Thoughts on going to the Outback Bowl? It’s a big deal for TN. It’s a good matchup and bowl game. Look at the second qrt. against GA and where they are now shows how much they have improved. They stayed together and overcame.
What is the schedule like as they prepare for the bowl game? Right now they are preparing for final exams. Will get on the practice field this weekend. Will practice every day next week. Will have some time with family for Xmas. Will go to Tampa on the 26th. Then it will go into game week and get ready to play. Opportunity for the veterans to heal up and an opportunity for some young guys to get some extra work. Especially the developmental squad. Drew Richmond and some other guys to get extra work to jump start them into next year.
Evan Berry 1st team? Hurd and Barnett 2nd team in all SEC coach’s vote? I got to admit I was surprised Maybin was not on that list? If there are 6 LB’s in this league that are better than Jalen Reeves Maybin than they would have to prove it to me. I don’t buy that. I think the season he had, what he does on special teams, the leadership, there is no way there are 6 LB’s better than JRM.
He performed in the big games as well? Absolutely. 20 tackles against OK. Played well against GA, Bama. Created TO’s in USC game. He is a complete player. Plays a ton of snaps. He is a every down LB. Can’t believe he was snubbed. If you got 3 LB’s better than maybe you can debate that but in no way there are 6 better.
Mark Elder to EKU? Will he stay for the bowl game? Yes. He will not recruit for TN.. Nick Sheridan will take his place on the road. Nick was up in Ohio yesterday recruiting. Mark will work through the bowl game but at this time he is assembling his staff for EKU. Great opportunity for him. We know for a fact that he was looking elsewhere. I don’t know if he had visions to be a head coach. He was looking around for options. He is a guy that is rooted on the defensive side of the ball. Look at his pedigree he wanted to get back on the defensive side of the ball.
Speculation of Zach Azzani to Maryland as OC? Still speculation. Nothing concrete. ( Wychek chimes in and say he is coming..Frank’s Maryland alumni).
Martinez as DC to Miami? We will see. Willie is happy here. His parents live in S. Fla. His wife is from down there. He is a native S. Fla. It would be hard for Coach Martinez to turn that down if the opportunity arrives. Trying to figure out where Martinez and Richt relationship is. They were roommates in college. He was Richt’s DC at GA then demoted then fired. I think they are friends still.
Fascinating dynamic of guys who have been fired and rehired by the same coach? There is a lot of maturity in this business. You don’t see it much with the younger coaches. Richt will be very selective in hiring coordinators. Obviously it got him in trouble with the Pruitt hire. That did not work out behind the scenes the way he wanted it too. Schottenhymer move was not the greatest.
Butch has a history with Tampa? Butch was a huge Tampa Bay Buc fan growing up. He loves to tell stories about his time in Tampa.
Coaching moves at USC and GA? How does that effect TN? Puts the bullseye squarely on TN. Especially what TN is expecting back. Got a new coach at GA that has never been a head coach. You got a coach at USC that had limited success at FL at best. Opens up the eastern division. Division with a lot of uncertainty. FL has question marks at QB. TN will be the team of hype next season especially if they win the bowl game.
Hart wanted a challenging bowl game to bridge this season to next? Northwestern will bring a challenging run game. This is something TN has to improve on when they go to base and not nickle. Vandy gave them some problems with the TE stuff.
Austin Smith and other LB’s can really develop over these next 15 practices. No question it is a good challenge for TN. It is a matchup that TN likes with their speed and athleticism. It gives them another way to supplant themselves with the media heading into the off season.
Butch’s staff and Fitzgerald’s staff know each other well? They use to huddle together in the off season? Yes they did. Did it when Butch was at Cincy as well as TN. Great respect with each other. Like to share ideas. Butch took a lot from Fitzgerald on how to run a program. Shared X’s and O’s. Don’t think we will have a repeat of the big orange squeeze off when Gary Barnett was the coach at NW. He challenged TN publically and Peyton went out and had a field day. Great respect for both programs who both have won last 5 games in row heading into the bowl game.
Progression of Josh Dobbs? How much to they want to add to his play? ( Frank rambling like a hippie on shrooms). If they refine some things it will add to his plate. He can tighten some things fundamentally. Get more accurate with the FB. They can get more vertical with the FB. Moving forward that is the next progression. They brought some power to the run game this year. Next step is to be more than just Josh Dobbs and his legs. Develop and make some quality down field throws. Get the safety out of the box and throw it over their heads.
When it gets time for the bowl do you think it will be a similar scene like we saw last year in Jacksonville? I think you will see a lot of TN fans there. Will it be as organized as it was last year? I don’t know. Fans will flock to the bowl game. They like the bowl and the match up. To some people bowls are new to them because TN hasn’t been to a lot lately. This is not a day trip bowl. You can make this a destination. TN will outnumber NW and do their best to take over Raymond James Stadium.
Recruiting notes? On the road. Offered some new guys yesterday. OL from Cincy named Niehaus. Mom is from Knoxville. Visiting this weekend and that is something to keep an eye on (boom?). 6’6 250lbs. offered a DB from GA..Akeem Byrd. Offered a mid-state WR. New offers going out which is not uncommon at this time of year. TN is trying to get a feel on where the GA commits are and where the USC commits are. Jordan Smith is a DE from GA who was a USC commit and is now down to TN and FL.
That's all folks!! Go Vols!!
AUDIO: Great stuff as always talking Tennessee with @Brent_Hubbs of @Volquest_Rivals. Find it here. stationcaster.com/stations/wgfx/…
What is the schedule like as they prepare for the bowl game? Right now they are preparing for final exams. Will get on the practice field this weekend. Will practice every day next week. Will have some time with family for Xmas. Will go to Tampa on the 26th. Then it will go into game week and get ready to play. Opportunity for the veterans to heal up and an opportunity for some young guys to get some extra work. Especially the developmental squad. Drew Richmond and some other guys to get extra work to jump start them into next year.
Evan Berry 1st team? Hurd and Barnett 2nd team in all SEC coach’s vote? I got to admit I was surprised Maybin was not on that list? If there are 6 LB’s in this league that are better than Jalen Reeves Maybin than they would have to prove it to me. I don’t buy that. I think the season he had, what he does on special teams, the leadership, there is no way there are 6 LB’s better than JRM.
He performed in the big games as well? Absolutely. 20 tackles against OK. Played well against GA, Bama. Created TO’s in USC game. He is a complete player. Plays a ton of snaps. He is a every down LB. Can’t believe he was snubbed. If you got 3 LB’s better than maybe you can debate that but in no way there are 6 better.
Mark Elder to EKU? Will he stay for the bowl game? Yes. He will not recruit for TN.. Nick Sheridan will take his place on the road. Nick was up in Ohio yesterday recruiting. Mark will work through the bowl game but at this time he is assembling his staff for EKU. Great opportunity for him. We know for a fact that he was looking elsewhere. I don’t know if he had visions to be a head coach. He was looking around for options. He is a guy that is rooted on the defensive side of the ball. Look at his pedigree he wanted to get back on the defensive side of the ball.
Speculation of Zach Azzani to Maryland as OC? Still speculation. Nothing concrete. ( Wychek chimes in and say he is coming..Frank’s Maryland alumni).
Martinez as DC to Miami? We will see. Willie is happy here. His parents live in S. Fla. His wife is from down there. He is a native S. Fla. It would be hard for Coach Martinez to turn that down if the opportunity arrives. Trying to figure out where Martinez and Richt relationship is. They were roommates in college. He was Richt’s DC at GA then demoted then fired. I think they are friends still.
Fascinating dynamic of guys who have been fired and rehired by the same coach? There is a lot of maturity in this business. You don’t see it much with the younger coaches. Richt will be very selective in hiring coordinators. Obviously it got him in trouble with the Pruitt hire. That did not work out behind the scenes the way he wanted it too. Schottenhymer move was not the greatest.
Butch has a history with Tampa? Butch was a huge Tampa Bay Buc fan growing up. He loves to tell stories about his time in Tampa.
Coaching moves at USC and GA? How does that effect TN? Puts the bullseye squarely on TN. Especially what TN is expecting back. Got a new coach at GA that has never been a head coach. You got a coach at USC that had limited success at FL at best. Opens up the eastern division. Division with a lot of uncertainty. FL has question marks at QB. TN will be the team of hype next season especially if they win the bowl game.
Hart wanted a challenging bowl game to bridge this season to next? Northwestern will bring a challenging run game. This is something TN has to improve on when they go to base and not nickle. Vandy gave them some problems with the TE stuff.
Austin Smith and other LB’s can really develop over these next 15 practices. No question it is a good challenge for TN. It is a matchup that TN likes with their speed and athleticism. It gives them another way to supplant themselves with the media heading into the off season.
Butch’s staff and Fitzgerald’s staff know each other well? They use to huddle together in the off season? Yes they did. Did it when Butch was at Cincy as well as TN. Great respect with each other. Like to share ideas. Butch took a lot from Fitzgerald on how to run a program. Shared X’s and O’s. Don’t think we will have a repeat of the big orange squeeze off when Gary Barnett was the coach at NW. He challenged TN publically and Peyton went out and had a field day. Great respect for both programs who both have won last 5 games in row heading into the bowl game.
Progression of Josh Dobbs? How much to they want to add to his play? ( Frank rambling like a hippie on shrooms). If they refine some things it will add to his plate. He can tighten some things fundamentally. Get more accurate with the FB. They can get more vertical with the FB. Moving forward that is the next progression. They brought some power to the run game this year. Next step is to be more than just Josh Dobbs and his legs. Develop and make some quality down field throws. Get the safety out of the box and throw it over their heads.
When it gets time for the bowl do you think it will be a similar scene like we saw last year in Jacksonville? I think you will see a lot of TN fans there. Will it be as organized as it was last year? I don’t know. Fans will flock to the bowl game. They like the bowl and the match up. To some people bowls are new to them because TN hasn’t been to a lot lately. This is not a day trip bowl. You can make this a destination. TN will outnumber NW and do their best to take over Raymond James Stadium.
Recruiting notes? On the road. Offered some new guys yesterday. OL from Cincy named Niehaus. Mom is from Knoxville. Visiting this weekend and that is something to keep an eye on (boom?). 6’6 250lbs. offered a DB from GA..Akeem Byrd. Offered a mid-state WR. New offers going out which is not uncommon at this time of year. TN is trying to get a feel on where the GA commits are and where the USC commits are. Jordan Smith is a DE from GA who was a USC commit and is now down to TN and FL.
That's all folks!! Go Vols!!
AUDIO: Great stuff as always talking Tennessee with @Brent_Hubbs of @Volquest_Rivals. Find it here. stationcaster.com/stations/wgfx/…
