Tennessee`s Top 20 recruits

[jaxoncm]

Just like most years, Memphis leads the talent list. I find it shocking that more teams from Memphis don't win more gold balls. I think we can all agree they have the best talent, and we could also agree outside of a few schools they have the worst coaching. 10 from the West, 6 from Middle, and 4 from the East is around about how I would think it would fall every year.

[JC4life]

Were some deserving kids left off of this list?  Perhaps so.  But one thing is for sure - Rivals, or any other recruiting service for that matter, has far more incentive to be accurate and prophetic than it does to be "biased".  Rivals is not trying to "appeal" to a certain geographical population.  Why does Middle and West have more players on the list?  Have you ever thought that there are more players in that part of the state?  I don't know if the list is geographically commensurate with the population splits in the state (it's probably close), but in any given year, most people should expect to see East Tennessee with fewer "prospects" (versus West and Middle) due to the numbers game.

 

So why is the kicker ahead of Albert Harris?  Answer the following questions about the kicker:

 

> What is his range?

> What are his percentages from 40 yards out?

> Does he have a quick "release" (from snap to kick)?

> Is he right-footed or left-footed?

> Do colleges have a greater need for kicker prospects this year?

> Is he "recruitable" (i.e., does he have the grades/test scores, what is his attitude like, does he respond to coaching well, etc.)?

 

Is Albert Harris more of a "propsect" than the kicker?  I don't know.  And anyone who can't answer the questions above doesn't know either, nor is in the position to dispute the ratings.  Heck, Rivals does not even know for sure (no one does), but I seriously doubt they take a lazy approach to their work. 

 

And yet, it still doesn't matter.  Preseason player ratings don't score TDs or make tackles or pancake block or kick XPs.

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I don`t have to know about the kicker,I know that one of the best RB's in the state rushed for over 2000yd,was on first team allstate,and is more of a prospect than ANY kicker.Thats what I know!

[rollredroll]

I don`t have to know about the kicker,I know that one of the best RB's in the state rushed for over 2000yd,was on first team allstate,and is more of a prospect than ANY kicker.Thats what I know!

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I'm sure Rivals rates all positions and doesn't necessarily give any more or less weight to the "glamour" positions.

 

I'm sure all the kickers out there love the slight. I was not one, nor do I have a problem with them, so I'll let them chime in if they want. All I know is that the New England Patriots won two Super Bowls with a winning KICK. The 1998 UT Vols won a NC in large part due to a season opening pressure KICK with no time on the clock versus Syracuse. And no one talks about the dropped passes and interceptions in the 1991 Super Bowl - all they talk about was the missed KICK by Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood. Everyone contributes, kickers included.

 

I have no bone to pick with you personally or Albert Harris or anyone, but if kickers don't matter, trot Albert out there with a tee on kickoffs, FGs, and XPs.

Edited July 21, 2004 by rollredroll

[WaCoJaCo]

If you had Albert Harris on your team you probably wouldn't need a kicker.

[JohnJohn]

The funny thing is, the list is from Brent Hubbs who lives in Knoxville. I would imagine he's seen Harris play.

[Sequatchie]

Here are the top 20 recruits in TN according to rivals100.com:

Top 20

 

Looks like a good year.

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I think thats a very good list of who most big time schools are recruiting!

[JC4life]

If you had Albert Harris on your team you probably wouldn't need a kicker.

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Truer words were never spoken.I have no trust in kickers,I`ve seen to many games lost by the foot of a kicker.YOU HAVE ONE JOB,MAKE KICKS! How many times has a kicker missing an extra point been the defference between winning and losing? You`re better off going for two every time.

[WatchThis]

I think RRR got an A in debate class.

 

P.S. Rivals misses quite a few good players.

[rollredroll]

Thanks for the compliment (I think), WatchThis, but I didn't take debate. Debaters at my school were held in less esteem than kickers are in east Tennessee.

 

JC, I'm dropping the kicking issue so we can return to the thread topic, but if you think kickers only kick, think back to why Joe Nedney of the Tennessee Titans was on the sidelines on crutches all of last year. He didn't tear up his knee kicking field goals. Also, if you think the two-point conversion produces better possibility of success, forget any kind of career as a head coach (or math teacher).

 

Nothing personal, seriously, but you're losing sight of what TEAM is all about in football.

Edited July 21, 2004 by rollredroll

[itzme]

I agree.  What a shame.

 

So, everybody on coacht.com who has seen every kid in Tennessee play and can determine whether the players on the Rivals list are better than the ones not on the list, or vice versa, please let us know.  The over/under on people who can do this is three.  I'll take the under.

 

As soon as I saw this thread, I said to myself, how long will it be before the conspiracy theories and bias allegations come out?  Not too long, apparently.

 

Get over it, folks.  It's just a preseason list, and being on or off the list isn't going to help or hinder a player's recruitment.  Signing on the dotted line at the end of the season is all that matters.

 

And remember, we all do have the option of learning HTML and website development and incurring web hosting fees and staffing costs and so on to come up with our own recruiting website.  Heck, if someone will bankroll me ($5K will get me started), I'll do it myself.  I'll even include Harris, McCallister, and Williams.

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All I can say is that of the ones on the list that i have seen play, they all deserve to be there. I'm sure many others do as well.

 

RRR...you did forget to list one really important game tying kick form last season!!

[rollredroll]

RRR...you did forget to list one really important game tying kick form last season!!

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Thanks for the reminder. However, the positive side of that kick was that it created some excellent motivation for the rematch, whereas otherwise the motivation may have been on the other sideline at VU that Saturday night. It took hours of therapy for me to come to that conclusion, but I'm there now, and no more "Excuses, excuses".

[grizzly55]

I think Travis Sikes should be somewhere on the list if Patrick Turner is #1. He gotten a lot better this off season you'll see. and i think he was as good as turner last year.