead smack in the middle of a state that is one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the entire country.............I am telling you what those close to the program were saying but you are certainly entitled to think what you want.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

UCF recruiting went from #1 in the conference to #4 and kept trending downward under CJH........the biggest knock was that he was not recruiting Florida well which is mind boggling. Word is the HS coaches didn't like him. Heck he didn't even recruit Dillion Gabriel, that credit goes to Mckenzie Milton. He was resorting to recruiting kids from Germany!

2012: #96
2013: #79
2014: #68
2015: #71
2016: #65
2017: #55
-----------
2018: #62
2019: #60
2020: #75
2021: #55

Yeah, it really fell off the map, huh? Looks kinda like his most recent class was the best in UCF history. And even that 2020 class at #75 was mostly due to UCF taking a lower number of players; not a drop in star rating. I don't know how his recruiting will translate to the SEC, but there's nothing in his track record at UCF that supports anything you've said.

 

[SmokeyDaBear]

Win games and TN recruits itself. He hasn’t been at a school like ours as a HC and now he has the best of everything. If they can win, show a fun playing style and put up some stat lines equal to everywhere else he’s been....recruiting will take care of itself. I see 6 win floor with 8 being very plausible. Depth from attrition and the threat of more will be the killer IMO. Plus whatever NCAA crap they have to wade through. Hopefully, it’s just a bowl ban for a few years and not too tough on scholarships.