Vols Fall Practice #4

[Remy]

Boo Carter is going to end up being a hero at WR on crucial drives. We’ll need him to if the dropsies continue

I have to respect how Boo is handling this. He's apparently doing what the team and staff require of him to get back on the field. These days a lot of kids would not do the work, they'd simply transfer elsewhere. The media certainly has put his woes into the public eye to where Heupel had to address it. Tickled he's on the team and he'll be a much better player for facing his issues rather than transferring out elsewhere.

 

[vegasvolfan]

That is the question. Hyatt dropped so many catchable passes in critical game situations that his value as an SEC receiver appeared questionable. The following offseason, he became one of the hardest working players on the team. He turned into a first into the building and last one out kind of guy, perfecting his routes and spending session after session with the jug machine. Whatever time he could get catching for a QB, he took it. The next season he was where he needed to be to get separation and catch passes. The difference was night and day. Instead of dropping passes, he caught them and had a great season. The reality is that it takes extra hard work to be that good.

Funny he put in all that work and the NIL was lacking. What do you think Heard made? 20 an hour or so? Or did he get in on the NIL?

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

Has there been any word on Amari Jefferson? I might have just missed it but I haven’t seen his name mentioned at all in any of the camp reports so far.

 

[WillisWG]

Has there been any word on Amari Jefferson? I might have just missed it but I haven’t seen his name mentioned at all in any of the camp reports so far.

Day 3

The drop culprits for the wideouts included Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and Amari Jefferson, so there were a lot of push-ups going on. Tommy Winton III and Trey Weary were among the wideouts who didn’t drop their passes.

 

[CAVPUT]

Yep. And all through fall practice, not only did observers say Milton was better, but players did too. Cooper Mays was one who explicitly said that Joe Milton was by far the best QB of fall practice.

Besides the fact that Heupel had to have had ESP to know that Hooker would end up being better than Milton, you can't start a QB who is outplayed in fall practice without losing your team. Brent Hubbs has often alluded to this happening in 2005. Rick Clausen outplayed Erik Ainge, Fulmer started Ainge based on upside, he lost the team, team went from preseason #3 to a 5-6 record.

Funny you should mention 5-6. I can kinda see a scenario where 6-6 is in play, but I'll stick with 7-5.

Anyhoo...I agree with you on Heupel rolling with the player who proves himself in practice. I also admit that evaluating players in HS is a bit of a crap shoot. No one bats a thousand in recruiting. What puzzles me is our track record in recruiting evals/development at the QB position. Of all the positions on the field, it's the one spot I thought we'd never have to worry about with Heupel. The old phrase "it takes one to know one" leaps to mind. So why is it that Heupel has had such questionable results at the position outside of Hooker who was a Pruitt legacy? Is it evals? Is it the offense not being as "qb friendly" as advertised? Or could it be...dare I say it...the position coach? I see a lot of position coaches on this staff really grow and develop their kids. I just don't see that with the QB. Kind of a puzzle wrapped in an enigma, no?

 

[CAVPUT]

Has there been any word on Amari Jefferson? I might have just missed it but I haven’t seen his name mentioned at all in any of the camp reports so far.

I'm no scout, but just don't see the athleticism/speed. Think they recruit over him, and he's a portal candidate next time it opens.

 

[CAVPUT]

Day 3

The drop culprits for the wideouts included Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and Amari Jefferson, so there were a lot of push-ups going on. Tommy Winton III and Trey Weary were among the wideouts who didn’t drop their passes.

 

[BruisedOrange]

makes it more confusing why they didnt grab another WR from the portal even if just a solid, experienced depth guy....didnt even have to be a star.

I don't know why so many are hesitant to accept the obvious answer to that question:

Our coaches are not stupid, so that means there was no one in the portal who 1) had the onfield skillset, and 2) had the off-field character, and 3) made the WR room better with his work ethic, attitude, and mental approach, and 4) was willing to come at a price we found reasonable.

If they'd found all those factors in any one player, they would have signed him. So evidently, they didn't. Given the propensity for elite WRs to have a certain personality profile... we probably shouldn't be surprised.

 

[miket4god]

I don't know why so many will not accept the obvious answer to that question:

Our coaches are not stupid, so that means there was no one in the portal who 1) had the onfield skillset, and 2) had the off-field character, and 3) made the WR room better with his work ethic, attitude, and mental approach, and 4) was willing to come at a price we found reasonable.

If they'd found all those factors in any one player, they would have signed him. So evidently, they didn't. Given the propensity for elite WRs to have a certain personality profile... we probably shouldn't be surprise

Certain posters will continue to ignore the issue and blame the coaches.

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

Certain posters will continue to ignore the issue and blame the coaches.

Many still think the budget here is unlimited and we are a premier destination for any championship seeking top player.

The reality is we are a good program, have made it to the post season, but still have a lot of question marks. Plus, Heupel also seems to want to focus on his guys now.

It is ride or die with Mathews, Brazzell, and the rest. I am more concerned with how they keep getting dinged up.

 

[RiseToTheTop]

Certain posters will continue to ignore the issue and blame the coaches.

i didnt blame anyone or call anyone out at all. i didnt call any coach stupid like you suggested. Go find that and show me. Having concerns and diff opinions doesnt mean we are calling out anyone.


easy keyboard tough guy.

 

[WillisWG]

Boo is almost out of that dog house. Off tomorrow but I would really be surprised if he's not working with the team next practice.

He returns one to the house against Cuse. Me being bold

Tennessee football star Boo Carter returned to the practice field as a full participant in the periods open to the media on Tuesday morning.

In the previous four practices, Carter went through stretches before going to the side to do individual work. In the fifth practice of the fall camp session, Carter was a full participant in team activities alongside fellow defensive backs.

Boo Carter Takes Massive Step in Tennessee Football's Fall Camp Practices | Rocky Top Insider

Boo Carter was a full participant in the periods open to the media at Tennessee football's Tuesday fall camp practice.

www.rockytopinsider.com

 

[Vfl2407]

I don’t know I can remember a fall camp with us having more questions on one side of the ball.
How good is JA?
Who starts at center?
Will oline be just ok, good, great?
Do we have enough quality WR?
Who gets the most reps at RB and how much of a drop off is thee in running game after losing Sampson?

 

[Vfl2407]

Tennessee football star Boo Carter returned to the practice field as a full participant in the periods open to the media on Tuesday morning.

In the previous four practices, Carter went through stretches before going to the side to do individual work. In the fifth practice of the fall camp session, Carter was a full participant in team activities alongside fellow defensive backs.

Boo Carter Takes Massive Step in Tennessee Football's Fall Camp Practices | Rocky Top Insider

Boo Carter was a full participant in the periods open to the media at Tennessee football's Tuesday fall camp practice.

www.rockytopinsider.com

I think this is our biggest pleasant surprise of the fall.
I am hoping for a reenergized and motivated Boo who will perform well on D, O, and special teams.
Orange glasses firmly on.

 

[TopDog4TN]

Funny you should mention 5-6. I can kinda see a scenario where 6-6 is in play, but I'll stick with 7-5.

Anyhoo...I agree with you on Heupel rolling with the player who proves himself in practice. I also admit that evaluating players in HS is a bit of a crap shoot. No one bats a thousand in recruiting. What puzzles me is our track record in recruiting evals/development at the QB position. Of all the positions on the field, it's the one spot I thought we'd never have to worry about with Heupel. The old phrase "it takes one to know one" leaps to mind. So why is it that Heupel has had such questionable results at the position outside of Hooker who was a Pruitt legacy? Is it evals? Is it the offense not being as "qb friendly" as advertised? Or could it be...dare I say it...the position coach? I see a lot of position coaches on this staff really grow and develop their kids. I just don't see that with the QB. Kind of a puzzle wrapped in an enigma, no?

Every QB guru coach has had guys they couldn't fix that they thought they could. In this offense, with the wide splits, you need a QB with a pretty strong arm. Milton was about his only option that he could get when he was first hired. Only other QB he has recruited that we've seen play is Nico. Nico had all the physical traits you want to see in a QB. There are other things that go into recruiting as well, such as how will recruiting a certain player "due to hype" result in with recruiting other positions. If I had to guess, and its pure speculation, Nico covered the physical traits, and the make some buzz for recruiting that we needed for momentum getting started. My guess is coach thought he could develop him into a leader, and maybe misjudged his family interfering with his coaching of the kid.

Again this is all just speculation, but I dont think we've seen enough to say that coach is to blame entirely.

Sometime good parents end up with bad kids, many times the accountability falls on the student, not the teacher.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Funny you should mention 5-6. I can kinda see a scenario where 6-6 is in play, but I'll stick with 7-5.

Anyhoo...I agree with you on Heupel rolling with the player who proves himself in practice. I also admit that evaluating players in HS is a bit of a crap shoot. No one bats a thousand in recruiting. What puzzles me is our track record in recruiting evals/development at the QB position. Of all the positions on the field, it's the one spot I thought we'd never have to worry about with Heupel. The old phrase "it takes one to know one" leaps to mind. So why is it that Heupel has had such questionable results at the position outside of Hooker who was a Pruitt legacy? Is it evals? Is it the offense not being as "qb friendly" as advertised? Or could it be...dare I say it...the position coach? I see a lot of position coaches on this staff really grow and develop their kids. I just don't see that with the QB. Kind of a puzzle wrapped in an enigma, no?

It’s a fair question.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Every QB guru coach has had guys they couldn't fix that they thought they could. In this offense, with the wide splits, you need a QB with a pretty strong arm. Milton was about his only option that he could get when he was first hired. Only other QB he has recruited that we've seen play is Nico. Nico had all the physical traits you want to see in a QB. There are other things that go into recruiting as well, such as how will recruiting a certain player "due to hype" result in with recruiting other positions. If I had to guess, and its pure speculation, Nico covered the physical traits, and the make some buzz for recruiting that we needed for momentum getting started. My guess is coach thought he could develop him into a leader, and maybe misjudged his family interfering with his coaching of the kid.

Again this is all just speculation, but I dont think we've seen enough to say that coach is to blame entirely.

Sometime good parents end up with bad kids, many times the accountability falls on the student, not the teacher.

And, to be fair, Milton did improve a lot. He was a much better QB in 2023 than he was when he arrived from Michigan.

Harbaugh is also considered a QB guru and he couldn’t get out of Milton what Heupel did.

 

[chuckiepoo]

I don't know why so many will not accept the obvious answer to that question:

Our coaches are not stupid, so that means there was no one in the portal who 1) had the onfield skillset, and 2) had the off-field character, and 3) made the WR room better with his work ethic, attitude, and mental approach, and 4) was willing to come at a price we found reasonable.

If they'd found all those factors in any one player, they would have signed him. So evidently, they didn't. Given the propensity for elite WRs to have a certain personality profile... we probably shouldn't be surprised.

We aren’t. But there are a few idgits that just don’t get your thorough explanation, sum whiny bitches that think they would tear up the SEC coaching ranks.

 

[BruisedOrange]

We aren’t. But there are a few idgits that just don’t get your thorough explanation, sum whiny bitches that think they would tear up the SEC coaching ranks.

So which would you recommend to Freak? Should "Sum Whiny B!tches" be its own thread... or its own Forum?

(I would still like to keep Guest Credentials for myself, on occasion.)

 

[chuckiepoo]

So which would you recommend to Freak? Should "Sum Whiny B!tches" be its own thread... or its own Forum?

(I would still like to keep Guest Credentials for myself, on occasion.)

By all means! Start another thread…
We’ve yet to crank up the obligatory, “Fahr Willie Martinez into the sun!” thread. What a bunch of slackers…

 

[VOLINVONORE]

It was mainly when Pili went down both times. Defense still played great but it was a slight notch down after Pili got hurt...I do think the LBers will be better this year though.

Agree.

 

[miket4god]

i didnt blame anyone or call anyone out at all. i didnt call any coach stupid like you suggested. Go find that and show me. Having concerns and diff opinions doesnt mean we are calling out anyone.


easy keyboard tough guy.

I didn't call you or anyone else stupid. And if you didn't blame anyone, then I wasn't talking about you at all tough guy.
I don't even have an issue with people having concerns about the WR position. I think we all do. I certainly do as well.
I do have an issue with the people who say we didn't even try to get a WR in the portal, or that we should just back the Brinks truck up and take who we want.
We did try to sign wide receivers in the portal but it didn't work out for various reasons.
But if you sign a backup/depth piece for starter money then you have to renogotiate your entire WR room, which isn't feasible.

 

[BruisedOrange]

By all means! Start another thread…
We’ve yet to crank up the obligatory, “Fahr Willie Martinez into the sun!” thread. What a bunch of slackers…

Sorry, I'm trying to find my Farmers' Almanac to look it up because I've forgotten...

The first “Fahr Willie Martinez into the sun!” comes before white oaks drop their acorns and after the first Pumpkin Spice Latte, right? Or is it visa-versa?

I always get the signs of autumn out of sequence.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Sorry, I'm trying to find my Farmers' Almanac to look it up because I've forgotten...

The first “Fahr Willie Martinez into the sun!” comes before white oaks drop their acorns and after the first Pumpkin Spice Latte, right? Or is it visa-versa?

I always get the signs of autumn out of sequence.

I believe the first "Fahr Martinez" comes after the first slant pass Syracuse completes and it's a toss up whether "Get rid of Banks too" comes after that or "How long is Heupel going to keep Elarbee?"

"Who calls the plays? I really miss Golesh" comes after our first 3 and out and I believe that "He doesn't trust ______ to run the offense" starts right after our 3rd sideline pass.

I believe that's how it works.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I believe the first "Fahr Martinez" comes after the first slant pass Syracuse completes and it's a toss up whether "Get rid of Banks too" comes after that or "How long is Heupel going to keep Elarbee?"

"Who calls the plays? I really miss Golesh" comes after our first 3 and out and I believe that "He doesn't trust ______ to run the offense" starts right after our 3rd sideline pass.

I believe that's how it works.

Inspired. Canonical. Meets the Chicago standards on inerrancy.