Like that once-quiet guy who somehow takes the Homecoming queen to the dance, Tennessee football is at the party.
The Vols should thank freshman Nu'Keese Richardson for getting them in the door.
The receiver from Pahokee (Fla.) High School was an influence on UT defensive end commit-ments Corey Miller and Brandon Willis from Byrnes High in Duncan, S.C.
Richardson got to know the two when Byrnes played Pahokee, where Richardson was a star among stars.
That game, which featured a bazillion prospects, gave Richardson the opportunity to meet several other players.
"I try to get kids from everywhere," Richardson said of recruiting to UT.
Richardson has only lived in Knoxville for a few months but speaks of the area like the driver of the welcome wagon.
"The fans here are loyal," he said. "Whether you win or lose, they're still behind you 100 percent. That's another thing that I liked about Tennessee."
Richardson also likes UT first-year coach Lane Kiffin, the early chance for playing time, the East Tennessee dogwoods in bloom and just about anything else you can imagine.
And best of all for UT fans, Richardson can keep in touch with every prospect in the country thanks to Facebook, Twitter and the old-fashioned standby: text messaging.
So if you're rooting for any one particular Vol to play well against Florida today, Richardson is a good pick. A freshman on a national stage showing up a home-state juggernaut would give Richardson even more sales material to present to other prospects.
South Florida Guys: Vladimir Richard knows what it's like to live in South Florida. He also knows what it's like to spurn the "Big Three" Florida schools and go elsewhere to play college football.
"We have great food, the beaches, women, nightlife, clubs, everything so it's easy for you just to want to stay home," the UT offensive lineman said. "Me being able to leave, I saw different parts of the world."
Richard said it was important for him to leave the Sunshine State to mature.
"When you just go to a Florida State or a Florida or a Miami, you're just always in the state and you never really get to experience the different parts of the world," he said.
Here are some of the South Florida prospects to keep an eye on who could follow Richard's lead north to UT:
n Chris Dunkley: One of the best receivers in the nation, Dunkley could keep the Pahokee connection open. The 5-foot-10, 165-pounder is widely considered one of the elite prospects in the country. He seems ready to leave Florida with Georgia, West Virginia, Nebraska and South Carolina among his final choices.
n Matt Elam: There are plenty of great defensive backs in South Florida; Elam is one of the best. The 6-foot, 205-pounder from Dwyer High in West Palm Beach is committed to Florida, but so was Richardson.
n Cory Lemonier: One of the top defensive ends in the country, Lemonier is a 6-5, 225-pounder from Hialeah High. Florida, Florida State, New Mexico and Illinois appear to be in good shape.
n Jeff Luc: Many believe Luc is the best linebacker in the 2010 class. The 6-1, 230-pound standout from Treasure Coast High in Port St. Lucie also is considering LSU, Miami, Ohio State and Georgia.
n Cody Riggs: The defensive back from St. Thomas Aquinas liked his trip to Knoxville last weekend enough that he postponed his decision in order for his parents to meet Kiffin. Florida and Georgia have long been in the mix for the 5-10, 160-pounder.
Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He can be reached at hookerd@knoxnews.com.
UT's new $45 million football…
Images from Larry Murphy's book on…
Smokey undergoes physical therapy at UT
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 46
LiveFaith writes:
** "The fans here are loyal," he said. "Whether you win or lose, they're still behind you 100 percent. That's another thing that I liked about Tennessee." **
Nuke, have you heard of that last coach they had? :-D
Volguy1971 writes:
Nuke, help reel them in.....The Big Orange Express keeps on rolling! Maybe with some miserable weather, we squeak one out in the Swamp....Miracles do happen, see UT-Ark 1998 for a reference to answered prayers.
transplantiam writes:
First of all, I was born right here (Sevierville). My family moved to Fl. when I was 10yrs. old. Lived there for 35yrs. and NEVER was a Florida fan. I remember quite many FL/UT games,pulling for the Vols all the way. Tomorrow will be no different. Heads up Fl, Vol Orange don't run. You might win this battle, but this war is just starting! GO VOLS!!
notoriousBIGorange writes:
This still hast to sting Urban. Richardson was supposed to be the next Percy Harvin....whoops.
Lostvolinhighweeds writes:
I am sure the nation feels for Coach Meyer.
My heart certainly bleeds for his loss.
loyalvol_alltheway writes:
Da Man writes a hilarious post! Laughed out loud the whole way through it.
But...even though it's funny, it's WAY too early to tell if Kiffin is a poser or the real deal. It's not just Pete Carrol saying Kiffin knows what he's doing. If you listen to NFL coaches who know him, all are very, very high on him.
I'm pretty pleased with the culture he is creating amongst the players - a championship mentality. Those who thought he was going to lead us to the Promised Land this year seriously misinterpreted the state of our program (talent and discipline) and the difficulty of rising to the top in the SEC.
And all this attention given to Kiffin's comments about Florida, I think it's silly.
*Kiffin's comment about "singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida this year" was simply a way of firing up the fan base. How the hell was this disrespectful to the Gators?
*Kiffin's comment about Urban Meyer was a tongue-in-cheek stab in front of boosters. Listen to it on-line. Kiffin is smiling. It's not like he filed charges with the NCAA. I personally think it was in poor taste and shouldn't have been done. But it's not like the Florida Gators have a history of treating opponents respectfully and with class!!
Maybe we'll get beat by 50 points tomorrow.
Maybe we'll shock the world with an upset.
Maybe we'll play it close.
We'll see.
But when all is said and done tomorrow, it proves nothing about Kiffin's capacity to build a championship program. You gotta give him 3 or 4 years.
Then you can laugh, cheer, or cry.
gatorhator4eva writes:
To put It simple, IT IS TIME!
Time for the gators to find out how overated they are.
Time for these prospects to find out about tennessee tradition.
It's time to shut down tebow.
It's time to walk the talk.
dmjohn2#576066 writes:
I hope being up at 5:30 AM on a Saturday is the reason why your so miserable!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
What he said is true.
Vol fans will always support the Orange.
Giving up on an out-of-touch coach is another thing.
Some people realize when they look around at an empty street that the parade has gone by.
n2thecheckerboards2 writes:
hes talking about supporting the team regardless of who the coach is. when its time for a change, then its time for a change.
txvolsfan writes:
DaIdiot!!!
Better than crying and hiding behind your AD's skirt like a little b*&!%!!!
crimsonviper writes:
And you are 0-2009 in relevant posts.
BrandiVol writes:
Grow up and stop irritating us with your petty, racist hatemongering. Manning is a wonderful ambassador for the University of Tennessee.
volsfannsc writes:
Great post 'LOYALVOL_ALLTHEWAY'.
This is kinda off topic....is it me or does it seem that Mark May of ESPN really hates Kiffin? Forget any objective reporting on that channel. Each and every one of them are such opinionated pompous jerks. I've never been a huge Lou Holtz fan but he is the only voice of reason.
Kiffin has a plan, not a magic wand. He will need time to recruit his players and get them onboard to his system. People seem to forget that recruiting in the last couple of Fulmers tenure was geared toward a spread offense and those kids were hand picked for their respective talents. Kiffin's pro style offense will need it's respective players as well. Given time, we'll teach Florida fans the words to Rocky Top!
The1 writes:
If we, as UT fans, want to help Richardson and the others recruit we need to stand behind these guys. It only helps the competition when we post negative comments about our team and coaches. Let's help Richardson by backing our team 100%. We can grumble to our friends in private, but, in public forums, all UT fans should be pro-UT. I like that Coach Kiffin has stirred the pot some. If not for his pot stirring would the national sports media be focused on TN and FL this week? This focus is good for both programs because it's free publicity for both schools. So I say good for Kiffin for bringing a little smack to the SEC. Frankly, the intensity of the TN FL rivalry was fading until Kiffin showed up. Thanks coach for re-sparking the fan's interest (on both sides).
abnermc writes:
Our Byrnes H.S. won last night 85 to 8!!! LOL
tennrich1 writes:
Have NO idea what your reply said because its WAY too long.....
tennrich1 writes:
KEY POINT....those AREN'T VOL FANs doing the negative posting...ignore and the time and effort for them just isnt worth it....
tennrich1 writes:
I WORK WITH A GUY WHO LITERALLY SPENDS HIS FREE TIME TROLLING OTHER TEAMS PAGES WITH PHONY NAMES AND MAKES NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO HIS GREAT PLEASURE. I HAVE TALKED WITH HIM ABOUT IT BUT HE SEES NO PROBLEMS. THINKS IT FUNNY....DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE FOLKS.
TommyJack writes:
Hey Faith. Remember a guy named Zook?
TommyJack writes:
Maybe he's MoaninLikeHeck.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Nah, he's that way all the time. That video he's talking about is EXACTLY the reason why we needed a change. Only time will tell if CLK is THE answer to the question of "How will the Vols get back to the elite level in college football?" It is clear to me at least that he HAS accomplished some of the more important preliminary steps TOWARD the right answer! GO VOLS!!!
chargervol writes:
The pot and kettle talking to each other. Two peas in a pod. When DumbMan and NoVol_RobE(Malcolm X) start talking to each other watch out, it can't be good. These two morons are classless and clueless. Anywho, Vols:0 gators:0. We will see if florida is going to beat us by 70? Give it your all today! Win or lose, hit em' often and hit em' hard! GO VOLS!!!
Hounddog writes:
VOL fans, don't you just love fish in a barrel?
Let's see Peyton Manning, Super Bowl MVP, NFL MVP several times, income counting endorsements many, many millions of dollars. Now exactly who were the QB's for FL during this period? And exactly where in the NFL are they?
0-4, I don't think you can count.
Let's play football. Hounddog
jimr07 writes:
no, but i am sure jerks like you will remind him.
jimr07 writes:
da man, give it up. you do not understand that manning is white and he hates white players. he is considered to be the resident racist.
usnavyvol writes:
I am so glad you now what your talking about. You have sucha keen onthe future nad I can assume you use the stars to predict the future. Anyway I really want to win the lottery can you give me the lucky numbers? No? Yes? I just bet you and the entire gator nation were so pleased and knew in the matter of days if not hours that Urban was going to be this good of a coach. Get off your soap box. You pretty much spit the same phooey every post.
Dont' even talk bout AD's. Your Jeremy is so far up Urbans crack it's not even funny. OGd forbit someone any talk about the Gator nation. You guys are all alike. I bet you started out in the late 80's as a Miami fan, then swithched to Florida State when they statred putting good seasons back to back, now when they both fell on hard time you jumped in the UF bandwagon. Correct me IF I"m wrong. You are a fountain of useless knowledge. What a tool. UT class of 93'...GO VOLS
givehim6 writes:
You knows keep hearing this, pay back phooey and, O U will loose by 50+ points. Pay back for what? Are all you people in Fl. so thin skinned that a few words hurt you so bad you need revenge, besides Kiffin already apologized for that. When Spikes mouthed off about UT giving up a few years back, did he apologizes? 50 point loose? Do you guys really thing it will be the 50 point *** whopping? Yes you might win, but UT will be playing till the final whistle.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
DaDA is not a Florida fan, he is a hopelessly schizoid Vol fan. Loves Fulmer, hates CLK, loves Pearl, hates Hamilton; his head must spin regularly trying to keep all that straight. That is the probable explanation for the unintelligible bilge he spews on every football thread.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I applaud Nuke for trying to help recruit for us. It would VASTLY help his cause, for the present and in the future, if he were to rip off a few big plays in the Swamp today. I am NOT down on the kid. I'm REALLY glad he is here. I think it is just a matter of time before he IS a true game-breaker. I'm just saying that today would be a good time to become one! GO NUKE!!! GO VOLS!!!
GhostofRobertNeyland writes:
Bleeding Orange since 1964! GO VOLS!!!
VolunteerLifer writes:
Nuke, have you heard of the last coach FLORIDA had? His name was Zook. they ran him out of town despite a winning record.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Shut the hell up, moron.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Amen about the first part, not so sure about the last part. the national media are enamored with the cliche storyline that Kiffen is a smartmouthed little brat who shouldn't have tugged on superman's cape. I am sure that if florida wins big they'll be pretty smug in their satisfaction and dissing of Kiffin. that could hurt our recruiting image.
CadmiumOchre (Inactive) writes:
Richard says Vols fan support their team win or lose. That this is a draw for recruits. Therefore stop the Crompton hating. He may as bad as we say or think but he's still ours. He stayed and did not BJ Coleman us by jumping ship. Goodness knows fans' behavior gave him plenty of incentive to do so. He steps out on that field for practices, attends team meetings, and puts his nose in the play book and so on. Thus deserves our support through thick and admittedly at this time "thin". This is the type of support Richardson believes we as fans have, hopefully disenchanted forum members and Boo Bird fans don't make a liar out of him. For a team that seems by all indications to be giving their all, by gosh we should give them ours too!
Ironcity writes:
Someone has way to much time on their hands
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I don't think either a classic beat-down OR the unending media spin will hurt us in recruiting. If you saw ESPN "Game Day", the UT-Fla game was mentioned as much as ANY in the country today, DESPITE the fact that it was ALL about how we had NO CHANCE! As much as kids today want to be talked about in the media, they know better than to take what they hear at face value. All a beat-down will show them is how much help we need(;-D)! They hear WAY worse than what Kiffin said every day in their favorite music. Kiffin's kind of talk "signifies" to them MUCH more than it does to the generally older media/booster/donor audience. If nothing else, they will be curious to see what kind of guy says stuff like that in today's PC world. Once they establish the contacts and get the visits, this staff can make anybody listen to their pitch.
RockyTopRenegade writes:
Still singing all night long!!!! GO VOLS!!!!
murrayvol writes:
And he just keeps right on polishing that resume.
Any calls yet?
Mobbdeep4life writes:
Mark May did seem to get a little upset when talking about Kiffin. If Mark May knows so much about football why has he never coached?
tonyvick#213307 writes:
Thanks Nuke but please continue to NOT read these post as you may be disappointed in the fan base
oldsmokey67 writes:
As a starter he was 0-3.Todd Helton Started the florida game manning's freshman year moron.
GOBIGO72 writes:
dumb @ss - you act like we weren't pissed too - timmy is now gone - the playing field will be much more level next year - here's to the future and kicking you @ss all over the field 364 days.
AFVol423 writes:
Many of the fans are still Fulmer fans but it's a new day. Go Vols
tensie2004 writes:
GO VOLS. GLAD FULMER IS GONE AND ALSO GLAD WE HIRED KIFFIN AND COMPANY. TENNESSEE FUTURE IS BRIGHT LIKE THE COLOR ORANGE.
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
Test. I can't see the comments. Test.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.