The Talent Gap

#1
Recoil

Recoil

Keeping the Gate
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
1,912
Likes
303
#1
I am curious of those of you who are more heavily involved in all things recruiting (Sab, Eric, Vader, etc), could you break down positionally where and when we went wrong in recruiting under the Great Pumpkin? When did we no longer target top tier talent (circa late 1990's)?

It's common knowledge we are light years behind Florida, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia on talent. We are on par with USCe and Auburn in my opinion. Realistically, how many classes will it take to turn this thing completely around?



Thanks!
 
#2
#2
I'd say the 06/07 class and beyond. Granted, the 07 class was rated really high nationally, but we ended up losing a lot of those kids for different reasons, and many just never lived up to their potential (Kenny O'Neal, Vinson, etc.) Up until this past year our classes have been very small and lacking in key positions. Whether people want to believe it or not, CPF left the program in a tough spot both talent and depth wise. Mailing it in the past few years in recruiting really hurt us, and it's going to take a few years for the talent gap to begin to close again.
 
#3
#3
The CPF "era" crumbled around him last year, we will still have a few years of great recruiting and coaching-up to get to the top level in the SEC. We all should be thankful to Mike Hamilton for having the foresight to get rid of the cancer that had ruined this program. We now have the staff in place to right the ship! GO VOLS
 
#4
#4
beavbullvol said:
It's common knowledge we are light years behind Florida, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia on talent. We are on par with USCe and Auburn in my opinion. Realistically, how many classes will it take to turn this thing completely around?
Click to expand...

i'm not heavily involved in recruiting, but just saw this in another thread and believe that it applies to your question:

Recruiting Class Rankings Since 2005 (Rivals):

TENN: '05 6th, '06 23rd, '07 3rd, '08 35th, '09 10th
MISS: '05 30th, '06 16th, '07 27th, '08 29th, '09 18th
 
#5
#5
The 05 class was almost a complete bust. We also had very sub-par years in 06 and 08. When you only have 2 great recruiting classes in 4 years, you can't afford to miss on as many players as we did in the 05 and 07 classes. It will take 3 years to almost get us back up to par with the big boys in the SEC. We had 6 bust amongst our top talent in 05 (Morley, Coker, Henderson, Mathis, Shelley, Cox) not to mention that most of the other players who were highly touted had done absolutely nothing until this year, and not to mention 2 players (Bolden and Cottam) who were solid but no where near their billing. Then in 07, we had 9 players who have been bust (Donald, Vinson, Paige, Creer, Sawtelle, Coleman, Melancon, Sykes, and O'Neal). You just simply can't miss like that in recruiting when you have every other year great classes.
 
#6
#6
beavbullvol said:
It's common knowledge we are light years behind Florida, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia on talent. We are on par with USCe and Auburn in my opinion. Realistically, how many classes will it take to turn this thing completely around?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Two or three top five recruiting classes will go a long way towards fixing that talent gap.
 
#7
#7
Ole Miss did a very good job evaluating some guys that weren't highly touted. Glad we have Orgeron now.
 
#8
#8
It was more about player development or lack thereof that is responsible for this apparent talent gap ( aka Chris Donald). These Coaches will evaluate, then bring in and develop talent in manner the Great Pumpkin couldn't have even dreamed.
 
Last edited:
#9
#9
Smokeybluetick said:
It was more about player development or lack thereof that is responsible for this apparent talent gap ( aka Chris Donald). These Coaches will evaluate, then bring in and develop talent in manner the Great Pumpkin couldn't have even dreamed.
Click to expand...

Well it's both, but the player assessment part is critical......somewhere along the line Foolmer just lost it..... Ole Piss will really suck next year, even if Sneed comes back.....they lose like 6 OL, and Dexter, among some others....... Nutz better enjoy this now...... :eek:lol:
 
#10
#10
tm3 said:
i'm not heavily involved in recruiting, but just saw this in another thread and believe that it applies to your question:

Recruiting Class Rankings Since 2005 (Rivals):

TENN: '05 6th, '06 23rd, '07 3rd, '08 35th, '09 10th
MISS: '05 30th, '06 16th, '07 27th, '08 29th, '09 18th
Click to expand...

Unfortunately for us and Coach Fullmer two of the down years in recruiting were tied to replacing the Offensive coaching staff - the first when Coach Cutcliff was brought in and the second when he left. We were hammered in recruiting as a result of both of those changes. If everything goes perfectly you can survive one missed/down year in recruiting but not two in a four year cycle. Our competition is just too strong. Flash Fla, Ala, Geo recruiting for those 5 years and see what we are competing against. In 2008 we only had 3 4 star recruits which is just awful.

Next year will be pretty tough but by 2011 we should be pretty comparable on a talent level and I am confident that our guys can coach.
 
#11
#11
You lost to teams that didn't recruit nearly as well as you. Your talent gap is on the sidelines with a clipboard.

Hey, but if that's the excuse for this year and next, ride that mule until it drops!
 
#12
#12
CatawbaGator said:
You lost to teams that didn't recruit nearly as well as you. Your talent gap is on the sidelines with a clipboard.

Hey, but if that's the excuse for this year and next, ride that mule until it drops!
Click to expand...
We'll keep riding that mule and you keep pretending you're sharp enough to be here and that you should be here.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#13
#13
CatawbaGator said:
You lost to teams that didn't recruit nearly as well as you. Your talent gap is on the sidelines with a clipboard.

Hey, but if that's the excuse for this year and next, ride that mule until it drops!
Click to expand...

I will bet that you posted the same bullcrap on Bama boards during Saban's 1st year. I will laugh while he kicks your azz this year.
 
#14
#14
CatawbaGator said:
You lost to teams that didn't recruit nearly as well as you. Your talent gap was on the sidelines with a clipboard.

Hey, but if that's the excuse for this year and next, ride that mule until it drops!
Click to expand...

fyp. CPF is gone now, in case you didn't get the memo.
 
#15
#15
CatawbaGator said:
You lost to teams that didn't recruit nearly as well as you. Your talent gap is on the sidelines with a clipboard.

Hey, but if that's the excuse for this year and next, ride that mule until it drops!
Click to expand...

Because stars tell the whole story and are never wrong, right?

Feel free to read the rest of the thread and educate yourself before making yourself look like a moron.
 
#16
#16
The '05 class was overrated, '06 was bad, almost half of our '07 class is no longer here, '08 was bad.
 
#17
#17
These coaches have done a great job with what little talent they have to work with. It just caught up with them with olmiss
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#18
#18
VolDad said:
I will bet that you posted the same bullcrap on Bama boards during Saban's 1st year. I will laugh while he kicks your azz this year.
Click to expand...

You bet wrong. Saban was a proven commodity, and a championship coach. Most Gators RESPECT Saban and Bama, at least, the ones that I hang out with. Kiffin... er... nada.

Is Bama your team? Is Saban your coach? Seems to me that no matter who wins that game, you lose.

Laugh it up, one way or another. :p
 
#19
#19
CatawbaGator said:
You bet wrong. Saban was a proven commodity, and a championship coach. Most Gators RESPECT Saban and Bama, at least, the ones that I hang out with. Kiffin... er... nada.

Is Bama your team? Is Saban your coach? Seems to me that no matter who wins that game, you lose.

Laugh it up, one way or another. :p
Click to expand...

Waah, you don't respect Kiffin. I hope that you never respect him like you respected Fulmer. I am old enough not to get worked up over 1 season. I am enjoying watching the ebb of UF and the rise of UT. I will laugh at the Bama victory and enjoy the upcoming years of UF’s Tebowless futility.
 
#20
#20
VolDad said:
Waah, you don't respect Kiffin. I hope that you never respect him like you respected Fulmer. I am old enough not to get worked up over 1 season. I am enjoying watching the ebb of UF and the rise of UT. I will laugh at the Bama victory and enjoy the upcoming years of UF’s Tebowless futility.
Click to expand...

NOBODY respects Kiffin, unless they're wearing orange and white.

I'm old enough to understand that "Wait till next year" means that you're not doing jack now. If I had a dime for every uttered "next year" fantasy from UT fans that didn't pan out, I'd own Neyland Stadium.

On the other hand, if a healthy fantasy life keeps you from kicking your dog, I'm all for it.
 
#21
#21
CatawbaGator said:
NOBODY respects Kiffin, unless they're wearing orange and white.

I'm old enough to understand that "Wait till next year" means that you're not doing jack now. If I had a dime for every uttered "next year" fantasy from UT fans that didn't pan out, I'd own Neyland Stadium.

On the other hand, if a healthy fantasy life keeps you from kicking your dog, I'm all for it.
Click to expand...

NewsFlash - Fulmer is gone.
 
#24
#24
VolDad said:
I will bet that you posted the same bullcrap on Bama boards during Saban's 1st year. I will laugh while he kicks your azz this year.
Click to expand...

Wait. Weren't you wishing FL beat AL in another post? Train wreck.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#25
#25
CatawbaGator said:
NOBODY respects Kiffin, unless they're wearing orange and white.

I'm old enough to understand that "Wait till next year" means that you're not doing jack now. If I had a dime for every uttered "next year" fantasy from UT fans that didn't pan out, I'd own Neyland Stadium.

On the other hand, if a healthy fantasy life keeps you from kicking your dog, I'm all for it.
Click to expand...

Why are you on a UT board? We are 5-5.

If it were me, I would be talking about Bama. They stand between you, and where you want to go.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top