UCLA game and California Recruiting

#1

MikeHamiltonFan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
6,366
Likes
0
#1
Tennessee does not have enough in state talent to compete with just in state guys against LSU, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Because our fans want us to be able to nationally compete against Texas and USC as well, we have to recruit nationally.

I think that the UCLA game is a pivotal one for the Vols in terms of recruiting. LSU will have throttled Washington the week before, and here will come the Vols to play a Pac 10 team that is picked to be decent (unlike UW). When we throttle UCLA it will serve notice that we are back. Losing to UF in a much closer than predicted game would just make recruits believe that they could be the difference maker.

Old players from UT who were from California include:
Kevin Simon, Arian Foster, Donte Stallworth, Casey Clausen. (I am sure I am forgetting some and you will remind me)

In a thread I asked Arian Foster's mother about what UT had to overcome to get Arian to come to UT from California. She said that as huge CFB fans even in Cali they recognized that the SEC was the best conference, they loved the tradition at UT, the 100k fans etc and all the people we have sent to the NFL. She also said that when you do lots of recruiting trips you know that every school will give academic support so the Thornton center was not that important to his recruitment and that he never even went to the Black Cultural Center because he was too busy.

Kevin Simon's dad is known on lots of boards as a defender of the PAC 10, but many recruits recognize it is USC and then a bunch of teams with no shot at a National Title. A beat down of UCLA will reinforce that and will also give recruits the impression that the USC east thing that has been discussed is happening. Tennessee can be seen as USC in terms of a pro offense sending guys to the NFL and tons of TV exposure, with more opportunity for playing time.

In an article from July, the author spoke about how Tennessee recruits nationally and has a larger recruiting budget than it's rivals. It also talks about UT sending coaches out to the West Coast. This quote was of interest:

"Coach Houston Nutt, who last year took over an Ole Miss program that was sixth in recruiting spending from 2006-08, said of going to the West Coast: "We have to have a real tie for us to recruit that far away.""
Recruiting costs: Tennessee tops SEC, Auburn 2nd, LSU 3rd, Press-Register finds - Sports from the Press-Register - al.com

Often we will not be competing with SEC rivals in the fertile ground of California, but we will lose many of our targets to USC, as happened with Josh Scroggins and Dion Bailey. Our offer of playing time will over the years be obvious especially at key positions as JS sits on the bench and wonders what might have been.

James Cregg - Tennessee Football
Coach Cregg is mainly recruiting in CA
and I think he is likely to bring in Uko (DT 4*) and Shirley (4* LB) and he has a chance with Powell (5* DE) and Telfer (4* TE).

We also look very good for some CA prospects being pursued by other coaches, notably
Dietrich Riley:
Dietrich Riley - Football Recruiting
Who in a new article on this site says TN is recruiting him hardest and Tyler Bray a (4* QB) who is very interested in us.
Tyler Bray - Football Recruiting


Secondarily I am very impressed with the Illinois recruiting. I think it is possible we end up with Milton, Prater, Zach Fulton and Corey Cooper.
 
#2
#2
I hate to break it to you, but people in california don't see the SEC and Tenn in nearly the same positive light you do. Which is only natural of course. They also kind of think the pac-10 is good and realize it's produced more nfl players per team than the sec the past 5 years.
 
#3
#3
On NSD our class could well look like this:

QB Tyler Bray (4*)
QB Cameron Newton (JUCO)

RB Keon Williams (3*)

FB Channing Fugate

WR Markeith Ambles (5*) projected
WR Kyle Prater (4*)
WR Matt Milton(4*) current commit

TE Christian Thomas (4* TE assuming Telfer stays solid in his verbal to USC and TN destroys UCLA)

OT James Stone (4*)
OT Zach Fulton (3*) Cregg current commit
OT T.J. Leifheit (4*) if we do not get him I think we go:
OT Cameron Clemmons (3*)

OG Jose Jose (3*)

DE Jacques Smith (4*)
DE J.C. Copeland (4*)
DE Ronald Powell (5*)

Best DE group in the nation even without DE/DT J.R. Ferguson (5* from Hargrave, slight chance IMO)
Also possible Gabe King and Brandon Willis. Our DEs will be greatly improved this year and images of our sacks on Sportscenter plus two drafted players from the group will make this the easiest sell we have.

DT Patrick Harris California JC brought by Ed O
DT Risean Broussard LA CC
DT George Uko (4*)
DT John Brown MS CC

LB Bruce Irvin (California CC where Lamaison went to school)
LB Josh Shirley (4*)
LB Ralph Williams (3*)

CB John Fulton (4*)
CB Dale Trimble (3*)
I think Joyner is a lock for FSU

S Dietrich Riley (4*)
S Corey Cooper (4*)

K Michael Palardy (2*) but best kicker in the nation

Orange = current commitments
Red= California recruits
Blue= Illinois recruits
Green= Florida recruits

This is a 28 commit class. I am assuming in this we will miss on some of the Florida guys we are trying to turn this year. Do you see how potentially huge California and Illinois could be for us this year?

Also lots of these guys know each other, like Fulton's dad and Prater's dad.
 
#4
#4
I hate to break it to you, but people in california don't see the SEC and Tenn in nearly the same positive light you do. Which is only natural of course. They also kind of think the pac-10 is good and realize it's produced more nfl players per team than the sec the past 5 years.

If Tennessee beats UCLA in Knoxville by 21 or more as Prater watches from the stands, do you think that it will improve our chances with these California recruits? I do...
 
#6
#6
Ucla will be a tough out for us. I'd be real surprised if we pancake them, like we did cal in 06. History tends to repeat itself and for the most part our series with Ucla has been tight and closely contested ball games. I don't expect it to be any different this time.
 
#7
#7
If Tennessee beats UCLA in Knoxville by 21 or more as Prater watches from the stands, do you think that it will improve our chances with these California recruits? I do...

It certainly can't hurt. Beating florida would help more though. Unless UCLA turns into a top-25 team which i think is fairly unlikely.
 
#8
#8
I hate to break it to you, but people in california don't see the SEC and Tenn in nearly the same positive light you do.
How will we survive? Fans of a conference that has exactly one meaningful program don't think highly of us. The end is near.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#9
#9
How will we survive? Fans of a conference that has exactly one meaningful program don't think highly of us. The end is near.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

great job not responding to the premise of the thread.
 
#10
#10
great job not responding to the premise of the thread.
What premise? That this staff will get some players out of California? The last staff, which was comprised of incompetent simpletons, got some. This group will get more and they'll be of better quality. SC can only take so many guys.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#11
#11
Whether we win or lose that game. Wins and loses rarely sway players to choice one school over another. Unless that team just totally bombs i doubt the outcome of one game matters all that much.
 
#12
#12
What premise? That this staff will get some players out of California? The last staff, which was comprised of incompetent simpletons, got some. This group will get more and they'll be of better quality. SC can only take so many guys.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

"Some players" doesnt' exactly translate to "I think that the UCLA game is a pivotal one for the Vols in terms of recruiting."
 
#15
#15
Whether we win or lose that game. Wins and loses rarely sway players to choice one school over another. Unless that team just totally bombs i doubt the outcome of one game matters all that much.

In a normal year I would say you are right, however TN is coming off a 5-7 year. We barely lost to UCLA in one of the worst years in our programs history. If we do not roll them this year, it will not seem like Kiffin has made much progress. The good news is that we will roll them.
 
#16
#16
In a normal year I would say you are right, however TN is coming off a 5-7 year. We barely lost to UCLA in one of the worst years in our programs history. If we do not roll them this year, it will not seem like Kiffin has made much progress. The good news is that we will roll them.

It was also one of the worst years in ucla history. . .
 
#17
#17
Some players doesnt' exactly translate to "I think that the UCLA game is a pivotal one for the Vols in terms of recruiting."
The only PAC 10 team Tennessee could play that should have any effect on recruiting would be SC. If we're consistently competing with the second raters that make up the rest of the PAC 10 for players, we're screwed to start with.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#18
#18
With Crompton and Stephens any game will be a challenge...

Yep, lane can't put on the pads. Crompdaddy or stephens will have to take the snaps, which might make offense seem more like a adventure this year. Ucla will be a close game.
 
#19
#19
we're consistently competing with the second raters that make up the rest of the PAC 10 for players, we're screwed to start with.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

then you are already screwed to start with because you've gone head to head with oregon and cal on at least a dozen players this year and you haven't won those battles.
 
#20
#20
I hate to break it to you, but people in california don't see the SEC and Tenn in nearly the same positive light you do. Which is only natural of course. They also kind of think the pac-10 is good and realize it's produced more nfl players per team than the sec the past 5 years.

Actually the SEC and Pac 10 are almost even in draft picks per team with the SEC at 12.41 and Pac 10 at 12.6. With more than 1/3rd of the picks from one school (USC). The real key is that the SEC is at 2 1st rounders per team while the pack 10 is 1.5. With almost all of them coming from 1 team (USC).

The actual numbers are 149 pick for the SEC to 126 for the Pac 10 and 24 1st rounders for the SEC compared to 15 for the Pac 10. I only went back 4 years instead of 5 because I have to run to a meeting, but there you have it.
 
#21
#21
then you are already screwed to start with because you've gone head to head with oregon and cal on at least a dozen players this year and you haven't won those battles.

We've won some battles with Oregon. Ask Wheaton.
 
#23
#23
then you are already screwed to start with because you've gone head to head with oregon and cal on at least a dozen players this year and you haven't won those battles.
Remind me where Bryce Brown is. I've come to realize that there is something worse than the Gator trolls: PAC 10 sheep. Your pathetic program has played exactly no meaningful bowl games since the Kennedy administration. The best you could do was split with Tennessee at a point in UT's history that was so glorious the coach eventually got fired. Your team and the other eight dwarves are a disgrace to college football. Southern Cal is the only thing that keeps the PAC 10 from being the Mountain West II.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#24
#24
Actually the SEC and Pac 10 are almost even in draft picks per team with the SEC at 12.41 and Pac 10 at 12.6. With more than 1/3rd of the picks from one school (USC). The real key is that the SEC is at 2 1st rounders per team while the pack 10 is 1.5. With almost all of them coming from 1 team (USC).

The actual numbers are 149 pick for the SEC to 126 for the Pac 10 and 24 1st rounders for the SEC compared to 15 for the Pac 10. I only went back 4 years instead of 5 because I have to run to a meeting, but there you have it.
The fans of other PAC 10 schools are like the four eyed geek whose brother is a Marine. They try and appropriate SC's accomplishments as if they were their own. They're Daughtry without Chris singing lead.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#25
#25
No, they aren't.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

Their past few recruiting classes, their 2nd year coach, the players they have coming back...all lead me to believe they will be tough this year. Do you have any reason they will not.
 
Advertisement



Back
Top