auburndkel

Why are we still having trouble getting offensive linemen? In 2019, while at utk, Will Friend signed two top ten, five star, offensive tackles. The rest of the top ten players that landed at SEC schools went to uat (3), A&M, and Miss St (really). For good measure Friend also signed three more OL that year. I’ve read that Friend maintained strong relationships with players yet to commit in this recruiting cycle (i.e. Jacob Hood). However, to date, we can’t get any OL to commit to AU. Did top-10, five star linemen commit to Tennessee based on the football program’s potential, championship history, or was Friend the beneficiary of Pruitt et al getting the players to sign with help from McDonalds? (Disclaimer: Friend is one of my favorite additions to the AU coaching staff. I’m not accusing him of anything to do with utk’s improprieties) CBH can land as many players that fit his mold as possible, but we will not succeed on the field without a commitment to establishing a talented and deep offensive line.

Sure would be good to see a top-100 OL, or two, on that list!

I hear what you’re saying, but it’s hard to believe that it would take this long for CBH to talk C Williams into moving from the Sunbelt to the SEC, regardless of how long he’d been at his alma mater (if he was one of CBH’s top 3-4 picks for the coaching slot).

Of all the candidates mentioned, Williams seems like a huge swing and a miss. Why did it take CBH this long to go with Williams as his WR coach? I know very little about the man, other than he’s not D Craig, T Martin, or one of the other major coaches supposedly in play, but like most here, gotta give him a chance. Hopefully he’s who CBH wanted vs. who he could get.

Sorry to keep beating the the dead horse that is Tennessee football, but as a follow up to the recruiting post, this is on si.com: Brandon Martin Nov 22, 2020 After a fifth straight loss, losing in the same fashion, with the same mystifying personnel decisions, it would be fair to question if Jeremy Pruitt is in over his head. After the Vols lost 30-17 to Auburn on the Plains, there were some hard questions leveled at Pruitt. When the results of the game are coupled with Pruitt's post-game press conference, it is now clear that he is in over his head. For the second loss in a row, Pruitt followed a loss full of coaching gaffes with a press conference full of bewildering answers. The statements Pruitt made reflect stubbornness and a disconnect from reality. They show a standard for the entire team, that seemingly doesn't apply to one, single player. It is also a crash course in how to lose a locker room. These are all the more maddening because Pruitt knows the game of football far, far too well to make these decisions and statements.... When asked what he would say to fans concerned about the state of the program, Pruitt said, “That ain’t my job, guys. My job is to coach.” Keeping that in mind, Pruitt has failed at his job like no coach in the history of the Tennessee program, losing a fifth straight game by double digits for the first time in 129 years of Volunteer football. This coach has no answers for Tennessee fans for the state of the program, stating it is not his job. That is fair. His coaching acumen, particularly where his quarterback is concerned, can only then be seen as overwhelmed by stubbornness or stupidity. His ability to motivate his team, due to a multitude of blowout losses and failures to prepare for opponents, can only be viewed as a failure. In Pruitt's third season, his team has clearly taken a dramatic step back. Pruitt may not want to comment on the state of the program because it is not his job. He may also not want to admit the state of the program is not where it needs to be because he has failed in doing his job so spectacularly that he is in danger of losing said job. So, how are they out recruiting us right now?

This may be old news to some of y’all. It’s from a (public) utk site posted 11/20. With at least 75% of their fan base calling for Pruitt’s head, I’ll be extremely disappointed if we’re not able to flip several of these guys. For years now, Tennessee and Auburn have battled on the recruiting trail, with both teams winning key battles recently. We take an opportunity to look at the battles they have going in 2021 and beyond. Recent History Tennessee and Auburn have had some heated battles in recent years, but none more interesting than Jay Hardy's recruitment last season. Hardy was all locked in with the Vols until a trip to the Plains the weekend before his commitment led to a commitment to Tennessee. Hardy gave multiple recruiting reporters, including myself, a commitment interview for Tennessee before his announcement, but then shocked the world and chose Auburn. The drama did not end there, however, as Hardy maintained that he would sign with a school during the late signing period, but he actually signed with Auburn during the early signing period, continuing to lead the Vols on. Hardy was a tough loss for the Vols, and he would have likely been on the field already in Knoxville. The Vols had a glaring need at tackle when Jeremy Pruitt took over, and they prioritized Wanya Morris, but so did Auburn. Tennessee won out as Morris chose to be a cornerstone for the Vols class, but Auburn continued to battle for him over the duration. On the same day Morris committed, his teammate, Owen Pappoe, chose the Tigers. Tennessee made a late push for his services but fell short. The Vols also beat out Auburn for Ramel Keyton in the 2019 class. The Present Tennessee has out-dueled Auburn on the trail in 2021, so far. The Vols landed the commitment of Dylan Brooks over the Tigers and numerous others, while also grabbing verbal pledges from quarterback Kaidon Salter, running back Cody Brown, and receivers Roc Taylor and Julian Nixon. Auburn won an early battle by grabbing the commitment of in-state offensive tackle J'Marion Gooch, but Tennessee stayed in the race and flipped his commitment. The Vols are unblemished against the Tigers to this point, but the work is far from over. Auburn continues to reach out to Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown, but both have remained firm in their pledges to Tennessee. Big-framed wide receiver Roc Taylor remains a priority for Auburn, but the Vols appear to have a hold on his commitment. The Vols still have work to do as Auburn is not going to go away. There are still plenty of battles playing out between the two schools. Nyland Green is considered one of the top defensive backs in the country, and at different points in his recruitment, each school has maintained momentum. On Wednesday, elite linebacker Smael Mondon committed to Georgia. Both Tennessee and Auburn had prioritized Mondon, so it was a significant blow to their recruiting efforts. However, they have both turned focus to Boston College commitment, Trevin Wallace. Wallace has exploded onto the scene with numerous schools across the Southeast reaching out, and Tennessee will try to lean on extensive ties to South Georgia to land him. Auburn has firmly positioned itself in the race, and they could be the team the Vols are chasing. Staying on the theme of Georgia prospects, junior college edge rusher Byron Young has been a top priority for both schools. He is focusing on three schools heading into the early signing period, with Florida State also in the mix. Tennessee has a glaring need on the edge, so they have a lot to sell Young, but the Tigers' on-field production will weigh-in here as well. He will be one to watch over the next month. The Future The main battle between the two teams in 2022 appears to be for Volunteer state QB Ty Simpson. Simpson is one of the top duel-threat Quarterbacks in America, and both schools love his skillset. It is eerily similar to that of Bo Nix's, and Auburn is making that a selling point. The two have a lot in common as well. Clemson and Alabama are also heavily involved for the young gun slinger. Other potential targets the teams could cross paths on are, offensive tackle Addison Nichols (Ga.), Khurtiss Perry (Ala.), and Jalon Walker (N.C.).

The “crystal ball” predictions now have him 92% to ND and 8% to AU. What is going on? Everything hinges on our strength in the trenches. Why can’t Gus and crew recruit a high school OT, and hang on to him??

What? You can’t run laterally in this mess. Terrible call! That afraid of Nix?

How much more does Gus let Bo regress? Nix’s confidence is shot. As pointed out here, he just continues to look worse, to the point he’s now a detriment. Yeah, I get that it’s raining, but man.... The way Gus handled Gatewood really hurts more and more. Have we reached the point that we try out grad t-fer Loy?

How much more does Gus let Bo regress? Nix’s confidence is shot. As pointed out here, he just continues to look worse, to the point he’s now a detriment. The way Gus handled Gatewood really hurts more and more. Have we reached the point that we try out grad t-fer Loy?

UT, a program that has been mired in mediocrity (at best) signed two plug and play 5* Tackles, while Grimes/Gus landed no difference makers (with all due respect and love for the guys that did choose to become AU Tigers) over the last two recruiting cycles. It just blows my mind. Pappoe wanted to play with his buddy, 5* Wayna Morris, an obvious position of great need, but Gus/Grimes could barely get Morris to look at AU. When was the last time UTK was relevant in the SEC? When was the last time AU played in the SECC/NC? Games are won or lost in the trenches. One my greatest fears is that we will become the 'new' UT. While every other top tier program consistently recruits OL, Malzahn, Hand, and especially Grimes, aimlessly scramble in futility. Put Grimes on the same bus out of town with Horton...today. Announce Simmons as our new OL coach, or send the jet to Provo and bring back Ryan Pugh. Something has to be done.

IMO, Grimes should've already been canned. If we don't land Henry and Bell today, I don't see any way that Gus can justify/rationalize his staying. Cut Grimes tomorrow and announce that Simmons has moved from off the field to the new OL coach. Simmons starts blanketing OL recruits across the country, vs. nail biting for 3*'s after Gus/Grimes whiffed on 20+ OL offers.