Tennessee is scheduled to host at least three official visitors this weekend, and is hoping for a fourth.
Defensive end Quinton Coples (6-foot-7, 235 pounds) from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., defensive back J.T. Floyd (5-11, 180 pounds) from J.L. Mann High School in Greenville, S.C. and quarterback Casey Kelly (6-2, 190 pounds) from Sarasota (Fla.) High are expected to take their official visits to UT.
The Vols are also hoping for a fourth visitor: Gerell Robinson from Hamilton High in Chandler, Ariz. The 6-4, 210-pound athlete has been committed to Arizona State since December but is thought to still have some interest in UT.
Coples has taken official visits to Florida State, North Carolina and North Carolina State.
Floyd committed to UT in Sept. 2006 but has since looked at several schools, including Michigan, Georgia Tech and N.C. State.
Kelly is down to UT and Arizona State, where he took an official visit last weekend. Kelly is also considering pursuing a baseball career depending on where he’s drafted in June.
No More Vols: Brandon Thompson seems to have eliminated UT from consideration. The 6-2, 295-pound defensive tackle from Thomasville (Ga.) High told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he will commit to Clemson or LSU prior to National Signing Day on Feb. 6.
Thompson hosted Clemson coach Tommy Bowden and LSU coach Les Miles last week.
“In my mind, both schools are pretty much the same,” Thompson told the newspaper. “I don’t have a leader.”
Thompson took his official visit to UT on Jan. 11.
Turn The Page: After hosting UT coach Phillip Fulmer, as well as a handful of college coaches this week, Kenneth Page is scheduled to announce his decision on Friday. The 6-4, 300-pound offensive lineman from A.C. Flora High in Columbia, S.C. is considering UT, Clemson, North Carolina and Notre Dame.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Memorable moments in Pat Summitt's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 60
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Be sure no one is readying any blunts. We are at critical mass. We needed Thompson, ouch.
utmdm writes:
Mr. Page:
The Vols know offensive lineman and know how to help you get ready for the pros---
former Tennessee Vol Chad Clifton has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster
utmdm writes:
PD, The old Johnnys pizza was the place that had a fleet of old red beetles that delivered to Tech etc.
volntx writes:
Casey Kelly is a good baseball player too...Arizona ST is ranked 1st in some pre season mags,baseball. Could be a big influence on him.
Couchdummy writes:
utmdm:
No sense to your comments. Please put down the drink and explain.
dburgVol writes:
Top 25 recruiting ranking is looking pretty bleak. Wouldnt be worried if Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Florida werent doing so good. No matter what anybody says, it will hurt us next few years with depth. They better be watching film on the 2009 recruits and getting a headstart on that class, because we will need it a few years down the road. Coples woule be a nice addition. Anybody know why his Hargrave teammate, Leon Mackey, dropped UT after he had them ranked a solid no.1 for most of last year?
dburgVol writes:
KNS needs to get on the ball. ESPN had an article about Urban Meyer's "sketchy recruiting tactics." Plus, Arkansas's DC left for South Carolina. We might get back in the picture with Lavunce Askew.
utmdm writes:
Couchdummy, By numbers
1- Mr Page was referenced in the article as an offensive line prospect.
2- Tennessee has sent several linemen to the pros
3- Hence, one example of Chad Clifton who was just announced to the PRO BOWL.
4- Need a picture drawn also?
Just to close the loop so you don't feel left out, the pizza comment was specific to PD per a reference on a previous discussion.
The only drink I put down was in a red can - CocaCola - and the only thing added was Vanilla.
newtonrail writes:
Does Gerald Williams really and truly have his academics to get in now.? By now he might be big enough to play DT.
anthony writes:
Looks like we might have a Steve Kiner year coming up, mean and lean!@@
GreerVol22 writes:
I'll throw this out....
3 things that are turning recruits away from Tennessee.
1- Phil just ain't hip. Miles, Richt, Meyer, Bowden, Satan and RR are all relatively young bucks compared to Phil. Sounds simple but the parents of these kids are placing less value on the morals, values, and education that Phil stands for and there listening to the "your son is your retirement ticket" sell. Trust me, I live near Clemson and know some local kids that have been given that very statement.
2- ESPN....Be it basketball, be it field hockey, be it powder puff basket weaving...ESPN has had a burr up its butt since we called then to the table a few years back. Kids hear the negativity and/or general lack of repect for all things UT and ultra praise for our opponents by these color guys and one can say sticks and stones but...
3- Were just not mean enough. Did we go for the throat on anyone like BAMA did to us? When was the last chop block we threw? Heck the last roughing penalty we got was because Xavier tripped and fell into the QB... Not that we want to be proud of these actions but it generally reflects on the intensity of the staff and general desire to run thru the huns like phooey through a goose.
These teens have grown up in a playstation world, and folks, UT generally gets their a$$ whipped on playstation.
RockyTopRK writes:
Question: Has the Warren kid from Alcoa HS that left FSU enrolled at UT yet? Will he play for the Vols this coming season?
ATLVOL1 writes:
CHECK THIS OUT:
Tennessee’s pursuit of Dallas Thomas, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive tackle from Baton Rouge, is now a two-team race against Ole Miss with Alabama, LSU and Florida State out of the running.
Add nearby Southern Miss to that list of schools that offered but were eliminated as well as the hometown Tigers and it’s clear to see this battle will be about more than distance. Thomas was in Knoxville for his official visit Jan. 11 and was in Oxford last weekend.
“It’s between Tennessee and Ole Miss,” Thomas told Inside Tennessee. “I don’t have a time frame for my decision. I was being recruited by Coach (Trooper) Taylor but he’s gone now. Coach Adkins is recruiting me now. I like him, but I miss Coach
Trooper.”
BallantyneVol writes:
Why are we talking about Dallas Thomas and Casey Kelly? These guys aren't good enough to help us for years if ever....
ATLVOL1 writes:
THE #1 THING TURNING RECRUITS AWAY IS THAT TROOPER AND CUT ARE GONE.
I THINK WE HAVE REPLACED THEM WELL...JUST BAD TIMING.
GreerVol22 writes:
sjt, hey... 2 of 3 ain't bad. One thing I forgot to mention is that last year, our old chest bumper coach landed the best recruits...twernt Phil.
99gator writes:
fellas,
the main problem for recruiting is taking kids out of their backyards away from schools that have good in state programs. it's that simple. it's a new day from 1995.
taking a player from louisiana away from lsu....good luck. georgia, florida, same. how about california, texas, south carolina..... more and more difficult.
the worst part is when you get a player from that state, it's because the in state schools did not want him.
this qb from florida visiting.... i don't know if he received an offer from florida, fsu or miami. if you get a kid from louisiana, i bet he did not turn down lsu for tenn, etc.
tenn is always fighting an uphill battle.
ATLVOL1 writes:
WHOSE THE RB DRAYTON WAS BRINGING WITH HIM? ANYONE?
THE #1 RB PROSPECT TOOK FLA OFF THE LIST WHEN HE LEFT BUT HASNT SAID ANYTHING ABOUT UT.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
sjt18 9:34 discipline problems had fallen off, but at least we're doing something about it. How's that for spin? We're capable of doing our own undermining.
Who did we lose for Scout to drop us to 54th?
As for Phil being in damage control mode, he better get in defensive recruiting mode!
Greer 8:24 - good points. I remember being told a tale of Kiner in his post Tenn years being mildy reproofed for being a bit in the cups at a function. His reply, "Had you rather wear saddle oxfords or beat Bama"? Nuff said. Go Vols.
ATLVOL1 writes:
i think the only reason to recruit Kelly is to get a good baseball prospect with a fball scholarship since it seems like we have xtra with our 11 man recruiting class, and to get a relatively fast QB in an offense that Clawson wants a little bit of an athletic qb. 4.6 is pretty speedy at the QB position. RS him and he puts on some weight If he works out he works out if he doesnt he can play minor league baseball--win win situation for kelly.
99gator writes:
ATLVOL1
jaime harper is going to clemson. the SEC owes clemson big..... imagine if cj spiller were at florida. oooh man. now, they have struck out on harper. ouch.
i think the player people thought would follow drayton was jeff demps. i told people here that he was going to florida and that is where he did commit.
as i said before, easy to get florida players to florida.....harder to get florida players to tenn.
orangebloodgmc writes:
99gator, you write a lot of good stuff and I don't dispute your overall point of backyard pull, but your last post was not totally correct. I live here in Baton Rouge and have seen several blue chippers that UT has plucked out of here that LSU would have liked to have had, going back a decade to Jarvis Reado, as recently as Ahmad Paige, with others in between.
ATLVOL1 writes:
it was darrell scott I was referring to that decided no on florida...harper is a bada$$ too tho... Probably was Demps...
ATLVOL1 writes:
on a side note....
Cj Spiller is the fastest player I saw all last year in person...that 90yd run in the ChikFila bowl and against a fast Auburn secondary was SICK.
HotlantaVol writes:
ESPN Top 150 Recruits:
Florida - 11 commitments
Georgia - 9 commitments
LSU - 4 commitments
Bama - 2 commitments
Tennessee - 1 commitment
Clemson - 6 commitments
Clemson? Really? I know these polls/lists aren't always right, but dburg is right. We will pay for this year in 2010 and 2011.
99gator writes:
orangebloodgmc
that is true. got peyton out of louisiana too. i know there are exceptions, but the general rule is that is more and more difficult.
you did get morley from florida. berry, from georgia. etc, etc, etc. but, tenn is losing on a lot of those kids more frequently than in the 90's, when those programs were down.
it is happening to other programs too. florida got ike hilliard from louisiana and fsu got warrick dunn.....and there are others. but, now, for the most part....who lsu want in louisiana they get.
GoVol writes:
Point- it really is time for PF to step aside. He is hindering the program in almost every aspect. His loyalty is admirable, but it doesn't win ball games. His pride is getting in the way of doing what is best for the FB program.
And before someone says it again (How do you explain us winning the SEC east last year?) - we all know that winning the east last year was a fluke. In other words, I'd rather be good than lucky, because luck will run out....and then what?
99gator writes:
if tenn is falling in recruiting rankings, it is because other schools are picking up kids causing them to rise in the rankings and tenn to fall.
when was the last commitment tenn picked up?
orangebloodgmc writes:
Greer, good analysis, and I guess I'm one of the Fulmerites. I even liked your point 3. Hard as we hit LSU in the title game, we have not always fought and scrapped and done every thing we could to wrest a win. Much as I hate Bama, they did have the grit to go for their own kickoff to start the game and they got it, while we seemed to have no concept that could happen. TWO YEARS IN A ROW LSU pulled off fake punts against us that might have been game-winners for them. Not only were we not prepared for them, we never attempt such things ourselves (OK, I give some gall credit for the crouching Creer play in the bowl game). Not bashing our Coach, but saying Greer makes good points here and recruits may well be sensing relative lack of flair if only subconsciously.
99gator writes:
ATLVOL1
darrell scott is a kid out of california whose family wants him out of california. florida was in the running but always a long shot. most seem to believe he will be a colorado buffalo. hawkins has begun to get the ball rolling in boulder and it won't be long before the buffs are pretty good.
ATLVOL1 writes:
TROOPER OWNED THE LA TERRITORY AND GOT ALL THOSE PLAYAS LAST YEAR...
orangebloodgmc writes:
sjt18, Climer may be veteran sportswriter, but as an "objective" sportswriter, he has no credibility with me. That paper hates us.
ATLVOL1 writes:
WE DIDNT RECRUIT ERIC BERRY OUT OF GA, HIS DAD PLAYED AT UT, HENCE HIM COMING HERE. WE DIDNT SCREW UP RECRUITING HIM!
orangebloodgmc writes:
I have a question, and I hope its not pre-emptive sourgrapes rationalizing.
But theoretically, could your program do OK if you alternated recruiting classes that were top 5 in the nation in say, odd years, and 50th-ranked in even years? Could ya live with that, especially if you could patch a bit by bringing in a juco now and then? Just wondering.
Richmondvol writes:
Rivals is reporting Page is goig to Clemson...are we going to sign anyone this year?
99gator writes:
orangebloodgmc
in theory, i think you could get away with it but you would have to avoid injuries.
in a great class, let's say....24 signees.....
8 of them are going to end up doing nothing. they transfer because of playing time....ex. shaeffer and ainge, manning and stewart.....they have academic issues....or disciplinary problems. and some you flat out misevaluated.
so from a bad class....it is that much more important that of the ones you sign.....they work out.
waterskier3#226480 writes:
everyone check this link out... it shows that tn has had some very outstanding talent in the last 10 or so years... so two ways to look at this why haven't we won more championships with this type of talent or fulmer has recruited some good players but has had a lot of bad bounces :):) another reason to say he is average at best as a coach...
http://cfn.scout.com/2/723182.html
fulmer didn't get these recruits his staff did.. cut, gardner and trooper without these guys our recruiting class suxs...
waterskier3#226480 writes:
this is how good people think tn is going to be next year... i so glad we have fulmer
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns...
south car is ranked and UT not even in top 25!!! thank god we gave him an extension... great respect for our school and the reloading theory.
orangebloodgmc writes:
Yeah, we'd have to be lucky with injuries and also not have a lot of the most talented guys LEAVING EARLY.
My every-other year scenario might be more sustainable for a Southern Miss or a Louisville, but we play a Florida and a Georgia who reload with top 10 classes pretty much every year. So we gotta recruit farther. So if we have a Trooper Taylor, seems like we really need to keep him. Another theoretical: without promoting Troop to play-calling OC, could we have named a high-enough amount of money to have kept him? Dunno.
HotlantaVol writes:
Waterskier3 - nice find on the alumni team rankings. I wonder why they left off Al Wilson?
orangebloodgmc writes:
Waterskier, Fulmer can't coach those talented guys if they are not here. I believe at least 5 of those current* NFL stars on the list left us early. We sure could have used 'em.
You could reply, yeah, but every team loses guys who go early and that's true, but it is probably less painful to a Florida who reloads with guys who come in as athletic beasts, while we tend to have a thinner veneer of that, backed up by blue collar strivers who have to be weight-roomed up and steak-fed for 2 or 3 yrs before they contribute as much.
*(for some reason the alumni list includes Mayo).
pdhuff#552644 writes:
sjt18-I don't always see it as "people running Phil down" when certain facts are pointed out.
Opinions maybe, but not facts. I personally (opinion) feel that Phil has slipped mightily in his recruiting abilities. These abilities turn out the product we eventually see on the field.
This product (fact) has failed to win the SEC in NINE years. I accept the fact he's the HC, but I feel it just lame to blindly accolade him becuse he's the HC. Fact - Nine years, no rings. Since 2001, ONE top 10- LSU has 6-Ga has 6. Down Bama has as many as Phil.
Fact, this recruiting class, down. Maybe he can pull a rabbit out of a hat, we'll see. Enjoy your opinions.
BigOrangeVol writes:
Greer I don't want to burst your bubble but if you look at the Top 20 school rankings on Rivals and Scout then look at the age of their coaches I think you will find that Phillip being 57 isn't a factor at all. The median age is of those 23 coaches is 53. How many of those have won a National Championship? Nine... B.Bowden (2); Erickson (2; Carroll (2); Saban; Brown; Tressel; Miles; Stoops and Meyer. Their median age is 56.
Bobby Bowden-78
Frank Beamer-61
Dennis Erickson-61
Mike Bellotti-57
Nick Saban-56
Mack Brown-56
Pete Carroll-56
Jim Tressel-55
Dave Wannstedt-55
Ron Zook-54
Les Miles-54
Tomy Bowden-54
Ty Willingham-54
Mike Sherman-53
Tommy Tuberville-53
Charlie Weis-52
Mark Richt-48
Bob Stoops-47
Rick Neuheisel-47
Rich Rodriguez-45
Urban Meyer-44
Jeff Jagodzinski-44
Randy Shannon-42
TommyJack writes:
sjt: Do I recall you mentioning being a deacon in your church?
orangebloodgmc writes:
I thought he said, "pastor!"
GreerVol22 writes:
Big O Vol, granted their ages are withing 10 years of each other, but as much as the grandure of Neyland Stadium has an impact on a recruit, so does that of the coach.
analogy...Who would you do? Jessica Simpson or Marge Simpson???
pdhuff#552644 writes:
sjt18- good post. I would prefer "my lean toward the negative" to be viewed a honest straight forward assessment of our present situation.
I do feel some are arranging deck chairs on the Titantic. It may be that we have vastly different goals toward this team. I will never accept being ran over (blown out) as ok.
That cannot be spun. I cannot accept starting a season with a dread instead of optimism. It will take all my orange blood to look forward to UCLA. Pray, sir, that Clawson is a motivator, Phil is not.
Defenses win championships. Offenses get headlines. When do you honestly think we will win an SEC ring under this regime? All we have addressed post-season is offense and totally ignored Chavis standing on top of Niagara, waving his arms.
I'm a backsliding Methodist, myself.
GoVol writes:
Sjt18 - are you completely satisfied with the results of the FB over the past 5 years?
If not, then what do you attribute it to?
If you are satisfied, then enough said.
I'm on record as NOT being satisfied!
TommyJack writes:
sjt: I was just thinking...i bet there's a collective groan when you begin the final prayer at 5 til 12. You allow the Methodists to beat your crowd to lunch. Just kidding sjt.
waterskier3#226480 writes:
sjt18 I don't put much into a poll this early but hey it says a lot about where they expect us to finish.. I know we'll end up in the top 25 at some point but after the BIG win over wisc who is ranked 13th in the poll by the way and not be considered says alot. when is the last time we won 10 games and wasn't ranked the following year???
again I just point out that we have not performed at a level to be consider elite for 7 or 8 years and i'm not sure why that is acceptable just because phil won 1 NC 10 years ago... please enlighten me.... while other sec schools have hired and fired and have won multiple sec and national titles... AGAIN i'll take muliple coaches and championship over a stable but average program...
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