#11 is reportedly ...

[Cobbvol]

back in Knoxville according to VQ.   

[Tnphil]

Huge

[PirateVOL]

Huge

If he does, in fact, join the team, he will have a position coach this year that knows what he is doing, just fewer big macs

[murfvol]

That's a big win.

[Coupe De VOL]

back in Knoxville according to VQ.   

Nice!

[Tnphil]

Been a lot of mixed info out there as to why he's back in Knoxville other than rejoining the team....Who knows. Guess we'll see if he shows up at Spring practice.

Ready for his drama to be over with one way or another....it's been going on since back in Jan.

[PirateVOL]

As of this morning he was still in the portal
He has to remove himself from the portal to rejoin the team
Also, more recent reports indicate less confidence of him actually rejoining the team

At this point my view is to issue a doorknob warning and be done with it

[JeffCountyVolFan]

My guy says to cut him loose. My heart wishes we could have him on the field this fall.

Having coached for years, I know that sometimes situations like this can be far more detrimental to a team than a particular player is worth. He hasn’t been doing conditioning and team building with this group - he’s been in California doing who knows what. I just think there is a decent chance that the team could likely be better off without him and the drama.

Absolutely you tell him adios unless he removes himself from the portal. Do not allow him to practice or work out with the squad until he’s out of the portal.

Just my $0.02 worth.

[Tnphil]

As of this morning he was still in the portal
He has to remove himself from the portal to rejoin the team
Also, more recent reports indicate less confidence of him actually rejoining the team

At this point my view is to issue a doorknob warning and be done with it

Yep....And crap or get off the pot.

[BanditVol]

Why you guys always assume everyone knows the numbers is beyond me. 

But I am pretty sure this is Tu'o.  If so, I want him back.  No need to be butt hurt just because he considered his options. After the debacle of last season, I don't blame him at all.

[PirateVOL]

Why you guys always assume everyone knows the numbers is beyond me. 

But I am pretty sure this is Tu'o.  If so, I want him back.  No need to be butt hurt just because he considered his options. After the debacle of last season, I don't blame him at all.

Go have a conversation wit his dad
He has CHOSEN to not join "his" team in winter workouts
He refuses to leave the portal

The end result is we chose not to support his "return"

[BanditVol]

Go have a conversation wit his dad
He has CHOSEN to not join "his" team in winter workouts
He refuses to leave the portal

The end result is we chose not to support his "return"

Well if he's avoiding winter workouts, that's not good.

Then again, he is talented enough he doesn't need them.  Besides which, I have heard he has a great work ethic. I doubt he's just taking time off?  Would be to his determent if he did, I can't imagine he is.

Given the state of our team, I will be glad to have him back.

Honestly, I don't have the time to follow all these details in order to get butt hurt about them.   

I'll just be happy to see him in orange this fall. And if not, good luck to him!  He made a lot of plays for us while he was here (but does kind of suck at coverage).

[JeffCountyVolFan]

Well if he's avoiding winter workouts, that's not good.

Then again, he is talented enough he doesn't need them.  Besides which, I have heard he has a great work ethic. I doubt he's just taking time off?  Would be to his determent if he did, I can't imagine he is.

Given the state of our team, I will be glad to have him back.

Honestly, I don't have the time to follow all these details in order to get butt hurt about them.  

I'll just be happy to see him in orange this fall. And if not, good luck to him!  He made a lot of plays for us while he was here (but does kind of suck at coverage).

I can't speak for anyone else, but I am definitely not butt hurt.  What I do have experience with is sports teams where some players are allowed to skip out on activities that are required by other players.  This is almost never a good recipe for a "team".

Nobody is talented enough to just skip workouts.  That's one way for a coach to breed absolute dissention on any team.  In addition to workouts, the coaching staff has been having team building activities (according to what I'm reading).  He hasn't been a part of any of those.

I tell my kids: Life is one choice after another until you die.  Making the choices is the easy part - living with the consequences of bad choices is sometimes very difficult.

Henry has made choices.  Tennessee's coaching staff will have to make some choices if he decides that he wants back on the team.

However it ends up, I want what's best for Tennessee's football program and Henry.  We have to trust Heupel to make decisions that ensure that both sides benefit to the highest level possible (and Coach Heupel's ultimate responsibility is the team).

[PirateVOL]

Well if he's avoiding winter workouts, that's not good.

Then again, he is talented enough he doesn't need them.  Besides which, I have heard he has a great work ethic. I doubt he's just taking time off?  Would be to his determent if he did, I can't imagine he is.

Given the state of our team, I will be glad to have him back.

Honestly, I don't have the time to follow all these details in order to get butt hurt about them.   

I'll just be happy to see him in orange this fall. And if not, good luck to him!  He made a lot of plays for us while he was here (but does kind of suck at coverage).

He also regressed hugely last year, to the point he was a liability in pass coverage and Crouch was out playing him and it wasn't close

[Tnphil]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I am definitely not butt hurt.  What I do have experience with is sports teams where some players are allowed to skip out on activities that are required by other players.  This is almost never a good recipe for a "team".

Nobody is talented enough to just skip workouts.  That's one way for a coach to breed absolute dissention on any team.  In addition to workouts, the coaching staff has been having team building activities (according to what I'm reading).  He hasn't been a part of any of those.

I tell my kids: Life is one choice after another until you die.  Making the choices is the easy part - living with the consequences of bad choices is sometimes very difficult.

Henry has made choices.  Tennessee's coaching staff will have to make some choices if he decides that he wants back on the team.

However it ends up, I want what's best for Tennessee's football program and Henry.  We have to trust Heupel to make decisions that ensure that both sides benefit to the highest level possible (and Coach Heupel's ultimate responsibility is the team).

110% correct....You can't have a player decide he'll do what he want's but all the others have to follow the 'Team' rules'.....What would happen if 90% of the team decided to just take the Winter workouts and team building events off and say I'll just show up when I'm ready...BS! Might understand it if it's a few days....a week but he's been gone since early Jan. He's not that good nor is he above The Team. And as Pirate posted he regressed last season...he can be easily replaced.

I spent 34 years in the game of football....And as a new coach like Heupel and his staff trying to get his players to 'Buy in'...the best way to destroy that is to give a player treatment you don't afford the rest of the team. Unless there is something that was agreed on....I hope he's gone.

[BanditVol]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I am definitely not butt hurt.  What I do have experience with is sports teams where some players are allowed to skip out on activities that are required by other players.  This is almost never a good recipe for a "team".

Nobody is talented enough to just skip workouts.  That's one way for a coach to breed absolute dissension on any team.  In addition to workouts, the coaching staff has been having team building activities (according to what I'm reading).  He hasn't been a part of any of those.

Agree that skipping workouts is not good for the team.  Already said that.

Agree that talent doesn't justify skipping workouts.

ALSO SAID that he likely is still working out. If he isn't, that's on him.

So in short, not being a good team player, I agree, but I think the part about missing workouts and getting out of shape is much less of a concern for me.

[BanditVol]

He also regressed hugely last year, to the point he was a liability in pass coverage and Crouch was out playing him and it wasn't close

IN YOUR OPINION he regressed.

He was in fact the teams leading tackler with 76.  He had 47 solo tackles.  Crouch had 30.

It isn't even close!

You do this all the time Pirate.  You start disliking a player for some reason, and then in your head that player is playing poorly.

Actual evidence however, says you are incorrect.

[PirateVOL]

IN YOUR OPINION he regressed.

He was in fact the teams leading tackler with 76.  He had 47 solo tackles.  Crouch had 30.

It isn't even close!

You do this all the time Pirate.  You start disliking a player for some reason, and then in your head that player is playing poorly.

Actual evidence however, says you are incorrect.

Show me a statistic where he improved.
Missed tackles, far higher
Passes defended far, far worse,
Flat out of position like he had no clue, far higher
Setting the defense in the wrong set, far too often
Other than those he had a great year

I bring receipts, you bring uninformed opinion

[Cobbvol]

Given what the LB position looks like I hope he makes amends and returns to the team, if the team agrees. What he may see that if he wants to play in the SEC the easiest path to do that is to stay in Knoxville. Going to another SEC school means waiting for the NCAA and the SEC to approve the transfer which could take months. What his dad may be doing is reaching out to non-SEC schools for other options.

[PirateVOL]

Given what the LB position looks like I hope he makes amends and returns to the team, if the team agrees. What he may see that if he wants to play in the SEC the easiest path to do that is to stay in Knoxville. Going to another SEC school means waiting for the NCAA and the SEC to approve the transfer which could take months. What his dad may be doing is reaching out to non-SEC schools for other options.

If he does, he needs to find a different weight zone - he was too light last year, lost his impact ability at the point of tackle.
I wish I could do cuts to show the (night and day) difference in him filling the hole as a FR and last year
Pruitt seemed all about speed behind the lines
I suspect the new weight scheme would be more in tune with his needs but who knows. 

[PirateVOL]

Looks more and more like Henry T is formally left the building

[murfvol]

Oh well. Hopefully things work out for him.

[Cobbvol]

If he does, he needs to find a different weight zone - he was too light last year, lost his impact ability at the point of tackle.
I wish I could do cuts to show the (night and day) difference in him filling the hole as a FR and last year
Pruitt seemed all about speed behind the lines
I suspect the new weight scheme would be more in tune with his needs but who knows.  

His stuff of Rodriguez on 3rd down was a thing of beauty.

PS - That stand was probably the high water mark for me with Pruitt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW29CRHL600

[BanditVol]

Given what the LB position looks like I hope he makes amends and returns to the team, if the team agrees. What he may see that if he wants to play in the SEC the easiest path to do that is to stay in Knoxville. Going to another SEC school means waiting for the NCAA and the SEC to approve the transfer which could take months. What his dad may be doing is reaching out to non-SEC schools for other options.

this

[BanditVol]

Show me a statistic where he improved.
Missed tackles, far higher
Passes defended far, far worse,
Flat out of position like he had no clue, far higher
Setting the defense in the wrong set, far too often
Other than those he had a great year

I bring receipts, you bring uninformed opinion

Those are all subjective OPINIONS based on you watching the game.  There are no official statistics for "missed tackles", "flat out of position" and certainly not "setting the defense on the wrong foot" (how can you possibly even pretend to know this?).  Even "passes not defended" is not a stat anyone tracks, at least not with publicly available information.  You can find that stat for NFL players sometimes, but typically only for DBs.  Who knows, it might be out there, but I couldn't find it. I agree this is a weak point for Henry as it is for many LBs, but he was just as bad at it last year.

Every single thing you state is just a subjective opinion.

Its easy to make a star player the whipping boy when the team is not playing well. Apparently you don't realize this is what you are doing.