VTTW Board Index

Tennessee has lost 4* safety Antonio Johnson. What's going on with this class? Many (myself included) felt this was an outstanding recruiting staff but there's a lot of ground to make up in the next few months to salvage a decent class.

But we also picked up a commit from 4* WR. Recruiting is so frustrating if you try to watch it daily, as you know. These kids that commit early get bored often and when something newer comes along with fresh praise they are easily seduced. I've learned to just take recruiting news with a grain of salt and wait until signing day to see what is reality.     :patriot:             :powert:

^This is why I don't keep up with recruiting except what I might read on message boards....I never get giddy over kids who commit early because they get caught up in the excitement when visiting schools like UT and get all the attention. Down the road the next shiny things that comes along catches their eye and like this kid who just visited A&M...LSU and Bama decides UT's shiny things weren't that important any longer. I only care when the recruit signs on UT's dotted line. Over the last several years we've been left at the alter too many times.

And yes right now our recruiting looks bad....31 or 32 depending on what service with 5 months left until the Dec. signing period which most of the top recruits will sign during this Dec. period. We better hope things change in the next several weeks. Right now we are neck and neck with Ark at around 12th in the SEC. Five SEC schools right now are in the top 10 in the nation in recruiting with 3 being Bama, Florida and UGA who we play every year. (I read these tidbits on another site this morning which was quite depressing).

Where we are now really doesn't matter.  The class will be determined by Ws and Ls this fall.  No way the highly rated guys stick or pick us if we pull another 5-7 or even 6-6 type year. 

Got to win games.  Period. 

Meh. I don't know, maybe the highly rated guys will be more motivated to help us succeed if we lose more than expected.

But agree that winning ultimately cures all ills, and that winning more likely to lead to recruiting success.  However it's not just the Ws and Ls, we need some exciting wins.  Some drama. Most of all, an unexpected win like Auburn last year, but better.  Having said that, I'll settle for an Auburn-like win with sustainability to end of season.  Said it before, will say it again, if we collapse at the end of the season like last year, Pruitt's seat will be, and absolutely should be, very hot heading into 2020.

You know, Bandit - I could say that water is wet and grass is green and you would argue with me.  

You do realize that the last year UT was relevant in football that the current group of recruits were either not born or they were wearing diapers, right?  They are social media kids.  The top prospects care about going to programs where they are going to win and win now and have a chance to compete for championships.  It's about what have you done for me lately.  The top players aren't looking to help build, but to help sustain.  

And there are some exceptions, but those legacy and "home town" types are few and far between.  And even many of the "home town" types are leaving Knoxville at this point. 

I completely agree, Herb.

It ain't gonna happen, but don't you think recruiting would improve if Peyton was on staff? BTW..has anyone watched his show on ESPN yet?

Jimmies and Joes matter a great deal, but we've been getting worked by teams with supposedly lesser players. I'll care about recruiting when I see player development.

That's what I told someone the other day....UT has recruited in the top 15 on average the past few years after Dooley and we have been dog whipped by Vandy 5 of 7 years and 3 in a row who recruits in the 40's...50's on good years. Same can be said for Mizzou and others that have dog stomped us.

I have no faith in recruiting services any longer.  They are all about keeping their "inside" status with the schools they follow.  Objectivity is a thing of the past.  It's all about blowing enough smoke up the fans asses so they will pony up $9.99 per month. 

As I have said before, my indicators are offer lists. 

I know nothing about recruiting services, but it seems logical that Vandy, UK (we won last year, but they had a much better season), and Mizzou either developed athletes similar to ours, or signed athletes we could have.

I'm just saying that you are predicting what a bunch of 18 year old and 19 year olds will do, and that's essentially impossible. 

And maybe there is a trend towards top players only wanting to go to established programs, but there are plenty of examples of top players who don't, for many reasons.   Sometimes they just want to stay closer to mamma, but early playing time also appeals to them.  And yeah, I know that both bammer and Clemson are willing to play young players early, much more so than in previous eras, but even then there have to be gaps in the lineup, and often there are not.  I think early playing time is still important to some of the players, and there could be other factors.

Just making a blanket statement that unless we go x and y this year, recruiting will nosedive is trying to predict something inherently unpredictable IMO.

But I did say in my original statement that winning certainly helps.  I just don't see us dropping to 50th in the ratings if we don't go 8-4 is all.