We aren’t going to the playoff again. Enjoy baseball and softball for now

[volbound1700]

Based on? I'm not saying that Aguilar is a top shelf QB. I am saying that he's proven MUCH more on the field than Nico. Nico was pretty mediocre. Maybe all of the behind the scenes drama hurt him. Who knows? But Aguilar IMO is pretty much a wash or maybe a gain vs the way Nico played last year.

Then you have the reports that he threatened to sit out the playoff game to leverage more NIL. You have recent reports that he started skipping team workouts to leverage for more NIL. That's not what you need leading your team or shaping the culture of your locker room. That one thing is a certain improvement with Aguilar.

Again, Nico was a mediocre player last year. Sometimes he was flat out bad. You give pretty good reasons for why we should think that... so why do you think losing him damns the season?

Nico is physically talented. Nico's ability to read Ds was suspect and something opponents took advantage of. He supposedly has an elite arm but he couldn't consistently hit the long ball nor did they trust him to throw the sideline screen that made the O so effective with Hooker.

So yes. You are correct. Heupel very much appeared to limit the O playbook to what Nico could do. He also leaned heavily on the run game for the same reason.


Nico still has time. He's young. He's physically gifted. But it takes more than physical gifts to be a championship QB.


The questions for any QB that starts for UT this fall are pretty straight forward and only marginally dependent on having elite physical talent.

1- Can they read D's and run the O?
2- Can the deliver the ball on time in the right place to give the receivers an opportunity to make plays?
3- Can they be a leader and positive force in the locker room? MASSIVELY underestimated by too many. "Good" QBs with GREAT leadership ability are better than what UT got last year from Nico.
4- Can they appreciate and build up the guys around them particularly the OLs? A QB can make all the difference in the world in how confident an OL plays. The line calls matter a lot. But just showing trust matters even more. The RBs last year trusted the OL... praised them. Sampson is said to have been a big leader in the locker room... and the OL blocked well for him.

None of this requires Nico's arm or athleticism. It requires good football intelligence and leadership. Some of us have watched long enough to see undertalented guys like Danny Wuerffel absolutely shred good defenses. Granted there was a ton of talent around Stetson Bennett but his results were MUCH higher than his physical talent would suggest even accounting for the talent.

Good post, leadership and mental skills are sometimes more important than talent at QB position.

This is where Tennessee maybe messing up. We are bringing in top tier QBs but not landing the top tier WRs. I say we go hard after a WR or CB because the talent means more in that role.

 

[volbound1700]

4-0 against non conference
Beat Vandy
Beat Kentucky
Beat Miss St.
Arkansas- Get them in Neyland
Oklahoma- loss
Bama- not saban team anymore and they have lot of questions so WIN
Georgia- loss until proven otherwise
Florida - loss until we win at swamp

I see 9-3

We tend to win at home so I would switch Oklahoma to a win (they haven't shown enough to make me confident that they can win at Neyland) and probably go with Bama as a loss.

Then again, Miss State or Kentucky are shaping up to be good candidates for the Arkansas/South Carolina road chokes we do every year.

 

[UAVOL]

Got them vol glasses on my guy. Just wanna hate Nico at the moment and I don’t blame you. But if you think this guy is an upgrade you don’t know football

Just wondering what your take was on Hooker when he came from Va. Tech? He wasn't even starting in the ACC but came to the SEC and dominated the position. This kid from App State could be a diamond in the rough but it seems like you don't want to give him a chance, but I guess the reason is because you know football.

 

[BDP!]

We made the playoffs with that guy! It’s the whole team that isn’t gonna be as good. Wr, oline, dline, rb

My opinion:
OL will be about the same
D line will be as good or better
3 will replace 1 at RB. When has CJH not had a very good running game
WR will be as good or better. Mathews, Staley, the bama transfer, and the freshman R. Jackson
TE will be better
LB will be better
DB is our biggest issue absolutely no depth
Don’t have to be great at QB, just can’t be bad.

 

[Sara Clark]

None of us have any idea what we have until they play a game.

 

[barrylee]

Looks like " my guy " bailed on his own thread. Well done morans!

 

[hUTch2002]

On a side note, when did dudes start calling other men "my guy"?

Somewhere between skinny jeans and paternity leave becoming things.

 

[casual-observer]

When did I say to just pack it up? I’m gonna drink beer and watch just like all of you. You can roast me for being realistic but 10-2 ain’t happening my guy

Your post title all but literally says “pack it up”. Poster child nega-vol. I can’t believe I let you trick me into reading this crap.

There are plenty of examples over the years of qbs that flourished in their moment. Look at Joe Burrow’s stats before his final year. Kyle Trask at Florida when Franks broke his leg. Only time will tell, not sooth saying in late April.

 

[BearBryant]

I’m afraid this coming up football season could be a long one. By no means do I think we are bad but the Nico thing is gonna hurt us for sure. No way would we ever want to swap him for that UCLA/App State guy. I do think Nico’s family kinda runs the show but let’s not forget that the offense we were running last year wasn’t the typical Heupel that we know. Maybe he didn’t trust Nico and I mean we made the playoffs so not a terrible decision but we didn’t air that thing out like we are used to. That Oklahoma game for example had us all wondering why we are just playing not to lose when our defense basically won us the game. We took our foot off the gas pedal wayyy too much and I would rather us get out there and air it out. Back when we had Palmer, Jennings, Callaway it always amazed me we didn’t just give them a chance at a jump ball more because they more than not always came down with it. And you have the chance of a PI call. We now don’t have near as much talent but I think Matthews is that guy too so let’s see if we open it up. I’m scared our coach will just run and have them same little passes and screens. I’m thinking about 7 or 8 wins but when Faizon gets here it’s game on and we can get a natty. If he doesn’t watch this season and be like why am I going here

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

 

[thistime]

Everybody has an opinion and NOBODY has any idea what type team we will have. The loss of Nico is really not that big a deal. This offense is based on run first, quick passes, putting the defense in bad situations because of it's speed and beating them with an ACCURATE long ball. You don't need a Super Star, you need a game manager with a good arm and accurate passes and nobody has any idea how that plays out.

 

[lukeneyland]

We might not but Josh has done crazier things. We’ve all been through worse. Support the guys we have and put on more steam.

 

[ftsandersvol]

On a side note, when did dudes start calling other men "my guy"?

 

[volsKC]

Well you’re an idiot, nobody asked you

Didn't read, never selling.

 

[stolitonic]

Meh, I refuse to call a season a failure if we do not make the playoffs.

Truth be told I REALLY didn't expect us to be serious contenders this season-even with Nico. We simply lost a great deal that is hard to replace-Cooper being the biggie.

Sometimes you don't have to win every game to have fun man. I had more fun during the 2021 season than I have enjoyed a football season in decades-and we weren't very good. We were just good enough to put the fear into people and that season was absolutely nuts anyway lol.

We were destined for a 9-3 ish season at best with Nico. I think we will survive the inevitable 8-4 with Joey. That one game difference is not worth our self respect man, and we would have been forced to surrender that to keep Nico. No thanks. I root for UT whoever is on the field

 

[GordonC]

Just wondering what your take was on Hooker when he came from Va. Tech? He wasn't even starting in the ACC but came to the SEC and dominated the position. This kid from App State could be a diamond in the rough but it seems like you don't want to give him a chance, but I guess the reason is because you know football.

Add to this: HH didn't exactly light it up in the OW game either

 

[ETV]

Not even the first snap of fall practice and OP goes straight to this.

 

[Exiled]

I’m afraid this coming up football season could be a long one. By no means do I think we are bad but the Nico thing is gonna hurt us for sure. No way would we ever want to swap him for that UCLA/App State guy. I do think Nico’s family kinda runs the show but let’s not forget that the offense we were running last year wasn’t the typical Heupel that we know. Maybe he didn’t trust Nico and I mean we made the playoffs so not a terrible decision but we didn’t air that thing out like we are used to. That Oklahoma game for example had us all wondering why we are just playing not to lose when our defense basically won us the game. We took our foot off the gas pedal wayyy too much and I would rather us get out there and air it out. Back when we had Palmer, Jennings, Callaway it always amazed me we didn’t just give them a chance at a jump ball more because they more than not always came down with it. And you have the chance of a PI call. We now don’t have near as much talent but I think Matthews is that guy too so let’s see if we open it up. I’m scared our coach will just run and have them same little passes and screens. I’m thinking about 7 or 8 wins but when Faizon gets here it’s game on and we can get a natty. If he doesn’t watch this season and be like why am I going here

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

My opinion:
OL will be about the same
D line will be as good or better
3 will replace 1 at RB. When has CJH not had a very good running game
WR will be as good or better. Mathews, Staley, the bama transfer, and the freshman R. Jackson
TE will be better
LB will be better
DB is our biggest issue absolutely no depth
Don’t have to be great at QB, just can’t be bad.

That's the most positive post I have read about football in quite some time.

Thanks, I needed some positivity.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

We went 10-2 last season with an accomplished running game and a strong defense. QB play did not win us a single game (outside of possibly the 2nd half of the Bama game). We have a shot at 10 wins this next season with the same approach. QB play may actually be a little better. No need being a chicken-little.

Edit: Add the Vandy game as a game that QB play won it for us.

Do you really believe there will be an improvement in QB play? Like, really believe that.

Either we have another first year starter with ine season in the QB room, like last season. Or we have a new the team starter who throws picks like he is color blind.

Maybe there wont be a drop off but i do not see how we could expect better than what Nico likely would have been this season.

 

[Budalicious]

I’m afraid this coming up football season could be a long one. By no means do I think we are bad but the Nico thing is gonna hurt us for sure. No way would we ever want to swap him for that UCLA/App State guy. I do think Nico’s family kinda runs the show but let’s not forget that the offense we were running last year wasn’t the typical Heupel that we know. Maybe he didn’t trust Nico and I mean we made the playoffs so not a terrible decision but we didn’t air that thing out like we are used to. That Oklahoma game for example had us all wondering why we are just playing not to lose when our defense basically won us the game. We took our foot off the gas pedal wayyy too much and I would rather us get out there and air it out. Back when we had Palmer, Jennings, Callaway it always amazed me we didn’t just give them a chance at a jump ball more because they more than not always came down with it. And you have the chance of a PI call. We now don’t have near as much talent but I think Matthews is that guy too so let’s see if we open it up. I’m scared our coach will just run and have them same little passes and screens. I’m thinking about 7 or 8 wins but when Faizon gets here it’s game on and we can get a natty. If he doesn’t watch this season and be like why am I going here

The sky is falling ,the sky is falling.