Frankly, I'd rate Tennessee a little lower than 16th in these modern times. There was a time (in the '90s) when we would've ranked higher than that, and recruiting will always be in a state of ebb and flow based on the strength of the other programs from across the region, but right now is a tough time to recruit to Knoxville, especially with Clemson and UNC at their strongest-ever points to help lock down the Carolinas. Obviously it could be argued that the growing talent pool in Middle Tennessee offsets that, and that's certainly a benefit for UT.
While agree that we should probably be a bit lower, I don't think the Carolinas are hurting us too bad right now. Not only does the mid-state boom offset that, but we're also doing better in GA than at any time since Fulmer's glory days.
The real puzzler on that list is right below us. If Miami would get out of their 70's era mid-major mindset, they would be in the top 2-3. There's no excuse for them to not have an on-campus stadium, not to mention their other outdated facilities. Pretty much everyone in a power five conference is flush with cash right now. With the TV boom likely ending in the coming years, it's not going to be that way forever. Miami had better start spending money while there's still money to spend, or else they might find that their biggest in-state rivals aren't UF and FSU, but FAU and USF.
