A '24 commitment from here in Greenville de-commited.......

[droner]

Mazeo Bennett says it was because of the coaching change.

It looks like the Cocks could be getting him.

https://www.rockytoptalk.com/2022/12/8/23501008/2024-wide-receiver-mazeo-bennett-decommits-from-tennessee

I think the term "commitment" should be discontinued.

[Creek Walker]

He felt the need to take to Twitter an hour earlier and tweet that an announcement was coming at 7 p.m. These prima donna football players and their drama. Why is it necessary to post a "coming soon" tweet to build anticipation about your decommitment? Why not just say you're decommitting? I know he's not the first kid to do that and he certainly won't be the last, but stuff like that is why I really don't even follow recruiting anymore.

[BanditVol]

(a) we are not hurting at WR
(b) with Heupel, we will never be hurting at WR
(c) did he fear competition?  Maybe? who knows.

I wish him luck, unless he goes to the cocks, in which case I hope he enters the portal after a wasted season or two and winds up in the Sun Belt 

[Tnphil]

He felt the need to take to Twitter an hour earlier and tweet that an announcement was coming at 7 p.m. These prima donna football players and their drama. Why is it necessary to post a "coming soon" tweet to build anticipation about your decommitment? Why not just say you're decommitting? I know he's not the first kid to do that and he certainly won't be the last, but stuff like that is why I really don't even follow recruiting anymore.

Exactly. I don't know who we recruited for the most part until they sign on signing day. I had no idea who this kid was until threads popped up on boards. I pay zero attention to these look at me sheets. With transfer rule...portal...NIL...and social media look at mes it has become a 3 ring circus.

Now high schools in Tennessee can use the NIL...Yeah that going to go over well.

[BanditVol]

Now high schools in Tennessee can use the NIL...Yeah that going to go over well.

Wow, that's kind of nuts. I really don't understand it, its not like HS football is a big money maker to begin with and uh, they are mostly minors?  WTF is Tennessee doing?   

[Creek Walker]

Wow, that's kind of nuts. I really don't understand it, its not like HS football is a big money maker to begin with and uh, they are mostly minors?  WTF is Tennessee doing?   

I don't like it, at all. But how you gonna stop it? This isn't just a Tennessee thing, and it will soon be an every-state thing. The precedent is set, and the courts have made it clear that you can't stop athletes from capitalizing on the fact that they're an athlete under the guise of amateurism.

Now don't get me wrong...almost nothing good will come from this. First, it doesn't benefit the person paying out the NIL funds. If I'm a Tennessee business with a healthy marketing budget, it does me good to have Hendon Hooker or Jalin Hyatt promoting my name/product. But even in the smallest of towns where the best athletes are really big fish in really small ponds and do enjoy a kind of hero worship, having that athlete rep your business is going to have little to no marketing value for your business. There will be exceptions, obviously. A New Orleans business giving Arch Manning an NIL deal probably won't create much of a splash for that business because, well, it's New Orleans. But what if Arch played high school ball in a little town of 10,000 residents? Say there are two competing banks in that town and one of them hires Arch to film a series of commercials. That could be beneficial to that bank. But Arch Mannings are few and far between in high school sports. So what this will ultimately result in is a recruiting tool, just like it has at the college level. Say you have a really talented QB who grew up in Loudon County and wants to play ball at Greenback. But Alcoa really wants him and a well-heeled business owner with allegiances to Alcoa offers him NIL money to play at Alcoa.

It stinks to high heavens. But it's pretty clear that this is the future.

[Tnphil]

Having been in the high school football business back in the day for 30 years...other than your bigger tradition rich public programs the ones that will benefit the most will be the private schools. Not only can they give scholarships to attend school with most having top notch facilities, coaching, support etc...but now they can go to those schools and make money while attending....And the bulk of the private schools have the majority of rich boosters.....by a lot.

[JeffCountyVolFan]

Having been in the high school football business back in the day for 30 years...other than your bigger tradition rich public programs the ones that will benefit the most will be the private schools. Not only can they give scholarships to attend school with most having top notch facilities, coaching, support etc...but now they can go to those schools and make money while attending....And the bulk of the private schools have the majority of rich boosters.....by a lot.

I agree in that private schools will most likely be the biggest beneficiaries, but I also think there are public schools in higher income areas that could take advantage of this.

I don’t see this as a positive for public schools. TSSAA has transfer rules that supposedly must still be followed, but usually where there is a will there is a way.

[BanditVol]

I don't like it, at all. But how you gonna stop it? This isn't just a Tennessee thing, and it will soon be an every-state thing. The precedent is set, and the courts have made it clear that you can't stop athletes from capitalizing on the fact that they're an athlete under the guise of amateurism.

Now don't get me wrong...almost nothing good will come from this. First, it doesn't benefit the person paying out the NIL funds. If I'm a Tennessee business with a healthy marketing budget, it does me good to have Hendon Hooker or Jalin Hyatt promoting my name/product. But even in the smallest of towns where the best athletes are really big fish in really small ponds and do enjoy a kind of hero worship, having that athlete rep your business is going to have little to no marketing value for your business. There will be exceptions, obviously. A New Orleans business giving Arch Manning an NIL deal probably won't create much of a splash for that business because, well, it's New Orleans. But what if Arch played high school ball in a little town of 10,000 residents? Say there are two competing banks in that town and one of them hires Arch to film a series of commercials. That could be beneficial to that bank. But Arch Mannings are few and far between in high school sports. So what this will ultimately result in is a recruiting tool, just like it has at the college level. Say you have a really talented QB who grew up in Loudon County and wants to play ball at Greenback. But Alcoa really wants him and a well-heeled business owner with allegiances to Alcoa offers him NIL money to play at Alcoa.

It stinks to high heavens. But it's pretty clear that this is the future.

Great point about the colleges reaching down to the HS level, that had not even occurred to me.  Its still very odd that the great majority of HS players are minors.  I don't think a 17 year old (or younger) can legally sign a contract?  But I guess a parent or guardian can.

I agree, I fear nothing good ultimately will come of this but corruption  

[Black Diamond Vol]

I agree in that private schools will most likely be the biggest beneficiaries, but I also think there are public schools in higher income areas that could take advantage of this.

I don’t see this as a positive for public schools. TSSAA has transfer rules that supposedly must still be followed, but usually where there is a will there is a way.

SURELY you’re not insinuating that high schools will start recruiting.😱

(Gasps, clutches pearls) What in the name of George Quarles is going on?!

[JeffCountyVolFan]

SURELY you’re not insinuating that high schools will start recruiting.😱

(Gasps, clutches pearls) What in the name of George Quarles is going on?!

Surely you aren't insinuating that NIL at the HS level won't very likely exacerbate recruiting.  😱