Running list of Tennessee targets planned commitment dates

#501
#501
Signing Hiter and flipping Keys remain the two biggest keys to finishing this class.

I still feel like we need another DL and another IOL. Signing Gray would be amazingly awesome but not counting on that.

Flipping some other high potential guys would be awesome as well. Cherries on top to this class.
 
#503
#503
Weezer said:
Recruiting:

QB - ✅
RB - waiting on Hiter's decision
WR - Need to flip Keys. Would love to get Moa, as well.
TE - ✅ (as long as Sneed stays committed)
IOL - Need to add Grey, or at least one more G/C.
OT - ✅

Edge - ✅
DL - ✅ (JMO, but I'd like to see one more beast, but I could also see there being a plan to get more game ready options from the portal)
LB - ✅✅ (Best recruited position group this cycle, IMO.)
CB - ✅ (Check, I guess, though it seems like projects. Not sure there's a true impact guy there.)
S - ✅ (Also projects. But projects I like better.)
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Still waiting on Hiter. Still need to flip Keys. Would love to add Gray, but if not, still need an IOL. Looking like Sneed may go to UNC. Wouldn't mind adding another TE if he does, but TE is probably the one position we can afford not to take this class. Edge is fine but seems like we're trying to flip a guy or two. (Givens and Harris) Still need another DL, IMO.


After the season, defense will probably be the biggest portal need.
 
#507
#507
Land Hiter and flip Keys and this class is a HUGE success IMO.
 
#509
#509
Orange. said:
Are we still in it for Darius Gray? I see him on this list for Aug 22, but seeing nothing.
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I believe every thinks he's LSU bound. Would love to have him, but it doesn't seem to be breaking our way.
 
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#510
#510
Being honest, I don't understand the strategy of targeting one RB. If we miss on Hiter, people will be in his thread either proclaiming the end of the world or making excuses for the staff on why they didn't land him. If we do miss, we move on with who we have, probably look at the portal, but it's still a big fail by this staff. They have one guy targeted at the position. You can't miss.

I was hoping this would be the year we saw this staff take that next step in recruiting. Should we miss on Hiter, that rests with flipping Keys. If we miss on both, I think this class lands outside the Top 10. This staff needs to be able to put together Top 10 classes for us to keep up with the heavyweights in the SEC.
 
#511
#511
Weezer said:
Being honest, I don't understand the strategy of targeting one RB. If we miss on Hiter, people will be in his thread either proclaiming the end of the world or making excuses for the staff on why they didn't land him. If we do miss, we move on with who we have, probably look at the portal, but it's still a big fail by this staff. They have one guy targeted at the position. You can't miss.

I was hoping this would be the year we saw this staff take that next step in recruiting. Should we miss on Hiter, that rests with flipping Keys. If we miss on both, I think this class lands outside the Top 10. This staff needs to be able to put together Top 10 classes for us to keep up with the heavyweights in the SEC.
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We will have 4 returning talented RBs next year.

Can land a big guy next year and back fill this class later with portal.

Good spot to take a big swing after taking 2 last year and will have two upperclassmen ahead of those two in 2026.
 
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#512
#512
Ericvol2096 said:
We will have 4 returning talented RBs next year.

Can land a big guy next year and back fill this class later with portal.

Good spot to take a big swing after taking 2 last year and will have two upperclassmen ahead of those two in 2026.
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This makes sense. When RB is a need you will need to invest resources (time, energy, money) into recruiting multiple players. It makes it more difficult to land and elite RB. When you have young depth you swing for the fences for 1 elite players. All eggs in that basket. All resources poured into that recruitment. No need to recruit a less than elite RB because they would be buried on the depth chart anyways. Plus 2027 is loaded at RB. Missing on that 1 elite RB is not a big deal when you have young depth and you have elite 2027 RBs that we like. If we got Hiter than we would most likley lose a young RB to the portal next season. Now we are more likely to hold onto the young RBs and get a stud in 2027.

But instead we got fans that think we should be worried about back-up plans and that failing to get Hiter is a devastating.
 
#513
#513
Ericvol2096 said:
We will have 4 returning talented RBs next year.

Can land a big guy next year and back fill this class later with portal.

Good spot to take a big swing after taking 2 last year and will have two upperclassmen ahead of those two in 2026.
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I understand the opinion; I just don't agree with it. It's not going to hurt the team too bad overall, but it's a recruiting fail. You yourself said we've spent a year on this guy with NIL and such. And we still failed to convince him.

We need to flip Keys. If we fail to do that, then this staff is in the same place they have been at recruiting when they really need to be taking a step forward. Lots of people hate hearing it, and still refuse to acknowledge it, but recruiting has to get better for us to compete with the upper echelon. That means landing gamechangers like Keys and Hiter are predicted to be.

We need more recruiting wins. Especially against other top teams. We need to show these HS kids why they should be choosing Tennessee. We need playmakers to take us to that next level.
 
#514
#514
Ericvol2096 said:
We will have 4 returning talented RBs next year.

Can land a big guy next year and back fill this class later with portal.

Good spot to take a big swing after taking 2 last year and will have two upperclassmen ahead of those two in 2026.
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Also, I really hope we land a big guy next year. We just spent a year on a big guy and whiffed.
 
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#515
#515
Weezer said:
I understand the opinion; I just don't agree with it. It's not going to hurt the team too bad overall, but it's a recruiting fail. You yourself said we've spent a year on this guy with NIL and such. And we still failed to convince him.

We need to flip Keys. If we fail to do that, then this staff is in the same place they have been at recruiting when they really need to be taking a step forward. Lots of people hate hearing it, and still refuse to acknowledge it, but recruiting has to get better for us to compete with the upper echelon. That means landing gamechangers like Keys and Hiter are predicted to be.

We need more recruiting wins. Especially against other top teams. We need to show these HS kids why they should be choosing Tennessee. We need playmakers to take us to that next level.
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It’s certainly a recruiting loss. It happens sometimes unfortunately.
 
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#516
#516
Ericvol2096 said:
It’s certainly a recruiting loss. It happens sometimes unfortunately.
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I assume we have little to no chance for Darius Gray. We're all hoping to somehow flip Keys. I thought we might flip Hezekiah Harris from Auburn, but with us recently targeting Andrew Rogers, I question that. I assume we're still trying to flip the TE from KY. Not sure if we're still trying to flip that DL from Bama.

Are you hearing anything about any of these guys, or anyone else?
 
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#517
#517
Weezer said:
I assume we have little to no chance for Darius Gray. We're all hoping to somehow flip Keys. I thought we might flip Hezekiah Harris from Auburn, but with us recently targeting Andrew Rogers, I question that. I assume we're still trying to flip the TE from KY. Not sure if we're still trying to flip that DL from Bama.

Are you hearing anything about any of these guys, or anyone else?
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Keys
Harris
KY TE
Blair
Brody Smith (OL)

Are main ones I hear about.

Bama DL and Givens both targets too but less likely. Agree on Gray.

Personally not heard much chatter on Rogers
 
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#518
#518
Ericvol2096 said:
Keys
Harris
KY TE
Blair
Brody Smith (OL)

Are main ones I hear about.

Bama DL and Givens both targets too but less likely. Agree on Gray.

Personally not heard much chatter on Rogers
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Rogers reclassified from the '27 class recently.

Really wish we had a shot with Gray, but probably not worth what he would cost, even if we should have a pile of money that was supposed to go to Hiter.

Keys is the big one. Need him to flip.

Guess we'll see on the others.
 
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#522
#522
Ericvol2096 said:
Keys
Harris
KY TE
Blair
Brody Smith (OL)

Are main ones I hear about.

Bama DL and Givens both targets too but less likely. Agree on Gray.

Personally not heard much chatter on Rogers
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Feeling like the KY TE and Brody Smith are the most likely to be added. Just Based on the last couple of years, feeling like the Keys flip doesn't happen. Coaches get in the ears of the WRs with that "they don't prepare WRS for the NFL" spiel and talk them out of coming here. It sucks. It sucks more that we've done nothing to counteract that narrative. And Thornton helped add to the narrative over the summer. Feeling like the wheel have to really fall off for Auburn for Harris to flip. Not sure that happens. Hope so.

If all we add is the KY TE and Smith, this class is on par with last year's class. Staff still hasn't taken that step forward, and we really need them too. Have to level the playing field with the teams ahead of us, like Georgia.
 
#523
#523
Weezer said:
Feeling like the KY TE and Brody Smith are the most likely to be added. Just Based on the last couple of years, feeling like the Keys flip doesn't happen. Coaches get in the ears of the WRs with that "they don't prepare WRS for the NFL" spiel and talk them out of coming here. It sucks. It sucks more that we've done nothing to counteract that narrative. And Thornton helped add to the narrative over the summer. Feeling like the wheel have to really fall off for Auburn for Harris to flip. Not sure that happens. Hope so.

If all we add is the KY TE and Smith, this class is on par with last year's class. Staff still hasn't taken that step forward, and we really need them too. Have to level the playing field with the teams ahead of us, like Georgia.
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You do not typically jump to the top of the stairs all at once. If adding David Sanders, Brame, Campbell, Dye, Smith, Fazion, Osenda, Moa, Wyatt, Rouse, Blair is not "taking the next step forward" then I am not sure what the definition for that would be. We have closed the gap on UGA/Ohio St/Etc. We are not on their level completely but we have absolutely taken a step to get closer. And I think adding Keys is much more likely than you lay out. Nothing is guaranteed. But because we had other WRs that decided not to sign with UT does not have a direct effect on Keys.
 
#525
#525
Weezer said:
I understand the opinion; I just don't agree with it. It's not going to hurt the team too bad overall, but it's a recruiting fail. You yourself said we've spent a year on this guy with NIL and such. And we still failed to convince him.

We need to flip Keys. If we fail to do that, then this staff is in the same place they have been at recruiting when they really need to be taking a step forward. Lots of people hate hearing it, and still refuse to acknowledge it, but recruiting has to get better for us to compete with the upper echelon. That means landing gamechangers like Keys and Hiter are predicted to be.

We need more recruiting wins. Especially against other top teams. We need to show these HS kids why they should be choosing Tennessee. We need playmakers to take us to that next level.
Click to expand...
TN has bigger fish to fry. RB's can be gotten in porthole, one's with more experience.

You have to try to go after Hiter.

Next year you have to hit on a high schooler. Maybe two. The Baylor kid is a must.

Lewis is a great find. But didnt have a ton of elite offers. Want us to land top skill players, starting with TK.
 
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