Todays signings confirm Josh Heupel has us pointed in the right direction

#29
#29
Volbrando said:
Good early signing day, but how many of them will play or make a difference right away? Portal pickups and staff changes will determine our 2026 outcome

how much of our budget did we spend signing high school players that could have been used in the portal?
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🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Complaints and questions about a top 10 and potentially a top 5 signing class.
 
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#30
#30
Don't care what kind of class you sign....you still have to coach and develop them. That, and S&C is where we've been lacking and has to change.

Congrats to all theses kids that's put their faith in UT......right now. (these days it's hard to know how long they'll be around) Lol.
 
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#33
#33
Haven't seen a class this strong since Fulmer. This confirms my fat coach theory. Heupel needed to round into becoming as great a recruiter as Fulmer.

FAT COACH THEORY:

You go to 10 kid's homes on a recruiting weekend--at least 8 of their moms are going to have some home cooking waiting for you. The other two will have dads bringing in some brisket or pulled pork from the grill.

The thin coach will wave his hand right at your mom's secret banana pudding recipe like some sort of latter day Olsen twin. Mom's going to remember that slight when you get an offer.

But the fat coach is going to take it all in with a smile. That will bear fruit later (not a child mind you, fat coach just looks pregnant).

Fat coach isn't even hurting like Andy Griffith on his 3rd spaghetti dinner. He legit thinks dinner 9 is just as delicious as dinner 2.

This should be the 8th maxim for a Tennessee coach: chew, smile, praise the chef, go back for seconds, for through the vastness of the stomach are the recruits won.
 
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#34
#34
Rifleman said:
Haven't seen a class this strong since Fulmer. This confirms my fat coach theory. Heupel needed to round into becoming as great a recruiter as Fulmer.

FAT COACH THEORY:

You go to 10 kid's homes on a recruiting weekend--at least 8 of their moms are going to have some home cooking waiting for you. The other two will have dads bringing in some brisket or pulled pork from the grill.

The thin coach will wave his hand right at your mom's secret banana pudding recipe like some sort of latter day Olsen twin. Mom's going to remember that slight when you get an offer.

But the fat coach is going to take it all in with a smile. That will bear fruit later (not a child mind you, fat coach just looks pregnant).

Fat coach isn't even hurting like Andy Griffith on his 3rd spaghetti dinner. He legit thinks dinner 9 is just as delicious and dinner 2.

This should be the 8th maxim for a Tennessee coach: chew, smile, praise the chef, go back for seconds, for through the vastness of the stomach are the recruits won.
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Why is Bert Bielema not the GOAT? 😂
 
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#35
#35
Rifleman said:
Haven't seen a class this strong since Fulmer. This confirms my fat coach theory. Heupel needed to round into becoming as great a recruiter as Fulmer.

FAT COACH THEORY:

You go to 10 kid's homes on a recruiting weekend--at least 8 of their moms are going to have some home cooking waiting for you. The other two will have dads bringing in some brisket or pulled pork from the grill.

The thin coach will wave his hand right at your mom's secret banana pudding recipe like some sort of latter day Olsen twin. Mom's going to remember that slight when you get an offer.

But the fat coach is going to take it all in with a smile. That will bear fruit later (not a child mind you, fat coach just looks pregnant).

Fat coach isn't even hurting like Andy Griffith on his 3rd spaghetti dinner. He legit thinks dinner 9 is just as delicious and dinner 2.

This should be the 8th maxim for a Tennessee coach: chew, smile, praise the chef, go back for seconds, for through the vastness of the stomach are the recruits won.
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This might be the funniest **** I've ever read
 
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#38
#38
GetYouSomeofThat said:
🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Complaints and questions about a top 10 and potentially a top 5 signing class.
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not complaining... and it's needed... just a different era in college football now where the portal changes the environment some if you want more immediate results. Sticking an 18yr old freshman qb out there against our SEC schedule next year would not be wise unless we know he can handle it.
 
#39
#39
UT Hill Man said:
After the Vanderbilt beatdown, a lot of folks were clinging to the ledge, but this 2026 recruiting class should calm a lot of nerves.

Everyone take a look at what we have—a class is headlined by high-profile, consensus five-star prospects, including quarterback Faizon Brandon and offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda. Securing "can't miss" talents at critical positions provides the immediate influx of top-tier skill needed to compete at the highest levels of the SEC and college football.

Acquiring key players like a franchise quarterback (Brandon) and his primary protector (Osenda) establishes a strong offensive core for the future. This strategy builds a sustainable foundation for head coach Josh Heupel's system and makes the program more attractive to other high-level recruits and transfers.

Beyond the top stars, the class includes a large number of commits, with over 20 players signed across various positions, including edge rushers, defensive backs, and wide receivers. This ensures a pipeline of talent and healthy competition for starting roles, guarding against unexpected transfer portal departures.

I believe this could end up being a top 5 class and that acquiring top-five talent is essential to truly compete for a national championship. This recruiting class is a crucial step in providing the roster necessary to reach that goal in the coming seasons.

Beyond this, we just need to hit the portal hard and clean up some assistant coaching issues to get back on the right track.

This is all just my opinion.
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Don't forget Keys
 
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#40
#40
UT Hill Man said:
After the Vanderbilt beatdown, a lot of folks were clinging to the ledge, but this 2026 recruiting class should calm a lot of nerves.

Everyone take a look at what we have—a class is headlined by high-profile, consensus five-star prospects, including quarterback Faizon Brandon and offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda. Securing "can't miss" talents at critical positions provides the immediate influx of top-tier skill needed to compete at the highest levels of the SEC and college football.

Acquiring key players like a franchise quarterback (Brandon) and his primary protector (Osenda) establishes a strong offensive core for the future. This strategy builds a sustainable foundation for head coach Josh Heupel's system and makes the program more attractive to other high-level recruits and transfers.

Beyond the top stars, the class includes a large number of commits, with over 20 players signed across various positions, including edge rushers, defensive backs, and wide receivers. This ensures a pipeline of talent and healthy competition for starting roles, guarding against unexpected transfer portal departures.

I believe this could end up being a top 5 class and that acquiring top-five talent is essential to truly compete for a national championship. This recruiting class is a crucial step in providing the roster necessary to reach that goal in the coming seasons.

Beyond this, we just need to hit the portal hard and clean up some assistant coaching issues to get back on the right track.

This is all just my opinion.
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Over half your roster will be 1st and 2nd year kids. The reason Vandy walked the dog was the experience of their team. What’s the average wash out rate? It’s over half. Signing 27 HS kids is a waste. It’s fine if you have an older roster and have time to develop. We don’t.
 
#42
#42
PreacherVol2 said:
247 has us ranked #5 nationally! So good to see us above Georgia (so far) and right behind Alabama. Things seem to be going in a good direction! GBO!
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Freak on the other thread had a screenshot of 247 of UT at #3, I'm seeing #5 also, but it has 2 five stars on the main ranking page, but when I open up the class on 24/7 it list 3 five stars, weird also the difference. But both are ahead of UGA, its been a while since that has happened. Amazing job.
 
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#46
#46
Carp said:
Vandy had 1 successful season as the oldest team in the league with the best QB their program has ever seen in their existence. About 1/3 of their roster is graduating or heading to the draft, and that's before anyone exits for the portal. They won't win 5 games next year.

The best teams still build through HS recruits. The portal is not a long term sustainable model to maintain a top tier program.
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They’ll likely win about the same amount as us next year.
 
#47
#47
This 26 class looks really strong. Heupel normally doesn't play a lot of true freshmen, but I really believe some of these guys will see significant playing time as freshmen. Especially the defensive players.
 
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