Stories of the Decade: Josh Dobbs Ignites

It’s not on our countdown, but one of the best moments for Tennessee football in a decade full of lesser options came in early 2016: Peyton Manning beat Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game, won his second Super Bowl, and rode off into the sunset.

Manning had been Tennessee’s greatest hero for two decades. Not only did he rewrite SEC and NFL record books, he played 18 seasons at the game’s highest level. Thirteen of Tennessee’s NFL Draft picks taken during Manning’s NFL career made the Pro Bowl: Al Wilson, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Ellis, Chad Clifton, Travis Henry, John Henderson, Albert Haynesworth, Jason Witten, Scott Wells, Dustin Colquitt, Jerod Mayo, Eric Berry, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Arian Foster, a fantasy football god, makes 14.

Jamal won a Super Bowl in 2000 and was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 (the same year Manning and Steve McNair split the MVP). Witten made 11 Pro Bowls; only 15 players (including Manning) have ever made more. Berry made five, and would’ve made more if healthy.

But no one ever came close to Manning, in accolades and in popularity among Vol fans. Some of it was the nature of playing quarterback, and the absence of any other NFL starter from Tennessee after him. Some of it was simply Manning.

By the time he retired, the Vols had been in the wilderness for seven years. No offense to Nathan Peterman – we’ll get to him in a minute, actually – but no Vol quarterback had taken meaningful snaps as a starter in the NFL since Peyton. Tee Martin, Erik Ainge, and Jonathan Crompton were all fifth round picks. Tyler Bray, once thought to have the brightest NFL future of any Vol QB since Manning, ultimately went undrafted (but has found stability and success as a backup with the Chiefs and Bears the last seven years).

For a Vol quarterback seeking this kind of long-term legacy, the shoes to fill are large, and have been largely empty since Manning. And into all that stepped a sophomore quarterback we weren’t prepared to expect much of.

#7: Josh Dobbs Ignites

Speaking of unfair expectations, Josh Dobbs’ first collegiate action came against Alabama, Missouri, and Auburn in 2013. Those three teams finished the year ranked seventh, fifth, and second. Dobbs had some excitement around him because he was clearly a different athlete than Justin Worley, who was knocked out of the Alabama game immediately following a surge of optimism against Georgia and South Carolina. And the freshman Dobbs did his best against those odds. He was unable to lead a touchdown drive against Missouri, and the points Tennessee did score against Auburn (23) were quickly overwhelmed by the Tigers’ (55).

And then came one of the first crossroad games for Butch Jones: James Franklin’s final Vanderbilt team, with the Vols at 4-6 and still alive for bowl eligibility. These Commodores would finish the season ranked, and Franklin got the job in Happy Valley. Vanderbilt earned its second win over Tennessee since 1982 the year before in Derek Dooley’s last game; that kind of loss tends not to sting as much from our perspective. But this contest carried real weight for both sides.

Dobbs threw an interception on his first pass attempt, putting the Vols in a 7-0 hole. The Vols went three-and-out on their next two drives, wasting great field position after their own interception. Marquez North was out with an injury. And Tennessee really stayed away from the pass after that.

Dobbs’ final stat line in this game is 11-of-19 (57.9%) for 53 yards (2.8 yards per attempt) with two interceptions. But it was actually even worse than that: Vanderbilt’s infamous 92-yard drive to take the lead with 16 seconds left gave the Vols a few heaves downfield. Dobbs completed two passes against prevent coverage for 14 and 23 yards in those last 16 seconds, then was incomplete on the final play of the game. So before the final drive, Dobbs was 9-of-16 (56.3%) for 16 yards. I think you can handle the YPA math on that.

Something we found ourselves saying some leading up to the 2016 season about Dobbs’ ceiling – do they trust him enough to throw it downfield enough to win? – was first a topic of conversation about his floor. When you have that kind of performance in a crucial game against any Vanderbilt team, you find your way to an assumption from the fan base: this guy isn’t the answer.

Justin Worley was back for his senior season, Riley Ferguson transferred after spring practice, and Tennessee did not sign a quarterback in its (otherwise massively successful) 2014 class. Four-stars Quinten Dormady and Sheriron Jones would come in the next year, setting the stage for competition after Worley left.

I probably led the league in word count in defending Justin Worley in the first half of the 2014 season, so no need to revisit all that. But kudos to that kid for standing back there behind the greenest of offensive lines, which eventually led to him getting knocked out for the season for the second year in a row.

By that point, the Vols had missed a critical opportunity for the second time under Butch Jones: first Vanderbilt to stay bowl eligible in 2013, then perhaps the Gators at their lowest point since we started playing them every year in 2014. Tennessee imploded in the red zone, lost 10-9, and a lot of momentum Jones had built through recruiting fell by the wayside. After a win over Chattanooga, back-to-back top five opponents from Ole Miss and Alabama compounded the problem.

Against the Tide, Nathan Peterman got the start. With a fist-pumping Lane Kiffin on the sideline, Alabama scored a touchdown on its first snap and raced to an unbelievable 27-0 lead just 18 minutes into the game. In the stadium and probably elsewhere, you felt like they might go for 100 points and 1,000 yards.

Peterman gave way to Dobbs, whose first three drives ended in two punts and a fumble. And to be sure, Bama’s defense probably relaxed up 27-0. But Dobbs worked a 10-play, 84-yard drive to get the Vols on the board, then Aaron Medley knocked home three to make it 27-10 at the break.

And then, from the archives at Rocky Top Talk:

In between the Vol defense stopped the Tide on its opening drive of the third quarter, setting up this from Dobbs:  3rd and 7 complete to Marquez North for 22, 3rd and 2 to Ethan Wolf for 10, 3rd and 8 on his own with a brilliant 15 yard pump fake scramble, then another 3rd and goal at the 9 and another touchdown as Von Pearson hit the brakes and they flew right by.

Tennessee didn’t complete the comeback, falling 34-20 after cutting Bama’s lead to 27-17 at that point. But Dobbs erased the memories from Vanderbilt and put possibility on the table. You only had to wait a week to cash it in.

I’ve called this Tennessee’s most rewatchable game of the decade a number of times. Unlike the options from 2016 that carry mixed amounts of frustration for what that season didn’t become, this game – as an incredible team performance, insane comeback, and the genesis of Josh Dobbs as the Tennessee quarterback of the decade – is pure joy. Honestly, Tennessee’s wild comeback against Indiana in the Gator Bowl is probably underrated because this one happened just five years earlier. The after-midnight-but-hey-it’s-daylight-savings! postgame is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.

In his next-to-last start in 2013 against Vanderbilt, Dobbs was 9-of-16 for 16 yards and two interceptions before facing the prevent defense, plus 11 carries for 23 yards.

In his first start in 2014 at South Carolina, Dobbs was 23 of 40, 301 yards (7.5 YPA), 2 TD, 1 INT.  Plus 24 carries, 166 yards, 3 TD on the ground.

We found our quarterback.

More in this series:

#10: Are you sure the referees have left the field?

#9: A Smokey Gray Almost

#8: How will we remember Georgia State?

A New Hope: Some May the 4th Vols Recruiting Thoughts

Not much else to add on last week’s legitimately historic recruiting run other than that it appears that it’s not quite over yet.  The most important thing is not just the number of commitments and not even the rankings – though adding two 5-stars in one-week is incredible enough – but the competition Tennessee is besting to land these players.  We’ve talked ad nauseum about how Tennessee has to win more recruiting battles for elite players against elite programs in order to take the next step from 7-8 wins to being legitimately in the championship conversations.  And more than a few of the Vols commitments before last week were examples of those types of wins.  But to almost double your commitment total in one week with 100% of those players representing those types of recruiting wins is really something.  It’s the kind of thing that accelerates a rebuild from a step-by-step, multiple season sort of thing to something much quicker and more sustainable

Everyone who follows recruiting knows that even in a normal recruiting cycle there are always decommitments – guys who flip to another school and guys who are recruited over.  In this unique 2021 cycle, with Zoom calls and enhanced Twitter graphics replacing on-campus visits and coaches on the road, the odds of decommitments likely goes much higher.  Given that strong possibility, expect Coach Pruitt and Tennessee to continue to push the pedal to the metal when it comes to adding more and more elite talent.  From this perspective it wouldn’t even be shocking to see Tennessee have more than 25 commitments at some point in the cycle and then let the chips fall where they may.  Sometimes you just have to maximize your opportunity, and this appears to be one for Tennessee when it comes to recruiting momentum.  And for a coach who’s attempted multiple onsides kicks and likes to blitz regardless of down and distance, Pruitt simply strikes as someone who is going to make the most of this while he can, especially given that there remains a talent gap between Tennessee and the Alabamas and LSUs of the college football world.

All that said, there doesn’t appear to be much if any “fat” on the current commitment list, and it’s pretty clear that anyone being added from here on out will be an elite prospect.  So along with the question of how to continue to add bigtime commitments is the question of how to keep this class intact as much as is realistically possible.  With the caveat that Pruitt needs zero recruiting tips from anyone let alone the author, it seems prudent to be, in parallel with continuing to do whatever the heck he and his staff have been doing during this shutdown, planning for what happens when on-campus visits are allowed.  Contingencies will of course need to be made depending on when that exactly is, but the first priority should be getting as many of these commitments to Knoxville immediately.  That is, before they visit anywhere else.  Tennessee has had success with themed weekends over the last two summers, with a pool party and paintball tournament that both resonated with prospects.  Ideally the Vols will be able to host something similar before the season starts, but whatever it is the staff should be trying to lock down dates for these commitments to visit, perhaps even for an invitation-only commitment-only type event.  There are already text chains, and probably Zoom calls too, among the commitments.  But getting them to campus, particularly if it can be done all together with a bunch of hype, would go a long way towards making these guys even firmer in their respective commitments. 

With today’s commitment of Colby Smith, the Vols now have their first pledge from an Offensive Lineman in the class.  After signing two 5-star OTs in the 2019 class – both of whom project to be starters in 2020 after getting a ton of playing time their freshman season – Tennessee went Interior OL heavy in the 2020 class.  There is of course always a need for high quality OTs, and Smith is definitely that, which makes him a great start.  At 6’7 and 300 pounds he’s got perfect size for an OT to go with high level athleticism, and the presence of a veteran group of OTs will enable him to ease his way into the rotation in the future. But the Vols – who theoretically don’t have a ton of spots remaining (caveat: see 2nd paragraph above) – definitely need to fill out the rest of the OL and DL class.   Tennessee is in solid shape for instate OL Dietrick Pennington from Memphis and William Parker from Nashville, and is also battling for bigtime Peach State native Dylan Fairchild. Diego Pounds, an OT from North Carolina, is also very much in play. And Tennessee has also tendered an offer to OT Hugh Laughlin, who hails from the same high school in Athens, GA as 2020 signee Len’neth Whitehead. So the Vols have options on the OL.  On the DL,  top targets include Jahvaree Ritzie, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Payton Page, Jamond Gordon (a JUCO early enrollee), Leonard Taylor, and Katron Evans.  Tennessee is deep in the mix for that entire list of players, with Taylor being the longest shot at the moment.  Evans is tentatively set to commit this coming Sunday along with his teammate 4-star LB Aaron Willis, both of whom hail from Baltimore’s St Frances Academy from which 2020 signee Dominic Bailey just graduated.  Tennessee appears to be in very good shape for both Willis and Evans, a 4-star interior DL at 6’4 and 320 pounds.  So, yeah, the Vols have set themselves up to meet needs on both lines of scrimmage, too.

Quickly from a future facing perspective, not only could the Vols land two or maybe even three players from St Frances in 2021 (the third being 4-star LB Jamon Dumas Johnson) to go with Bailey, but Tennessee has also already offered 5 players at the school from the 2022 class. TE Coach Joe Osovet, who has been working the DC/Maryland/Virginia/Pennsylvania area incredibly hard, is not only starting to see success in 2021 but could be setting the Vols up for even more success down the road in what is simply put, in the most complementary way, a football factory.

Vol fans are going to have to navigate Mother’s Day a little carefully this year, as not only are Willis and potentially Evans scheduled to commit but so is 4-star and 247 Sports Top 100 player QB Kaidon Salter. All signs point to Salter picking the Vols, so between those three (at least!) Tennessee fans will have to be sure to not offend anyone by checking their phones throughout the day 🙂

Would it be surprising to see the Vols go without another commitment between Colby Smith today and the Mother’s Day Three this Sunday? At this point…yep.

A Heater

What else can be said about the week that Tennessee has had on the recruiting trail?  Statistical analysis shows that there is no such thing as momentum in sports.  Well, since Sunday, when 5-star LB Dylan Brooks decided on the Vols, he’s been joined by the following:

4-star DB Kamar Wilcoxson

4-star WR Julian Nixon

#1 JUCO RB Tiyon Evans

5-star LB Terrence Lewis

Further, Tennessee appears to have serious juice – as in possibly impending commitments – with 4-star RB Cody Brown, 4-star ATH Kaemen Marley as well as 4-star QB Kaidon Salter, 4-star LB Aaron Willis, and his high school teammate 4-star DL Katron Evans, the three of whom have commitment dates set for May 10th. 

The Vols still have needs in this class, for sure, even if they sweep the group above.  Those are particularly clear on the OL and DL, where the class currently has zero and two commitments, respectively.  In particular, at DL an emphasis likely needs to be put on bigtime JUCO prospects like Jamond Gordon, Marquis Brown, and Zykevious Strong given the fact that the Vols are set to lose at least seven DL after the 2020 season. But the boards at both positions have a multitude of bigtime prospects on them, and at this point every single elite recruit in the country is taking notice.  At the same time, with 15 commitments on board already, in theory there are only 10 spots left in this class, which means maybe the Vols have to be slow down this commitment rush.

Prediction: Pruitt and Co. are going to ride this momentum as long as it lasts. I expect them to be position agnostic (i.e., not say, well we’re full at this spot so we won’t take another elite talent there).  I also expect them, to a large degree, to not care about “the numbers” either.  It is of course only very late April, and we all know how things can change in recruiting even in normal years.  There will likely be decommitments from the current Tennessee list, and at the same time there will be players Tennessee covets that are currently committed elsewhere who will shake loose over the next several months.  So don’t expect Pruitt, who plays the recruiting game as well or better than any Head Coach in America, to hamstring himself by worrying about positions and the 25-scholarship rule.  He knows that in order to win at the highest level you have to collect as much elite, future NFL talent as you can.  Then of course you have to develop them and coach well during the games, but he and this staff have proven they can do those two things already in his first two seasons in Knoxville.  So just like Jeffrey Tambor tells his future son-in-law in The Hangover, you never walk away from a heater.  Expect Pruitt and Tennessee to follow that advice and keep putting on more steam. 

Hugh Laughlin an OL on the Rise

Offensive Lineman Hugh Laughlin from Athens Academy in Athens, GA received an offer from Tennessee last week, capping off a month in which he added double-digit offers from the likes of Florida State and Ole Miss among others. We had a chance to catch up with him and get a sense of where he is in his recruitment and what he thinks about the Vols:

Q: What’s your current height and weight?

A: “I’m 6’6, 285.”

Q: And what weight did you play at last season?

A: “ I played at around 260.”

Q: You’re new to the Offensive Tackle position, right?  Talk about that transition and how you think your experience at Tight End helps.

A: “Yes sir, I transitioned over recently.  First, blocking at Tight End is almost all going forward, so blocking as an Offensive Lineman involves very different movements.  So I’ve been working on my pass drops a ton.  But when I was a Tight End I was always blocking on the end of the line so I guess I was used to that a little bit already.”

Q: Do you feel like you’re going to be a leader for your team?  If so, what kind of leadership qualities do you bring?

A: “Yes sir, I do. I plan on being a positive leader who loves on everyone but expects the best from them as well.  I’m not the most vocal guy so I lead by example, but I am working on being a more vocal leader too.”

Q: You play basketball too, right and compete in track and field too, right?  Talk about those and how you think competing in multiple sports helps you on the gridiron.

A: “Just competing year round. Basketball was actually my first love – I even thought about not playing football my freshman season but the coach talked me into coming out for the spring and I fell in love with football and have loved it ever since.”

Q: What have you been doing workout wise during the shutdown?

A: “I’ve been working with a trainer on my pass drops and footwork.  I’ve also been doing a lot of body weight workouts.  You’ve just got to keep grinding.”

Q: You’ve got some high-level academic schools after you.  Talk about what you’re interested in studying in college.

A: “I’ve been taking a genetics class and that really fascinates me, so that’s something I’m interested in.  I’m actually looking into enrolling early.”

Q: Where have you visited so far, and which schools do you plan to see after the shutdown ends?

A: “I’ve been to Georgia Tech a few times, it’s just right down the road. I went to Oklahoma this spring.  And I visited Tennessee for the Vanderbilt game this past season.  I’ve also been to UGA as a recruit a few times, but not in a while.”

Q: Did you grow up a fan of any school? 

A: “I grew up a UGA fan.  Their stadium is just a mile from my house.”

Q: Are you hearing much from them?  Would they be able to get involved if they offered soon?

A: “A little, but not much.  I’m still open to all schools right now so yes sir I’d be open to them too.”

Q:Are you close with Class of 2020 Tennessee signee Len’neth Whitehead from Athens Academy?  What has he told you about Tennessee?

A: “Yes I’m very close with Len’neth.  He’s just told me it’s a great school and a great place to go.”

Q: What about WR Deion Colzie?  He’s also a high level recruit…other than Tennessee are there schools recruiting you both and have you guys shared any thoughts on schools?

A: “I’m very close with Deion too.  Other than Tennessee, UCF is probably the only school recruiting both of us.  It’s great to have him to talk to about recruiting, especially when it comes to thinking about where to take official visits.  That’s the most stressful part right now.”

Q: Who at Tennessee gave you the offer and how did they deliver the news?

A: “Coach Niedermeyer.  He texted me and asked me to call him.  He said ‘We watched your film as a staff and want to offer you a scholarship,’  It was very exciting.”

Q: Where are you in your recruitment, and what schools are standing out at the moment?

A: “I’m taking it slowly right now and am open to all schools at the moment. Right now I’m planning on a December decision but if I go somewhere and just love it I might change my mind on that timeline.”

Q: Lastly, anything else fans should know about you?

A: “Just that I’m a very aggressive player.  I love physicality and the game of football.  I’m really grateful for all of the opportunities and can’t wait to play at the next level.”

Laughlin is an outgoing and confident young man with a lot of the physical tools schools are looking for in an Offensive Tackle.  He’s clearly wide open right now and getting used to being a recruit who’s got offers from the likes of Tennessee.  Given that he’s just recently moved to OT from Tight End, he is the kind of prospect who probably would have multiple other SEC offers had he been able to go on more campus visits and participate in camps, etc.  But the Vols have made the move to offer and that seems to mean a lot to him.  UGA could definitely end up a factor if they decide to get involved, and Georgia Tech with its proximity to home and strong academics could be a player too.  But the Vols do have an interesting tie beyond just Whitehead.  Laughlin told me that he was about to jump on a call with Tennessee OL Coach Will Friend, whose daughter was a preschool student of Laughlin’s mother a few years back.  We joked that it always pays to be nice to your children’s preschool teacher, so assuming Coach Friend lives by that rule the Vols might have an in with that prior relationship.  Laughlin’s recruitment does seem to be one that won’t be over soon, and with the Vols having a big need at OT and having extended a relatively early offer one can expect them to stay involved until the end.

Dylan on Dylan (Brooks): A New Morning for the Vols

Along with TN, GA, FL and the Carolinas, you can officially add the state of Alabama to Tennessee’s prime recruiting area.  Many have scoffed at the idea that the Vols could consistently go into the Yellowhammer State and land bigtime talent, but after signing no players from Alabama in his first two recruiting classes and then three in the class of 2020, Coach Jeremy Pruitt – himself a former high school coach in the state and famously the Defensive Coordinator for the Crimson Tide – has himself five commitments from Alabamians now.  And while some of them have been players who the two instate powers didn’t go hard for, a) even those players were pursued by other bigtime programs, and b) Dylan Brooks is NOT one of those.  Between Pruitt, DC Derrick Ansley (a former Tide assistant), OL Coach Will Friend (same), and Tee Martin (a MOB legend), the Vols simply have tons of ties in that state.  And with the program clearly on the upswing after the way the 2019 season ended, it’s starting to pay real dividends

Tennessee very much hopes to not be done in Alabama this cycle either.  The Vols are also fighting instate powerhouses Alabama and Auburn for fellow Pass Rusher Jeremiah Williams; ILB Ian Jackson; and TE

Trinity Bell.  One can be sure that to any degree those schools felt comfortable keeping Tennessee outside of their border they no longer think that is the case, so keep an eye out for both the Tide and the Tigers to redouble their efforts with those prospects in particular.  One would also not be surprised to see both schools circle back on Tennessee’s other four commitments from the state and try and apply some pressure to the Vols there

This obviously take Tennessee’s recruiting during the COVID-19 imposed shutdown, already arguably some of the best in the country outside of Ohio State, to another level.  Brooks also represent a true win in terms of landing the kind of elite player that the Vols have worked themselves into the mix for.  Momentum is a very real thing in recruiting, and the Vols have a lot of it right now.  Look for them to try and capitalize on that, both in terms of simply trumpeting it via social media, etc, but also in terms of perhaps applying some pressure to other prospects and urging them to get in the boat now.  One such prospect that will likely see a renewed push in light of Brooks’ commitment is LB Junior Colson, for whom the Vols are playing catchup to Michigan at the moment and who as an instate prospect the Vols definitely don’t want to lose

When watching Tennessee’s defense over the last two seasons, what’s jumped out is that other than recent 2nd Round NFL Draft pick Darrell Taylor the Vols have simply not had anyone who could consistently get to the quarterback.  Tennessee may have signed a couple of bigtime passrushers in the 2020 class in 4-stars Morven Joseph and Tyler Baron, but that remains to be seen.  But Brooks is a bonafide stud and not the kind of prospect one has to do much squinting to see making an immediate impact off the edge

Speaking of Taylor, it could not have hurt Tennessee’s cause with Brooks to see the Seattle Seahawks trade up to take DT19 in the 2nd Round on Friday night.  Nothing speaks more highly of Pruitt and Ansley than the work they did with Taylor to get him to that spot.  And of course Pruitt doing a full court PR press to stump for Taylor had to resonate with Brooks and other high school prospects.  Pruitt is of course known for being a coach that players just love, but when you see a head coach go to the mat for a player and then see the results in the form of a high draft pick that’s simply a big deal

Shelton Felton may, along with Joe Osovet, be emerging as yet another stud recruiter on Jeremy Pruitt’s staff.  We know that Pruitt is one of if not the best recruiting Head Coach in the country.  And we know that his staff already had two prior 247 Sports Recruiters of the Year in Tee Martin and Brian Niedermeyer.  The other thing we know is that the trade of DL Coach Jimmy Brumbaugh for former DL Coach Tracy Rocker was going to be an upgrade by default simply because of how insanely bad Rocker was on the trail for the Vols.  And that’s before the fact that Brumbaugh has a solid rep himself as a recruiter as well as a strong talent development track record to sell.  What we didn’t know was how Felton and Osovet would translate coming from a much smaller pond and the JUCO/QC ranks, respectively.  Well, so far so good for both, and that sets Tennessee up to potentially have a dominant recruiting staff

This goes without saying, but neither Alabama nor Auburn nor LSU – who was also recruiting Brooks hard – are going to give up here.  Pruitt and Co. will need to continue to recruit him as if he’s not committed until National Signing Day arrives and his fax comes through.  But, and this is not to discount the seriousness of the previous sentence, Brooks’ commitment did not come out of nowhere.  He’s been to Tennessee’s campus nearly ten times.  He’s been to multiple games in Neyland Stadium.  He’s been to Junior Days.  And he’s been up for random unofficial visits.  He clearly has a strong affinity for Pruitt, the Vols staff, Knoxville, and the UT campus.  Again, the Vols will 100% have to fight tooth and nail to sign Dylan Brooks.  But from now on they’ll be playing from a position of real strength, which was not the case when Brooks was uncommitted.

Stories of the Decade: How Will We Remember Georgia State?

What kind of decade was it for Tennessee? The total unpredictability of last season is only good enough for eighth on our list of the most important football stories of the last ten years.

For now.

The version of 2019 where it doesn’t work out for Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols down the road leaves last season as an interesting anomaly, but beyond that? We talked a lot late in the year about the most impressive piece of history from 2019: the Vols covered the spread six games in a row, from Mississippi State to Missouri, for the first time since 1990. In that run, Tennessee turned 1-4 into 8-5, and earned forgiveness for losing to Georgia State. It’s an impressive feat.

But for 2019 to truly be remembered well, the Vols of the current decade have to do more than make us forget Georgia State. They have to make us remember it.

If Darrell Taylor doesn’t get drafted in the first round after my bedtime, the Vols will continue this trend:

  • UT First Round picks who played for Fulmer: 19 in 18 years
  • UT First Round picks who played after Fulmer: 3 in 10 years

(If Taylor does get drafted tonight, he’ll at least join a strong group of Cordarrelle Patterson, Ja’Wuan James, and Derek Barnett as post-Fulmer first rounders.)

If no Vols are taken in the second round, you’ll have this:

  • UT Second Round picks who played for Fulmer: 17 in 18 years
  • UT Second Round picks who played after Fulmer: Justin Hunter

(Alvin Kamara was quite the steal in round three.)

One of the best parts of last season’s finish is the way it came on the shoulders of guys who stayed. Darrell Taylor, Daniel Bituli, Nigel Warrior, and Marquez Callaway all made an enormous difference; they’ll all get a phone call at some point this weekend, be it the draft or free agency. And of course, Jauan Jennings was building on an already memorable legacy.

Tennessee didn’t beat any ranked teams in their late season run. But they also weren’t sending the kind of talent that regularly beats ranked teams to the NFL this season. Before the turnaround, all of us spent time lamenting the fact that, “Just play the young guys!” wasn’t necessarily an option the Vols weren’t already exploring. This team was what it was after losing to Georgia State and BYU. This program was what it was after the last 10+ years.

But they found a way anyway.

I want only good things for those five seniors, this weekend and in the years to come. The truth is, their Tennessee legacy is now out of their hands.

If 2019 stands alone, it’s a really interesting story. But if it becomes the first chapter?

Of the most important stories of the last decade, it’s only number eight for now. But if Pruitt and the Vols get things right to start this decade, 2019 will become one of the best and most important stories of the 2010’s.

Stay tuned.

More in this series:

#10: Are you sure the referees have left the field?

#9: A Smokey Gray Almost

Kollie a High Caliber Prospect On and Off the Field

Yesterday we wrote about newly offered instate Linebacker Prince Kollie.  We subsequently had a chance to interview him about his recruitment below:

Q: What’s your current height and weight, and how old are you?

A: “6’1, 200 pounds.  I turned 17 in March.”

Q: You play all over the field for Davy Crockett.  What side of the field and/or positions do you feel are your best and which would you prefer to play in college?

A: “I feel like right now my best position is Safety, but I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with the idea of playing in the box as a LB.  Really though I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team and get on the field”

Q: Do you feel like you’re a leader for the team?  If so, what kind of leadership qualities do you bring?

A: “Yes sir, I’m expecting to be a leader for my team this upcoming season.  I’ve got lots of great examples of leaders, from my older brother who was a leader on an undefeated team here at David Crockett a few years ago as well my Head Coach.  He always says, ‘You have to lead from the front, not from the back,’ and I try to take that to heart”

Q: You’ve got an impressive GPA and some high-level academic schools have offered you.  Talk about why school is so important to you.

A: “My family emigrated here from Liberia and both of my parents are teachers.  Our family puts God and academics at the top, and I know that sports won’t last forever and that you’ve got to have a back-up plan.”

Q: Where have you visited so far, and which schools do you plan to see after the shutdown ends?

A: “So far I’ve been to a Tennessee for last season’s game against Mississippi State and I also visited Virginia and Wake Forest this spring before the shutdown.  I would like to take some more visits when I can but I don’t have any planned at the moment.”

Q: Did you grow up a fan of any school? 

A: “No sir, not really.  More a fan of certain players.”

Q: Any Tennessee players in particular?

A: “The Linebacker that just graduated (Daniel Bituli).  I like the way he plays the game.”

Q: Who at Tennessee gave you the offer and how did they deliver the news?

A: “Coach Derrick Ansley contacted me and told me he liked my film, then gave me his number and asked me to call.  That’s when he told me about the offer.”

Q: How did it feel to get an offer from the instate team?

A: “Oh, it was big.  That was the one I and some people around me have been waiting for.  My Mom is ‘Go Vols’ all the way.  She’s a big Titans fan, too.”

Q: Do you feel any instate pull to the Vols now that you have that offer? 

A: “Absolutely.  I really like the love the fanbase has shown me, it’s been overwhelming.”

Q: Where are you in your recruitment, and what schools are standing out at the moment?

A: “I’m still open.  I don’t have a Top 10 or anything like that at the moment, but there are some schools standing out like Tennessee, Georgia, a couple of other SEC schools, and then some ACC schools like UVA and Wake Forest.  Those guys were the first to offer and believe in me.  I also like the smaller campuses since my high school is pretty small.  I do have an idea of schools that the top though.  I’d like to narrow it down with my family and my coach by the end of May”

Q: Given your academic prowess, are you familiar at all with the success guys like Josh Dobbs and Grant Williams – high profile professional athletes – also had off the field while at Tennessee?

A: “Yes sir, I’ve heard about both of those guys from friends and family, and they’re both great examples of how to get it done on and off the field”

Q: Lastly, anything else fans should know about you?

A: “Just that I and my family are very God oriented and our faith is extremely important to us.”

As should be obvious, Prince is an outstanding young man.  Incredibly respectful and with a good head on his shoulders and family support system, he’s going to be an asset for whichever program he chooses.  It does seem like Tennessee is in a good spot at the moment, though he wasn’t willing to come out and explicitly name any leaders.  But the Vols do have his mother in their corner, and Tennessee being the homestate school definitely matters to him.  Right now he’s not in any hurry to do something, but as we all know in recruiting things change by the minute, and we’ve seen throughout the last month or so in particular recruiting has become wilder than ever.  What we do know is that Kollie’s stock has taken off, and with good reason.  His will be a recruitment to watch as the Vols look to continue to stock their Linebacker room with dominant athletes while keeping the best Tennessee talent in Knoxville wearing Big Orange.  

Vols Put Another Instate Offer Out, Adding to Athletic LB Board

Tennessee made an interesting offer on Sunday, letting instate LB Prince Kollie know that he has a spot in Knoxville.  Kollie, a 3-star prospect on 247 Sports (unrated by Rivals), plays for David Crockett High School in “Tennessee’s Oldest Town” of Jonesborough, near the Tri-Cities and the Virginia border. 

Listed at 6’2 and 192 pounds, Kollie projects as an ILB in Tennessee’s 3-4 system and has seen his recruitment go from a steady burn to a boil in the last week.  The Volunteers’ offer follows those from Oklahoma and Georgia and builds on the likes of Kentucky, Mississippi State, and a six  ACC schools including relatively nearby Virginia Tech (which is not only close but has a tie, as the Hokies DC Justin Hamilton coached Kollie’s high school coach in college) among others.  Obviously the offers from the Sooners and Dawgs stand out and possibly got the attention of the Tennessee staff, but when you dig deeper you can see why the Vols would be very interested.

Start with the stats.  Last season, playing both ways and multiple positions on each side of the ball, Kollie made 78 tackles with 4 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery, all the while catching 68 passes for almost 1,100 yards and 9 TDs to go with a rushing TD.  Second, and with the caveat that David Crockett is in Tennessee’s 5A classification so isn’t the best football in the state (but far from poor), check the film.  Kollie is aggressive, goes after contact, appears to have an outstanding vertical jump, and gets sideline to sideline.  Finally, as one might expect with offers from schools like Virginia, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Tulane, Kollie is also an excellent student, with a 3.8 GPA. 

Kollie adds to Tennessee’s LB board, and joins a group of two other offerees in Kaemen Marley and Raheim Sanders who share similar builds –  in the 6’2-6’3 and 200-210 pound range –  and athleticism along with their ability to play all over the field.  Of the three, Marley is more highly rated by both 247 Sports and Rivals, but at this point all three have strong offers lists that include Tennessee as well as other powers like Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma and Auburn.


While the Vols are in a dogfight for instate stud ILB Junior Colson with Michigan (who has family ties working in its favor), and are heavily involved with studs like 5-stars Terrence Lewis and Smael Mondon as well a few other guys with bigtime offer lists like Greg Penn and Ian Jackson, UT wouldn’t be considered at the top for any of them. One wonders if Marley, Sanders, and Kollie concentrated on not just one side of the ball but one position (in this case, LB) if they’re respective rankings wouldn’t be meaningfully higher, because even though they all play a lot of WR they really jump off the screen when they play defense with their explosiveness. In fact, Marley in particular was just downgraded by 247 specifically due to it being “hard to nail down a position for him.”  All three have the look of dudes we’ve all seen flying all over the field for bigtime defenses like Auburn, LSU and Florida for years, and are the kind of guys that in the end you get into your program and find a place for them so they can make gamechanging plays for you instead of those programs.

Kollie adds to a growing number of instate players the Vols are chasing in a crop that is perhaps stronger than the popular narrative.  With commitments from WR Walker Merrill, ATH Elijah Howard, and potentially guys like Colson and OL William Parker sooner rather than later, Tennessee has a chance to once again build its class around instate prospects.  And with some momentum during COVID-19 imposed shutdown and the and a need for athletic playmakers all over the field, Kollie is an intriguing offer for a variety of reasons.

Stories of the Decade: A Smokey Gray Almost

My wife and I got married in August of 2013. When we came back from our honeymoon, the first question everyone asked was, of course, “What do you think of the new uniforms?”

Unlike Lane Kiffin’s last minute switcheroo with the black uniforms, Tennessee fans got almost two months of build-up for the smokey grays. My informal opinion is most fans went on to prefer the Nike version with its truly unique helmet, as opposed to the adidas version that eventually showed up at just about every other school they had under contract. The black unis were a hit because, in large part, the Vols played so well in them, even those who really hated the idea couldn’t be so loud about it. I’ve joked before that in my eight years of writing at Rocky Top Talk, the only comment my dad ever left on a post was to express his disdain for the black unis.

Uniforms are serious, polarizing business. As we speak, it feels like Nike is intentionally screwing up NFL uniforms just to make more money when they bring back the old look a couple years later. I’m a fan of clean, unique looks. It’s one of the great things about Tennessee: our orange is immediately distinguishable, as are our checkerboards even when Kentucky tries to steal them. The memories of the Butch Jones era aren’t always fond, but those first Nike unis with the checkerboard stripe down the side of the pants and the back of the helmet? I love those. It keeps everything great about Tennessee’s traditional look, and adds a slight touch to make them even more uniquely ours. If you have an iconic franchise, there’s no reason they should ever wear something like this:

(Also, these are the best road unis we’ve ever worn:)

The initial reaction to the smokey grays seemed somewhere in the middle – a big change for an iconic brand. But in the weeks (and years) ahead, man, they sold. Not just the jerseys, but lots of gray merchandise. I still have a lot of it; it’s helpful when you’re trying to be loud, but not too loud, in hostile territory.

Year one for Butch Jones started off okay: the Vols beat Austin Peay in the opener, then rode an enormous wave of turnovers to blow by Western Kentucky 52-20. Then the Vols were Marcus Mariotaed at Oregon, and Nathan Petermaned themselves at Florida. A 31-24 survival of South Alabama didn’t warm any fuzzies.

Georgia came to Knoxville ranked sixth. The year before, they came as close to disrupting Alabama’s dynasty without actually doing it as anyone, a feat only topped by themselves a few years later. In 2013 they lost a 38-35 thriller at Clemson in the opener, then rebounded with a 41-30 win over South Carolina. The week before Knoxville, they beat LSU 44-41. These dudes were tested, and the Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, Malcolm Mitchell offense was lighting it up. The Dawgs opened as 10.5-point favorites and it swelled to 13.5 by kickoff.

My wife comes from a huge baseball family, heavily familiar with the sports DNA. But she was newer to football. And getting married three weeks before the first game of the Butch Jones era, I was nervous. It’s a question many of us have asked at some point in the last decade: will the Vols be good enough in time for this person I love to become attached to them?

Georgia scored 10 points on their first two drives. The Vols got a field goal early in the second quarter, but the Dawgs immediately answered with a touchdown. It was 17-3 at halftime, and the Vols had punted four times, plus a three-and-out to open the third quarter.

And then Georgia missed a 39-yard field goal with nine minutes left in the third quarter.

I don’t know how many fans do the two-possessions math, but it’s enough to make a difference. The Vols hadn’t moved the ball all day, but we were still in it with #6 Georgia. And when that happens, all it takes is one play.

The spark, as it turned out, came from Pig Howard. We all know where this game is headed, but before that, Howard caught a 33-yard pass from Justin Worley to get the Vols to the Georgia 40 yard line. Worley ran for 11, then Howard ran for 10. And then, on 3rd-and-10:

https://twitter.com/DrewRoberts/status/386631472662056960

Back in it.

The Vols got a stop, but couldn’t capitalize. But Michael Palardy, doing double duty, bombed a 57-yard punt to back the Dawgs up. Tennessee’s defense earned a three-and-out.

There’s a list of great Neyland Stadium moments that happened in a loss. Everything until the end zone interception in the final minutes against #1 Notre Dame in 1990. The screen pass to Travis Stephens pre-hobnail. Cedric Houston almost going the distance right away against #1 Miami in 2002. Everything before the flash flood against Oregon in 2010. That first interception against Oklahoma in 2015.

This is definitely on that list:

Before he was the guy making three dozen tackles in big games, Jalen Reeves-Maybin was the guy who blocked this punt. Devaun Swafford gets the score, I believe it’s Geraldo Orta who gets the decleater at the goal line. And Neyland and the Vols are fully alive.

What’s truly amazing about this game is that everything left to happen all transpired in the last minute of the third quarter, the fourth, and the overtime. Aaron Murray ran for 57 yards on the last play of the third, Georgia scored on the first play of the fourth, and maybe it’s over. But nope: Rajion Neal busts one on 4th-and-1 for 43 yards, then finishes off the drive, and we’re tied again. The Vols get a stop, and two epic drives unfold. Tennessee goes 80 yards in 13 plays, converting two 4th-and-1’s and a 3rd-and-10. Neal scores again from seven yards out, and the Vols have their first lead of the day, 31-24, with 1:54 to go. Rajion on the day gets 148 yards on 28 carries.

Aaron Murray, to his absolute credit, refuses to be denied. Ten plays, 75 yards, no timeouts, three third down conversions, including a two yard pass with five seconds left to send it to overtime.

You know how it ends. But this one was a great example of what can be in a coach’s first year, even when you don’t win. Butch Jones was already off and running on the recruiting trail. But this one made people believe, including my wife. It’s a great testimony to what Neyland can be, even when we don’t win.

The Vols had to sit with it through the bye week. South Carolina, ranked 11th, was next. Tennessee didn’t play as well as they did against Georgia.

But Marquez North and Michael Palardy found a way.

If you forgot, and I bet you haven’t, Derek Dooley never beat a ranked team in three years. When Butch Jones almost got #6 Georgia, then beat #11 South Carolina?

Here’s one of the pictures that’s changed the most over time:

When it happens, you think it’s the first of many. Turns out, it might’ve been the best win in all of Jones’ tenure. His teams went on to beat #19 Georgia, #12 Northwestern, #19 Florida, #25 Georgia, and #24 Nebraska. None were ranked higher on gameday than #11 South Carolina here. Among teams ranked in the final AP poll, Jones’ Vols beat #24 Northwestern in 2015, and #14 Florida and #16 Virginia Tech in 2016. None finished the year better than South Carolina in 2013 at #4.

You just never know. We thought Marquez North would be a star for years to come, but this became his finest hour. These two games over three weeks felt like the beginning, like they should’ve earned a much higher place than #9 on our list of the most important stories of the decade. They’re still a terrific example of what can be powerful, in a coach’s first year and in Neyland at all times. But they’ve become the first example of what came to haunt Jones’ tenure: great moments that didn’t ultimately last because they didn’t turn into great seasons.

More in this series:

10. Are you sure the referees have left the field?

About that preseason college football magazine . . .

Hello!

Greetings from the Gameday on Rocky Top bunker, where I have been distancing myself from all manner of unpleasantries. I’d like to thank John Unspellable (apologies to Spencer Hall for stealing his joke for like the fourth time — it works for all Eastern European and Polynesian names and never gets old!) . . . thanks to John K. for entertaining me during this unique period in our history.

It’s a good time to be a health care lawyer with reliable internet, but you might say that it’s kind of a bad time for most everything else. There are more important things than football, right?

But you know what? There are few more important unimportant things than football. By the way, I have been up to my nostrils in football stats, coaching changes, and various and sundry football minutiae and have been typing incessantly for like 48 hours straight, sustaining on air-fried french fries and chicken salad. So really, I’m not responsible for anything I say here.

Where was I? Oh, yes. Footbaw. The question on everyone’s mind right now — just behind “This is probably just allergies, right?” — is this: “When are we going to get back to business?”

“Business,” as it concerns me wearing this hat and you reading this post, translates to questions about whether and when we are going to publish our Gameday on Rocky Top magazine. Allow me to quote Fiddler on the Roof to answer that question: “I’ll tell you. I don’t know.”

Here’s the thing. We don’t yet know whether there’s even going to be a football season. Or whether they’ll allow non-conference games. Or fans.

But here’s the other thing. Does publishing a preseason football magazine even depend on whether there’s a football season? And if so, how much? We’ve said in this space and at the other place many times that football is almost as much about anticipation as it is actually watching the games. So, as long as I have hope that there will be a season, I am interested in football.

But . . . if someday soon somebody in a suit and tie trots out to a podium and says, “No football for you,” well then, spending tens of thousands of dollars to print thousands of copies of a publication that depends on anticipation of a thing that’s definitely not going to happen is probably not in the Harvard Manual of Prudent Business Decisions. Woo for run-on sentences.

But here’s the other, other thing. Suppose that dude in the tie steps up to the podium in June, clears his throat, and exclaims, “GEAUX TIGAHS!” If that happens, we’re going to want a preseason football magazine, stat, y’all. But if I wait until June to get started, it will be too late.

Thus my current state of drowning in football stats, coaching changes, and fingers on auto-pilot fueled by fake fried food saying things without my mind’s consent. We’ve been writing anyway, so we might as well use it, is what I’m saying.

So, the “whether” is pretty easy. That’d be a “yes.”

But “when” and “how” we will publish is still TBD. We’ll let you know when we know. If you have opinions on it, leave said opinion in the comments below and the next time I surface to shower, I’ll check in.

For now, I’m just going to leave you with some random impressions that are rattling around in my troubled mind after a marathon writing session today:

  • This is the year Will Muschamp gets fired by his schedule.
  • Somebody needs to institute a transfer season so there’s a finish line of some sort. I’m all for players transferring; I just wish they wouldn’t do it while I’m in the middle of a sentence.
  • So let me get this straight: Ole Miss fired Hugh Freeze because of a scandal, gave Matt Luke three years to rehab the program’s reputation, and is now tossing the keys to Lane Kiffin? Okay, then.
  • Eliah Drinkwitz is going to stab somebody in the heart while they’re looking up his name.
  • The bat cooties have screwed everybody, but especially programs with new coaches.
  • Georgia’s defense was even better than you thought last year. Its offense was even worse. They really started to miss Jim Chaney a few games in, and this year they’re going to miss Sam Pittman and Jake Fromm and their offensive line, and they draw Alabama from the West. Meanwhile, Florida’s getting better. Therefore: Florida over Georgia for the East this year? I think I just talked myself into it. Discuss.
  • LSU was about as awesome as awesome gets last year. But hoo-boy, a lot of that awesome might well be long gone. It’s not just Burrow; they return less production than anyone in the league. The OL loses 57 of 75 starts! And how much of Burrow was actually Brady? He’s gone, too, and so is the defensive coordinator. They could lose five games. Or they could run the table because of talent and Red Bull. Geaux Tigahs!
  • With anxiety over Georgia and LSU, is this Alabama’s to win again? I hate those guys. But . . .
  • . . . Texas A&M is sneaking up on the West. I may give it to them.
  • Auburn can beat anybody this week and lose to themselves next week.
  • For like the fourth year in a row, we’re going to be asking this question about halfway through the season, “Wait. When did Kentucky get good?”
  • Sam Pittman and Kendal Briles in charge of the offense with Barry Odom leading the defense? Huh. That could actually work.
  • When was the last time Alabama didn’t have to replace either of its coordinators?
  • Mike Leach didn’t even bother hiring an offensive coordinator.

That’s all. My french fries are getting cold.