UT prospect watch (click to enlarge)
Just when Tennessee was riding a wave of recruiting momentum, the Vols reportedly have lost one of their first commitments.
J.T. Floyd committed to UT in September 2006 but admitted at the time that he would evaluate other schools. Those evaluations have led the 5-foot-11, 170-pound athlete from J.L. Mann High School in Greeneville, S.C., to pick Michigan, according to thewolverine.com.
Although Floyd is not quoted in the story nor is there any attribution to a source where the story might have originated, Rivals.com is considering Floyd a Michigan commit.
The switch can’t be considered a surprise since Floyd recently was quoted as saying Michigan fans would be happy with his upcoming decision.
Floyd has also been unwilling to return phone calls from media covering UT, including the News Sentinel, which has made numerous attempts to contact him.
“It's been pretty well known around here that he wasn't going to Tennessee for a few weeks now," said Jim Baxter of scvarsity.com, a Web site that covers South Carolina high school sports. “He just didn't see himself as a good fit there anymore. He was looking for someplace else to go and Michigan's coaches really made an impression.”
Floyd also considered N.C. State and Georgia Tech after committing to UT.
The Vols have received commitments from five prospects in the past week. Floyd's departure would bring UT down to 16 commitments for the 2008 signing class. UT is expected to sign 22 to 24 prospects on National Signing Day on Feb. 6.
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Comments » 143
BigOrange1 writes:
Good riddance! Go and take your 4.7 speed to Michigan.
dfreeman writes:
I agree, with a 4.7 40 this guy would get burned by a ton of wideouts in the SEC! At safey?? No thanks!! Can you imagine this guy having to cover percy harvin? It would be comical!!! Let him go to Michigan! We'll be alright without him!!
BleedOrange writes:
No surprise here except by Floyd when another SEC receiver blows by another Big Ten DB.
ctownvol writes:
Double dang.
eaglentn2002#343016 writes:
Michigan is a better fit for for someone as short and as slow as him. Heck! Just opens up a spot to recruit more DL & OL. Nice move Floyd. Thanks you did UT a favor!
MajorVol writes:
We will be ok. Opens up a spot for a big guy! Close strong CPF.
CoverOrange writes:
Sour grapes anyone?
Have to think that Morely coming back and the plethora of receivers we already have were factors in his decision.
Good luck JT. That white stuff falling through the air, it's called snow and you'll get a lot of it up there.
hopalong writes:
If this dude is too short and too slow why was the recruting staff at U T looking at him to the point that he was offered a scholarship?
Greyback_Vol writes:
This probably worked out for the best. Floyd didn't really seem to excite any UT fans. Maybe Rich Rod can find something to do with this undersized kid.
MrBamSeydu writes:
I guess he realized he wasn't SEC quality and wanted to go to the Big 11 where they secondary runs 4.7 40's and get over-hyped for Heisman Trophies.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
And the beat goes on. I think we have 30% of all the DBs in the South now, anyway.
bugman (Inactive) writes:
SEE YA!
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
5'11, 170? Let Michagan have him, my right leg weighs that
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
I had a stupid moment, I misspelled Michigan. Hope there are no UT professors in here *LOL*
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
Hey, we seem to do good recruiting tight ends lately, why dont we just convert one of them to defensive end?
BOASoldier writes:
it's not the size of the recruit in the fight it's the size of the fight the recruit gets in while intoxicated ... or something like that ... never have been good at motivational speeches.
RoyaltyVol#280778 writes:
I do think you have to be more aggresive to play defensive end than tight end, I just dont know who we have that might fit at DE
TommyJack writes:
NOW we don't want him. What happened to the day that kids thought it was a priviledge to get an offer from UT? Oh well, it could have been a DL. No wait...I guess it couldn't. Thangs ain't right here folks. Stay the course.
thesavageorange writes:
hopalong ,I read somewhere when he commited his Jr yr he was thought to be a 4 or 5* prospect.Something happened beetween then and now.Scout has him running a 4.5 40.He is also listed as 6'0.
bobbyutvol writes:
5'7" very small hope he freezes his ass off in michigan
kbart4033#247331 writes:
Hey, guys: lighten up. (A.) recruiting boards are w-a-y over-rated. Slow, fat, over-the-hill guys like us have made millionaires out of boneheads
like Bill King, who were basically jobless until
they found us; (B.) Vols will be okay--last year's
crop was outstanding and it would have been nice
to go back-to-back but do you really think all
of our recently-departed assistant coaches were
knocking themselves out selling Big Orange Country
this past fall? (C.) Our new staff will have that
many more opportunities to promote for next year's recruits--save the scholarships and let's
go for a home run next time. Go Vols!
thesavageorange writes:
bigorangedude, If we get Warren back he may be an answer at DE.He played TE at FSU ,but was rated a 5* as an end.
thesavageorange writes:
http://tennessee.rivals.com/viewprosp...
GreerVol22 writes:
simply saw he was not good enough to compete for a position at UT or any other SEC school evidently. What a puss.
King53 writes:
not a big loss here...i think as much as anything it is just a little demoralizing to keep seeing guys leaving to go elsewhere and coming in second way too often.
tennisvol writes:
Maybe he'll do well in the great Big Ten. Ohio State showed us about the Big Ten during the last two years.
invisiblekid writes:
I thought it was too much to expect him to add 130lbs and help out on the defensive line anyway, best of luck.
cdldoc#211897 writes:
Maybe Crompton could pick him up and throw him while he held the ball. Yards after catch would be amazing.
utmdm writes:
good enough. did not like his attitude. think he did not like the competition he was going to face here for playing time.
jdcvols#230433 writes:
Touchdown, have you looked to see if we could rob any recruits in Eastern Carolina?
TnVolFaninSmyrna writes:
And this comes as a surprise to whom?
dburgVol writes:
sphs_vol has been quiet since he last said that 4 surprises are coming.
When are they going to happen sphs?
rllipscomb#212376 writes:
kbart is right about Bill King. According to him, during the 2000-2005 era, Miami and Florida State signed allthe talent and left the rest of us in the dust. He missed the coming of of Southern Cal and then oversold them the past few years. He totally missed the rising of programs like West Virginia. He is just a gossip whore.
What is worse about King is that he has done everything in his power to run down the program for three years and even does the same about east Tennessee talk show hosts.
He has been quite successful in rallying the troops against the public and it has bled over into other venues. But that becomes a self-fulfilling prohecy when these rcruits get on our boards and listen to shows about how bad we are.
I don't expect any analyst to be a homer, but King has been full of bile against the program for years. And he never gives a legitimate explanation of what is wrong.
You can love people like John Adams or Griff, but they at least give reasoned and informed explanations of their opinions.
dfreeman writes:
dburgVol - He was arrested for giving his sources a big orange beatdown!! LOL
bd330794#206783 writes:
I saw the THESAVAGEORANGES'Brandon Warren link, Does anyone know if he's going to be in school in the fall?
PureOrange writes:
Some little boys don't learn about playing in the SEC until it is too late. This one found out he could not play with the big boys, so he will go to Michigan where they talk a big game, even though it is only one per year.
OrangeBlitz writes:
Maybe CPF should hire TDTN to be a scout since he obviously is better at judging talent than anybody at UT.
govols8080 writes:
I don't see this guy as a loss. DL is the main concern with this year's class, although having a deep threat reciver would be nice.
thesavageorange writes:
bd330794 ,The short of it is, he will enroll this summer.At that time UT will file for a medical hardship on his behalf.(b/c of his mothers illness)It is thought it will go through b/c of an appeal Warren won releasing him of his letter of intent to FSU.Until then ,he can have no cantact w/ UT coaches.
waterskier3#226480 writes:
don't worry be happy... the pumpkin knows what he is doing heck we pay him 2M a year so he has to be the only coach in america that could win at UT..:)
problem folks fulmer is not the recruiter... trooper and coach cut were the studs at UT and they are gone.... no one else can come close to getting recruits excited about UT not even phil..
it wasn't phil in the 90's and its not him now!!! sorry that the truth....
WAIT TIL 2009 man we should have a number 1 recruiting class................. go vols finish strong..
DannyVol writes:
Be assured that the loss of a 170 lb., 18 y.o. speed burner ain't going lose us any football games. No problem.
We need more big boys anyway. Replace that mosquito with a bull. As the old adage goes, "if you have to miss, miss big."
RealistVolFan writes:
Oh no! Not TJ Boyd, what will we do now
orangebass writes:
coach fullmer is NOT worried he's going to look at film and work like heck to get better...
and in light of recent events what thug would not want to come to tennessee and play for easy going jolly ole phil !!!
have a heck of a good time on recruiting visit !!!!
govols8080 writes:
sjt18, we have great athletes at reciever now, but this last season it showed that we missed Robert Meachem. Having a player with that kind of ability opens up the passing game for these other guys.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Probably the right call. You only go to the SEC if you want to win bowl games against other teams.
Now, he can have a great regular season in the Pig pen till he has to play an SEC team. Great Call!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
TJ 4:06 - Lemme see, if WE didn't want him and some say good riddance, why did WE offer him? How can you have it both ways? I'm still learning about this de-committing. "Ites" say he was not SEC-material to start with, then who made this mistake?
Dang, Dang, this recruiting and de-recruiting must come out of a manual. Who has the copy?
invisiblekid writes:
pdhuff, for future reference, common sense has no place here as you full well know. Now go check out this delicious fritter recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moms-App...
OrangeBlitz writes:
Why are you upset TDTN? Why do you criticize CPF and UT then get upset when someone criticizes you? I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I just made an observation based on what you said. I'll know better next time. If only I had known you had been on a few recruiting trips before. Hey...if I can't question you because of that, then why can you question CPF? I think I've got you figured out. One last question. Why don't you post your name on the boards? Are you scared?
99gator writes:
it all comes back to the fritter.
vol1994 writes:
Posted by sphs_vol on January 30, 2008 at 7:05 p.m.
vol1994, My response is the fat lady ain't sung yet, and all that stuff you're posting is serving what purpose? Just let it play out and you'll see.
I stand by what I said. BIG FINISH.
JUST RECEIVED AN E-MAIL RE-AFFIRMING.
4 ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING!!! (LARGE)
--------------
sphs- where are these announcements?
all I hear and see is UT coming in 2nd
or a recruit decommitting.
Not calling you out but again, I wonder where your information is coming from.
Can anyone give me a quick list of recruits we are going after and who you think are really considering UT? thanks guys!
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