“Go West” should be one of the recruiting slogans for Tennessee football. And I’m not referring to West Tennessee.
Oh, I believe in new coach Butch Jones’ plan to make in-state players a higher priority. But I also believe in the research of colleague Evan Woodbery, who recently pointed out UT’s high ratio for success in recruiting California the past 20 years. So why not expand on it?
Never mind the distance. Tennessee has one of the biggest recruiting budgets in the country. It can spare the fare.
When you consider the competition, it’s worth the investment.
Everywhere Tennessee turns in the Southeast, it’s running into flourishing programs: Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, even Ole Miss now.
Beating other SEC schools in recruiting is as difficult as beating them on the field, where Tennessee’s conference record the last five years is 12-28.
California is a different ballgame. There, you’re competing with Pac-10 schools. There, you would stand out.
Forget the distance in miles. The SEC puts players closer to the NFL no matter where they call home.
More than half of the first-round picks in the next draft could come from SEC schools. That’s more appealing than California weather for a recruit with pro aspirations.
Something else in UT’s favor: Californians seem to like East Tennessee.
Tennessee has 17 student-athletes from California on its current sports rosters. Its nationally acclaimed softball program has become California East under co-coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly.
“We’ve never had a California kid go home,” Ralph Weekly said. “We had one we asked to leave (for disciplinary reasons) and one left because she was injured. But none that ever just quit the program.
“And a lot of them stay here.”
Senior third baseman Raven Chavanne of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is in no hurry to leave. Although she will graduate this spring, she plans to stay at least another year.
Chavanne and junior shortstop Madison Shipman, who’s from Valencia, Calif., both chose UT because of the coaches. If the Weeklys had set up shop in a Kansas cornfield, Chavanne and Shipman might have been just as likely to join them.
But once here, both have found attractions beyond softball. And they think other California student-athletes would, too.
“You can’t experience a college town in California,” Chavanne said. “It’s impossible.”
The college atmosphere won over Shipman right away. She’s a football fan, and it didn’t take her long to figure out that football matters a lot more in the Southeast than it does in California.
“I came out here and it was just a river of orange all over the place,” she said. “Football is a way of life.”
If Knoxville can wow a college football fan, imagine what it could do for a prospective college football player.
It won over Casey Clausen, who left California for UT in 2000. He was Tennessee’s starting quarterback for four seasons. His quarterbacking brother, Rick, helped UT win the SEC East in 2004. Tyler Bray, another California quarterback, is now off to the NFL after three seasons with the Vols.
Tennessee has a history of success with California players. It should take advantage of that.
And establish itself as the best SEC alternative on the West Coast.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/johnadamskns.
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Comments » 54
JBVols1698 writes:
Don't care where they come from as long as they can play.
CoverOrange writes:
Yeahyeahyeah!!! JA is so right! We gotta go to California. I'm going to the UTAD office right now to get my plane reservations! Oh wait, I'm not on the coaching staff. Who is JA talking to then?
orangeman1 writes:
People like us who click on his article I guess. Yea, the story is fluff, but it is true. Fulmer had success with the west coast, and there's no reason Jone cant do the same.
tenuscvol writes:
Good point John, and a well written article...
However, the sentence above could have just ended wtih "...them on the field. (Period)..") the reference to the SEC results didn't add anything to the point being made and could easily have been omitted..." I prefer being excited for the future then to keep being reminded of what we've been through the last few years.
IMHO
Anyway, it was still overall a good article.
Possum Rules!
GoVols!
golfman1975 writes:
Yeah...I'm sure our coaches never thought about this.
(sarcasm)
rb4346 writes:
CBJ will get the best players that fit into his system, agree ther are a lot of good players in California. They need to be playing for CBJ instead of Coach Kiffie.
tturley#297658 writes:
Kevin Burnett, Kevin Simon, Sperminator, and Arian Foster were other Californians of note... We need a direct flight from Knoxville to California though, that would help cut down the travel time for recruits' families to come and watch them play.
VolzsFan writes:
We need to stop writing stupid football stories in February. It's basketball season and no one really cares about this junk. Face it, those Hall of Fame days of 10 wins per year for 16 years along with National Relevance are over. Have a great tailgate......that is all that is left.
VFLVFLVFL writes:
With all due respect, Arian Foster is from New Mexico..
123forVOLS writes:
Is anyone anymore pathetic when it comes to addressing the UT football program than John Adams? I hear no contradictories. But then some of the postings on here could come close...see Alwaystime2troll.
Geofffourmyle writes:
Another nothing article from John Adams.
Walt
UT '81
ozoney#235138 writes:
i dont know why people still read this quacks drivel
Henley-Street-Bridge writes:
It's more to do with California's year-round climate and large population. Outdoor sports are played year-round and training opportunities are many. Tennessee only has around 5.5 million people in the entire state, which in West Tennessee is largely Memphis. Florida has 19 million.. Texas has around 29 million and California round 39 million. Tennessee doesn't have just fewer good athletes as much as it has fewer people to start with.
underthehill writes:
Confusing isn't it..must be a bunch of attention seeking free loaders like you appear to be..
creekroad writes:
Hey kid, you are more pathetic than Adams
arkyvol writes:
re: casey clausen. he turned out to be a much better q.b. than his much ballyhooed kid brother, jimmy.
dirislr#209355 writes:
Did you read it?
AllforTenn writes:
Well, all you pessimists get to spew your hatred filled comments again. Hope you all feel better now. The rest of us just brush off glennfordsfoible,so-called volzfan, andforhislasttune, etc. What a miserable life each must lead.
underthehill writes:
Walt..being the astute historian I have observed you to be..I assumed you would have heard by now..the British have been defeated..we are free..spread the word..we don't have to read John Adams..we are free..spread the word..we are free..and by the way..I do enjoy your controversial observations..get back to doing more of em...
John_10065 writes:
New Mexico is just one good earthquake away from being the west coast.
underthehill writes:
The broader point is that ..the history of UT sports indicates changes are made only when attendance dictates they must be made..the attendance in women and men's basketball is currently very strong..football attendance may get worse before it gets better..I think it is more than evident the board..or whoever..made a monumental mistake in hiring Hart..I think this hire has ..and will ..continue to diminish donations..but..Jones should be ..and will be..judged on his own performance..now that he has been hired to work a miracle..the broader point will be..will fans be patient enough to give him the time needed..I think they will and here is why..UT football is not just about a sporting event..it is more of a social event..I think Jones will weather the storm and improve the football program to be competitive in 3 years..those expecting instant success are not being realistic..look at the schedule..look at the roster..all I expect is for Jones and his staff to give it their best shot..I see no reason to think they have not done that ..thus far..
calvol writes:
He may have started off there but he was the star tailback at Mission Bay HS in San Diego where he rushed for 2100 yards his senior year and earned all sorts of regional accolades.
As a Californian that went to UT, I can tell you that the softball player is right- there is no campus experience out here that can compare. Most the schools are mega commuter schools that are overcrowded and have little atmosphere. There are a couple of notable exceptions, but the sheer number of athletes in Cali (the state is closing in on pop 40M) dictate that not everyone is Stanford or Berkely bound.
Tennessee, both the university itself and the athletic program, are still highly regarded out west. CBJ should have some assistant or intern out here 24/7 if it's legal.
ElizabethtonvolnNC writes:
Hey Glenn Fords Fool -
The man chosen to lead UT football was 27-13 at CMU while your Chosen One BK of famed ND went 19-16.Note - The team Jones inherited included 19 gradutated seniors.
Additionally, after taking over at Cincy and another senior ladden team graduating 14 players and (8 - 1st or 2nd team all B E) went 4-8 but subsequently won 2 Big East Championships with a 2 year record of 19-6.
Sorry you feel like you were sold a bill of goods....sounds like a winner in my book, definitely not a Dooley.
gogovols2002#222335 writes:
Wrong...in 2002 Foster moved to San Diego, to be with his father. Foster competed in football at Mission Bay Senior High School,
SouthPaVol writes:
The west coast also includes the productive state of Oregon, home of former Vol QB Eric Ainge. For our 2014 class, two of the three Lady Vols' recruits are from Oregon, including a 6'5" dominant post player that will lead the Lady Vols to NC #9.
And more on the conspiracy theorist' line of thinking, the honorable Tee Martin is spending time coaching and recruiting at USC to better learn west coast recruiting tactics, make contacts, then move back to Knoxville. Go Vols!
Theo writes:
OK - let's review. Fulmer is gone, he is not coming back. Running down every coach and everything about the football program is not going to bring him back. Your loyalty is obviously to Fulmer rather than the Univ of TN. You should just get off of here and go follow Phil's twitter. Maybe that will make you a happier person. The rest of us are moving on and excited about the new coach and staff, the new kids and are ready to support them fully.
johnlg00 writes:
I agree that the Vols have had success with Californians in the past. No doubt the state produces hundreds of D-I caliber athletes in all sports and both sexes. Tennessee, the school, the town, the region, and the state could look like heaven for someone who grew up in the smog- and traffic-choked environs of LA or the sun-baked wastes of the Central Valley. No doubt parts of California are still very nice. No question there are a whole slew of elite universities out there.
Still, the main football schools all have drawbacks as far as elite athletes are concerned. Few of those schools are football-mad to the extent UT and the rest of the SEC are. USC may be in for a prolonged spell in the NCAA wilderness. Stanford and Cal-Berkeley are hard for many athletes to qualify for academically. UCLA is in the heart of that sprawling megalopolis. Since it is increasingly difficult for UT to penetrate the surrounding states for top-grade talent, the logic for them to "head west" in search of top-grade talent is unassailable. As someone already said, I'm pretty sure the staff is already aware of this. We do still have potential allies out there. Casey Clausen, for one, is heavily involved in HS football and, last I heard, still has good feelings for UT. I'm sure there are others. Contacting them on behalf of the UT program would be a good task for the network of ex-Vol lettermen Jones seems to be trying to (re)create. There's gold in them thar hills, guys; go get it and bring it back home to THESE hills!
The_View_From_Memphis writes:
On a related note, we see the staffs of 'BAMA, ARK., MISS ST. & OLE MISS in MEMPHIS all of the time! Heck, we even joke that Saban must have a second(or third) home in Memphis, because we see him here all of the time. Yet, the UT staff is encouraged to recruit Cali. UNBELIEVABLE!!
Again, to summarize; Nick Saban practically lives in Memphis, TENNESSEE, but the HOME-STATE VOLS are advised to recruit 2K+ miles away. Yes, this makes perfect sense!!!
blaz2102 writes:
Say what you will. California has a boatload of skilled position players every year. Fulmer had to compete in Florida and didnt do as well there. He went west...and did well. Foster was not an unusual player in San Diego. USC and UCLA dont even have to get on an airplane to recruit. Tennessee recruited from the perifial(sp) areas around San Diego and SF/Oak/Sac and have done well historically. They can again. The Weekly's have embedded themselves there and have cultivated California consistently. Therefore softball coaches, parents and kids know Tennessee. Most of the girls from California on UT's team are also recrutied (hard) by PAC12....but decide to go to UT. Coaches and facilities are their biggest reasons why they come to UT...and they win.
Volbound1700 writes:
California is great for offensive players, in fact better than Southeast region, but we won't find any good defensive ends or linebackers out there unless they are Somaon or Hawaiian.
SignalMtnVol writes:
Born in NM. Lived and played ball in San Diego from 2002 until he was recruited to Tennessee.
Just an FYI.
johnlg00 writes:
Nobody is saying to abandon Memphis, though the pickings have been slim, with a few notable exceptions, for the Vols for years there. They may well have gotten more impact players from California over the years than they have from Memphis. I'm sure Jones has noticed that Memphis produces a lot of SEC-quality players and is trying to get his share. However, if he could get half of the top 20 players in Tennessee, Memphis included, and five or so of the top 50 in California, that would be a pretty good start to a competitive class.
johnlg00 writes:
Well, there was Kevin Burnett. Given some time I might think of some others. There are quite a few California defensive players in the NFL. A guy who can play in the historic USC or Stanford programs and then star in the NFL could probably play at UT. Besides, the Vols have already had more than a couple of Samoan/Hawaiian players, so what are you saying?
golfman1975 writes:
He didn't have time to recruit out west...had to work quick. Next year will be the year we see how he can recruit...
Snapshot writes:
Maybe you just need to quit reading them. Really, you are a fan?
johnlg00 writes:
No, he is certainly not a VOL fan. He is a notorious UF troll who always has a "z" in his screen name. He just comes on here to stir the pot. Pay him no mind.
HaplessVol writes:
Dislike all you want how the man says things. I do too. However, as an alum and season ticket holder, I don't discount what he says. He was spot on about Dooley, while posters on this site were fantasizing about 11-1 and 10-2 seasons - with not one good reason and oblivious to every mounting bit of evidence of Dooley's complete unfitness, which was obvious to anyone with eyes. And who - unless you're just as oblivious - can honestly say that Hart has been anything less than a disaster.
Hart did make a big "to do" about his vast experience hiring football coaches (in fact, non-existant experience) and did promise a needle moving hire with a winning resume in the always tougher every year SEC. We didn't get that, despite the fact that there was ample money pledged to do so. The fact is, we got another experiment - like it or not - and more fatasizing to the contrary won't change that.
The Dooley Disciples are ready to casually dismiss this all and say Dooley just wasn't a good fit, usually accompanied by some self-exculpatory acknowlegement that he did some good things - another fantasy. Now it's Jones who they've installed as the "New Dooley" with new, as of yet, totally unwarranted optimism, either to be found in Jones' recruiting efforts, his assembled staff, or his resume.
Part of "moving on" from Fulmer, who gave us only our 2nd legitimate national championship and some mighty good other years, is to quit living in a perpetual state of denial - an example of which is facing the odds on prospect, with Jones, of 5 losing seasons in a row. Then, coming on and sticking to a bogus old catch-all - to excuse UT's own stupidity -spouting the familiar "Fulmer still needed to go". Moving on, from Fulmer, also implies stopping the perpetual denial that the problems with the UTAD aren't systemic in nature, and like it or not the fact that Dave Hart is a big part of that problem.
You may dislike how things are said, on here, by certain ones who've been more right than wrong, but most posters - who've been perpetually wrong - have no call to impune, with silly calls of "troll", what they say.
Lizardgrad89 writes:
It's a long way to travel to play for a team you barely heard of growing up.
I'm sure you Vols will look at that as a shot, but really, how much do you hear about the University of Washington here in SEC country? I mean, other than they got crushed by LSU recently. You see any elite Southern kids heading that far from home to play for a 2nd tier PAC-12 team? Nope. Similarly, you aren't going to get any elite Cali kids out here to a team that all they know about it is that Oregon beats the crud out of them.
And before you say that it's different because UT won a title in 1998, I would remind you about the dominant Washington teams of the early 90's. I think Washington and Tennessee are a great comparison.
Be honest, wouldn't you think it very odd if elite Florida, Georgia, Louisiana boys started heading to Washington? Same for elite Cali boys heading to Tennessee.
murrayvol writes:
You need to jettison the John Adams obsession Walt. It's not healthy.
murrayvol writes:
An inveterate troll he is.
johnlg00 writes:
Your argument would have more merit if the Vols hadn't ALREADY had a fair number of California guys come to UT. Some of them were 1st-team All-State out there. LB Kevin Burnett was a 3-year starter for one of the all-time winningest programs in national HS history.
Who knows why some players choose to go where they do? For every homebody who wants to be within a couple hours' drive from Mom's home cooking, there is another who wants to get as far away as he can from a dysfunctional family or a crime-ridden neighborhood.
Again, it's not like UT is completely unknown out there or that other guys haven't made that trip before. UT has always had to recruit nationally, all the way back to Robert Neyland, and as long as UT can't penetrate the neighboring states to the extent they used to, why WOULDN'T they try to reestablish their presence in California?
Geofffourmyle writes:
Thanks!
John Adams was one of the leading and earliest proponents of independence.
"I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace; that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a Congress! And by God, I have had this Congress!
For ten years, King George and his Parliament have gulled, cullied, and diddled these colonies with their illegal taxes! Stamp Acts, Townshend Acts, Sugar Acts, Tea Acts! And when we dared stand up like men, they have stopped our trade, seized our ships, blockaded our ports, burned our towns, and spilled our BLOOD! And still, this Congress refuses to grant ANY of my proposals on independence, even so much as the courtesty of open debate! Good God, what in hell are you waiting for?"
-"1776"
Walt
UT '81
underthehill writes:
Good job..I like it !!!
Geofffourmyle writes:
I hold you blameless for being obsessed with me.
Walt
Ut '81
underthehill writes:
Your image just took a beating..you are actually a kind and forgiving person..good job..
pingkr62 writes:
What ever you're smoking, put it away. Your thinking is as cloudy as your bong water. G.B.O.!!!
pingkr62 writes:
I hope Walt can forgive me. I haven't been very kind to him in the past. G.B.O.!!!
UTvols33 writes:
Someone should tell Adams that there are 14 teams in the "PAC-10" and that it's a little early to say that Ole Miss is "flourishing."
True that there has been some interest in UT from California recruits in the past, but honestly I don't really care where they come from as long as they can play and represent the university well. Jones needs to seal the borders up in Tennessee for 2014, as there is an unpresidented amount of talent in the state for that class, but I'm sure he knows that already as he is a head coach of a major college football program and I am not.
Dave Hart is the best AD ever! : )
GO VOLS! BEAT FLORIDA!
rb4346 writes:
We shall see if they are 2nd tier recruits in your opinion and see if CBJ is not an SEC caliber coach. I think you are wrong on both statements and you will be eating you words Troll boy or girl, which ever you happen to be. Have a bad day Troll.
gwavescVOL writes:
Really? First of all if you're going to spend that much time with your nose in a thesaurus then at least proofread (after all you only have to do it once since you copy and paste the same comments on multiple articles). Informationally incorrect on most points, poor grammer, spelling, and just a general flow that well. . . doesn't really flow. If attention is what you wanted you got it, next time clean up the basics if you're going to make an attempt at intelligence insults.
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