re: Tennessee honest question about your incredible collapse...

quote:

---

It's always been the case, which is why UT had a much bigger recruiting budget than virtually anyone else, back in the day.

I do feel that high school football in Tennessee is on the rise though.

---

It most definitely is, especially around Nashville and for the same reason the same thing is happening in SC. Population booms.

Tennessee has always had good football talent in the Memphis area but, unfortunately for Tennessee, with Memphis being the hub of the midsouth, Ole Miss, Bama, Arkansas and just about everyone else including Notre Dame (who still recruits Germantown very well), all recruit the heck outta Memphis. Far more so than Tennessee has done.

Although, I've heard Butch Jones saying he intends to try to keep Tennessee talent home from now on.

quote:

---

Why is high school football so bad in Tennessee?

---

the state is like 90% white

Every time I look at that map I wonder:

"Why isn't there a single elite program between North Carolina and Virginia?"

quote:

---

Memphis has some talent but like 3-4 schools are actually closer than UT.

---

This is true.

Arkansas, both Mississippi Schools, both Alabama schools, and LSU are all closer in proximity to Memphis than UT.

Auburn and LSU are cutting it close, but still.

quote:

---

Every time I look at that map I wonder:

"Why isn't there a single elite program between North Carolina and Virginia?"

---

Basketball gets a much higher share of athletes than it does in other southern states. Example: Allen Iverson is thought by many to be the best HS football player in Virginia since Lawrence Taylor. Iverson chose to play basketball instead of pursuing football long term.

After that, the football talent gets more split up than it does in other states. VT and UVa split the talent in VA, historically. UNC and NC St split NC. Both states are also very susceptible to poaching from OOS programs due to the lack of focus on football relative to SEC/B1G programs. This is especially true for North Carolina with USCe and Clemson right there and UGA and UF as a constant threat.

quote:

---

But we know why the Collapse has happened. Florida has scared all good coaches away from Tennessee. Tennessee calls, the coach ask if they still have to play UF yearly. Tennessee says, "well...yea". Then the coach hangs up.

---

quote:

---

Further proof that there are a lot of LSU fans that think football started around 2000.

---

I thought they all did

More proof about Tennessee talent vastly improving. This is from 247. Funny cause the same thing was said about the 2014 class

"Early Look- With a double digit number of prospects rated four-stars or higher this early in the 2015 cycle, it’s safe to say that this could be one of the best classes on paper in the history of recruiting in the Volunteer State. The Nashville area in particular is up.

Off the Board- Four-star defensive back Donovan Sheffield of Nashville Ensworth has committed to Vanderbilt. Tennessee has commitments from offensive linemen Zach Stewart of Coalfield and Jack Jones of Murfreesboro Oakland, along with Lenoir City athlete Jaylond Woods- all three stars.

Best Available- Rico McGraw, CB, Nashville Ensworth; Drew Richmond, OT, Memphis University School; Kyle Phillips, DE, Nashville Hillsboro; Jauan Jennings, DQB/ATH Murfreesboro Blackman; Van Jefferson, WR, Brentwood Ravenwood?

?The Buzz- McGraw, an early selection for the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, is one of the best defensive backs in the country for his cycle and it’s an excellent, deep cycle at both cornerback (where he projects) and safety. Alabama is the early pick as to where he will end up, but watch out for the Vols and others. Richmond has good size, footwork and has a slew of offers. Tennessee and Ohio State are two early suitors with staying power. Phillips’ mother is the AD at Tennessee State University in Nashville and is a Vanderbilt graduate, so the hometown Commodores look good early. Phillips is a dominant pass rusher that is already 6-foot-4, 250 pounds. Jennings is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and has verbal offers from the likes of Ohio State and others. The only question- is he a quarterback in college? Like Phillips, Jefferson has good bloodlines. His father is Tennessee Titans receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, who played in two Super Bowls and had more than 7,000 career receiving yards in the NFL. Ohio State and others have offered Jefferson, a great route runner, early.

Potential Sleeper(s)- Defensive end Dylan Jackson of Maryville impressed at the Atlanta VTO Combine this past spring and has great size and athleticism at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds. He could end up being a tight end or even an offensive tackle in college, but he’s got excellent potential. Also- quarterback Nick Tiano of the Baylor School in Chattanooga is 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and has a good arm. Expect his stock to rise moving forward.

Trending- Up. During the modern era of recruiting coverage (starting at the turn of the century/millennium), there has never been, on paper, the deep number of legitimate, High-FBS level prospects spread across the state of Tennessee as there is for 2015. That’s good news for Butch Jones, who is trying to rebuild the Vols. That’s good news for James Franklin, who has made in-state recruiting a point of emphasis during his time at Vanderbilt and it’s good news for other programs who recruit the state. Perhaps the most rare thing about the 2015 cycle besides the talent depth is the fact that the players are not all concentrated in the west (Memphis). Nashville has most of the talent and there are quite a few in eastern Tennessee as well.??"

quote:

---

Drew Richmond, OT, Memphis University School

---

I went to the MUS game Friday and watched Richmond play against South Panola. He played well against the big South Panola front 7, and he looks like he will be a legit SEC tackle

quote:

---

Fulmer was pulling in top 5 classes in his sleep but had a horrible staff and was vastly underachieving

---

Every other year.