I don't know about y'all, but this NCAA Tournament action is only wetting my whistle for more NIT basketball.  Obviously, my previous statement was typed in jest, but I can honestly say I am eagerly anticipating watching ESPN this upcoming Monday (03/19) at 7 PM ET as the Vols host the MTSU Blue Raiders in second round action of the NIT.  

All UT fans across the state and nation know that this Volunteer team has vastly improved throughout the course of the season.  All areas of the team have gotten sharper, and this includes the guard play.  That being said, it's no secret the backbone and strength of this Volunteer bunch is in the post.  The Vols' best player this year has clearly been Junior Jeronne Maymon.  Maymon leads the team in scoring (14.2), rebounding (7.9) and field goal percentage (.573).  He scored at least 12 points in every SEC contest this season.  The only question mark about Maymon right now is his health as he's listed day-to-day with a dinged knee.  There is hope he will play Monday night, but nothing is guaranteed.  In addition to the big Junior from the Badger State, the Vols trot out Freshman sensation Jarnell Stokes.  Stokes may be young, but he's a man in the paint at 6'8" 250 lbs.  The All-SEC Freshman performer averages 9.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per contest.  Like all NCAA teams, the Vols probably shoot too many three pointers at times, but they do have the ability to send the pumpkin into the post for the "big nasties" to put it in the basket.  Both Maymon and Stokes are a perfect fit for Coach Cuonzo Martin and his "bring your lunch pail" mentality.

For those not familiar with Coach Kermit Davis' Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider squad, let me fill you in.  The Blue Raiders were regular season Sun Belt Conference Champions this season as they went 14-2 in league play.  The Blue Raiders come into Monday's game with a 26-6 overall record.  It's a shame they weren't able to compete in the NCAA Tournament because they lost to Arkansas State in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament.  I know the conference tournaments decide the automatic qualifier for all leagues (other than the Ivy I believe), but that really does devalue the regular season in my opinion.  I imagine Coach Davis would agree with me on that one, but that's a different topic for a different blog post.  MTSU has three players that average in double figures, and they have strong guard play.  However, just like the Vols, the strength of their personnel is in the post.  Iowa State transfer LaRon Dendy is a dandy; the 6'9" 230 lb Senior leads the Blue Raiders in points per game (14.9) and rebounds per game (7.2).  Dendy is the first Blue Raider in program history to win Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year as he took home the hardware due to his tremendous season.

The fact that both the Vols and Blue Raiders rely so heavily on their post players makes this a game I am really interested in.  I love teams that run their offense through the post as there's just something about that style of play that appeals to me.  In today's era of basketball, everyone wants to shoot three pointers (and way too many of them in my opinion).  As I type this Duke just lost to Lehigh in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  This is one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Big Dance.  What did CBS analyst (and former NY Knick) Greg Anthony say after the game?  Duke should have gone to the post more, and they shot too many three pointers.  Too often big men, the size of Dendy and bigger, want to flash their ball handling skills on the perimeter and launch outside shots.  It's refreshing to see big guys like Maymon, Stokes and Dendy who actually like to bump and bang in the paint.  The game at TBA Monday night features two teams that get it done down low.  (That's not to say Dendy doesn't shoot the occasional three ball as he is 11-33 this year from deep).

Monday's game is truly a toss up in my eyes, especially if Maymon isn't able to go.  If Jeronne is out, that would put pressure squarely on the shoulders of the man-child (Stokes) that should be at MTSU this week playing in the TSSAA State High School Basketball Tournament.  Instead, he'll be swapping paint with Dendy in the post.  I do believe the winning team Monday night will be the team that wins the war in the paint.  Maymon/Stokes vs. Dendy..... In the words of Apollo Creed, "DING DING!".  In the words of T.O., "Get your popcorn ready!"  It's time to watch the big boys play in the paint not tip toe around the arc.  I am 6'1" 190 lbs and not all that physically gifted.  I can promise you this.  If I were 6'8" 240 lbs, I would be down low in the paint not floating around trying to launch 18 footers.  All post players should take a page from Maymon, Stokes and Dendy, "GET YOUR BIG FRAME UNDER THE RIM, AND PLAY LIKE A MAN!"  These three do.

If you have been living under a rock since Wednesday morning and have not yet seen the tearful Jim Irsay/Peyton Manning press conference, then I recommend you watch the theatrics here.  It is truly the end of an era in Indy and for the NFL.  No matter what colors and logo #18 trots out of the tunnel wearing next season, it's going to be weird not seeing Manning with the familiar horseshoe on his helmet calling the plays for the Indianapolis Colts.

It's hard to argue that today's events aren't the best for both parties.  The Colts can finally rebuild after the long fourteen year Manning run, and Peyton is free to sign with a contender (if and when he proves he has the arm strength to be the Peyton of old not an old Peyton).  It's rare to see a superstar athlete play for one franchise his entire career, and we now know that even applies to a four-time MVP.

There is a small percentage of Volunteer fans who are not completely enamored with Manning.  These fans hold the Florida losses against Manning and also point out that the Vols won a National Championship not with Peyton but rather with Tee Martin in '98 when Manning was a rookie with the Colts.  That being said, there is a much larger percentage of Volunteer fans that are HUGE Peyton Manning supporters.  Many of these UT fans adopted the Colts as their favorite NFL team.  Others may not have completely converted to the Colts, but they rooted for Peyton in the playoffs after their team(s) had been eliminated from contention.  Whatever the case, Volunteer fans forged an unbreakable bond with Manning during a very successful four-year run in Knoxville.  If Volunteer fans could form such a strong affinity for a player in only four years, imagine how Colts fans feel after a fourteen year run.  Colts fans had ten more years than Volunteer fans for the roots of loyalty to entrench themselves.  As much as residents of the Volunteer State love all things Peyton, residents of the Hoosier State owe much more to the man, the myth, the legend.  How bout a new stadium (Lucas Oil), would it be there without Manning?  No.  Would Indy have hosted a Super Bowl without that stadium?  No.  Manning has made millions during his run in Indy, but I would be willing to bet that the Indianapolis economy has benefited to an even greater amount from Manning's greatness.

Where will Manning land?  As a Middle Tennessee resident, I would love to see him with the Titans, but the Titans Organization has already stated they feel they are "in good hands" with Hasselbeck and Locker.  The Cardinals would be an interesting fit, but the ideal situation is in Miami.  Let's say Manning signs with the Dolphins, and Reggie Wayne goes "back home" to where he played in college for the U.  That would give Manning some serious weapons with Marshall and Wayne on the outside and Davone Bess (a poor man's Wes Welker) in the slot.  Manning would also benefit from the versatile Reggie Bush in the backfield.  The Dolphins are a sleeping giant; they only need a proper trigger man to make it happen.  The owner, billionaire Stephen Ross, is always looking to make a splash to get butts in seats, and Manning would be the ultimate rolling out of the red carpet for fans on South Beach.  LeBron James and Peyton Manning in the same city; that's some star power.  The Dolphins have been looking to replace Dan Marino since his retirement in '99, and I can think of no better way than to bring in Manning for a three year magic carpet ride.  Can you imagine Manning vs. Brady twice a year inside the division?  Can you imagine a Giants/Dolphins Super Bowl with a Manning under center for each team?  I'm getting fired up just typing this.

Maybe this post is getting the cart before the horse.  After all, Manning has to fully recover and prove he still has the zip/mustard to make all the throws.  Personally, I don't think it will be a problem, and I can't wait to see Manning in aqua and coral.  Manning flew to South Florida Wednesday after the press conference.  If that's not foreshadowing, then I don't know how to define it.

Many moons ago (probably 15 years or so) Burger King served tacos.  Yes, that Burger King.  The tacos didn't stay on the menu very long because, well, I think I was the only human ingesting the delightfully crafted Mexican delicacies.  I was able to talk a select few skeptical friends into trying the tacos because I believe you could get two for 99 cents so what was there to lose?  Whenever a friend tried the tacos (at my persistent urging), he went into the tasting with a preconceived notion that the tacos would be awful.  I don't think anyone I got to try the tacos even finished a single one.  I am starting this post with this story because it's something that most people I know today do not know about me.  Heck, most folks reading this post probably didn't even know that the King once had tacos on his menu.

While my BK taco loving days from the mid-90's are not widely known by those who I interact with in 2012, there are other things about me that most people are pretty certain about.  One of the things most realize pretty quickly about me is I am a hoops junkie.  I simply love the game of basketball at all levels.  From high school to the NAIA to the NCAA to the NBA, (even International) I love it all.  I am a big fan of other sports too, but I think what sets basketball apart in my eyes is the personal attachments I have developed over the years with individual teams during the course of the ebbs and flows that constitute a season.  A few of my favorite squads of all-time are the '95-'96 Chester County (HS) Eagles, '93-'94 New York Knicks, '98-'99 New York Knicks, '09-'10 University of Tennessee Volunteers (really all the teams from the Pearl era) and the '10-'11 Memphis Grizzlies.  

Another one of my favorite teams of all-time would be the '01-'02 Freed-Hardeman (NAIA) Lions of the TranSouth Athletic Conference.  There are many reasons this team resonated and still resonates with me.  I graduated from Freed-Hardeman in December 2001 so that season was my last to enjoy as a college student.  Secondly, I was friends with many of the players on that team, and there are several that I still keep in regular contact with to this day.  Finally, Coach Mike McCutchen's '01-'02 team was loaded for bear.  The team was led by Hall-of-Fame swing man Jamie Norsworthy (all time leading scorer at FHU) who had the ability to attack the basket with reckless abandon or stroke it from deep.  At guard, FHU touted Chester County legend Eric Jones, Mr. Consistency Tony Lambert and deep bomber Chris Haynes.  In the post, they were tough to match up with as Coach McCutchen trotted out 6'11" Slovakian Tomas Oresansky and prolific scorer Wes "BB" Miller.  FHU came out of the starting blocks like Ben Johnson on steroids sporting an astounding record of 22-2 three-quarters of the way through the season.  (FHU was the first team in all of college basketball to reach 22 wins in '01-'02.)  Unfortunately, the 22-2 mark was where the team peaked.  Just like The Oregon Trail on a 5 1/2" floppy disc, the wheels fell off the wagon during the final ten games of the year as my Lions faltered down the stretch run of the conference season.  FHU would finish out the year 3-7 to finish at 25-9 on the season.  This stretch run prevented the Lions from being invited to the NAIA National Tournament.  This left everyone from the players to the fans with a hollow feeling in their stomachs.  It was a free fall that still cannot be explained.  In fact, I talked to a couple of my friends that played on that team before writing this post, and they still had no answers.  Some of the losses at the end were blowouts while some were hard fought heart-breakers.  The 25 wins still stand as a school record that all of the Lions from that era should be proud of.  I was at almost every home game that season planted in the bleachers behind the basket and went on the road for a few games too.  That season is when my girlfriend (now wife) became a fan of the game of basketball.  I wouldn't trade that fandom experience for anything. The Lions were great for three-quarters of the year; they started strongly but just didn't finish the same way.

This season's Cuonzo Martin led University of Tennessee Volunteers basketball team is the polar opposite of the '01-'02 FHU Lions (FHU started strongly and finished poorly while UT started slowly but is finishing strongly).  Coming off of the dynamic six year Bruce Pearl era, many UT fans were apprehensive going into year one of the Cuonzo Martin era.  This feeling of worry was partly justified as the Vols were coming off the best six year stretch in program history and had hired an unknown (to many) in Martin.  Also, the Vols lost their two best players from last year's team in Tobias Harris and Scotty Hopson.  UT was picked to finish 11th in the SEC by the media, a far cry from the Elite 8 run in 2010.  The Vols showed promise at the very beginning of this season in Maui by losing a close ten point contest to Duke and losing a double-OT thriller vs. the Memphis Tigers.  The hope that came from those two close losses to top competition was quickly dashed as the Vols lost three games to mid-major schools - at Oakland, at home vs. Austin Peay and at College of Charleston.  At this point in the season, the media's prediction for the Vols to finish 11th in league play looked like a pretty safe bet.  How is this team going to win more than three or four SEC games? many wondered. 

The Vols began SEC play with a 1-3 mark, but then things started to click.  Jarnell Stokes found the floor and immediately started finding his way.  The team's defense improved, and the Vols started getting offensive contributions from a myriad of players.  Cam Tatum was mired in a horrendous shooting slump but was able to keep his minutes by playing great defense, rebounding and passing the ball well.  Since starting 1-3 in SEC play, the Vols have gone 8-3 in league play making them  an impressive 9-6 (17-13 overall).  There's something special about watching a team develop and improve in conference play.  The game at LSU on Wednesday, 02/29 was especially gratifying.  The Vols trailed the entire game but were able to get it to overtime and eventually win by a score of 74-69.  It was sheer grit and grind (sorry Grizz).  In fact, the Vols first lead of the game didn't come until overtime when the much beleaguered Cam Tatum splashed a three pointer to begin the extra stanza.  I was on the edge of my recliner watching the game in low-def on CSS (first world problems). 

The Vols are fighting tooth and nail to play their way out of the NIT.  One regular season game remains vs. the very talented yet underachieving rival Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena.  If the Vols are able to beat Vanderbilt then they will be the #2 seed in the SEC Tournament (at least this is how I understand it from reading Clay Travis' explanation).  Finishing second would be huge for several reasons.  1.)  The Vols would make a statement in Coach Martin's first year.  Picked to finish 11th out of 12 teams, a second place showing would obviously be exceeding expectations.  2.) It would allow the Vols to make a run to the championship game to face Kentucky instead of having to play them earlier in the draw.

I think the second point is key because the only way I see the Vols making the NCAA Tournament (outside of winning the SEC Tournament) would be to beat Vanderbilt Saturday and then make a run to the SEC Tournament Finals vs. Kentucky and at least keep it close vs. the mighty Cats. (Even then, nothing would be guaranteed.)

No matter what happens, the Vols have had a very good season all things considered.  They started slowly but are finishing with a vengeance.  Hopefully that finish will come in the Big Dance, but I'll take a NIT run too.  If they make it to the Big Dance, I'll buy the tacos.

After a surprisingly drama-free Wednesday, the recruiting season, for the most part, is over for the Vols. It’s a good thing I’m not a betting man, because I missed on every recruit’s decision yesterday. However, even though the Vols only went ¼ yesterday out of their remaining targets, that one is a big one. After a hot and cold recruitment, 5-star WR Cordarrelle Patterson announced early Wednesday morning that he would be a Vol. This addition goes a long way to giving even more depth to an already great WR haul this class: 5-star Patterson, 4-star Jason Croom, 4-star Pig Howard and 4-star Drae Bowles. Not to mention the two future NFL first rounders we have coming back. However, while this is exciting, it’s not the biggest NSD story in my opinion. As I mentioned in my last post, the main key to making this class a successful one was not landing all 4 prospects yesterday, but keeping the current ones that were committed. Outside of losing Otha Peters on Tuesday, Tennessee had every verbal commitment sign their LOI yesterday. Many, including myself, were concerned about the likes of Pig Howard and especially LaDarrell McNeil. But both had their LOI faxed in fairly early on yesterday.

So let’s evaluate the Vols 2012 recruiting class. Tennessee’s class this year is ranked 18^th by Rivals.com, 19^th by 247sports.com, 21^st by ESPN.com (would be higher, does not include JUCO players), and 26^th by Scout.com. As a Vols fan, it’s probably easy to look at these rankings and be somewhat disappointed. But why? Not only did we have a losing season last year, but we also had tremendous staff turnover this offseason. People can say well that’s an excuse, but if there is validity to the “excuse”, it goes from being an excuse to a legitimate reason. Not only were committed and uncommitted prospects losing their lead recruiters, but from that point on Dooley was recruiting with only 3 assistant coaches. So he wasn’t able to have a full staff out on the recruiting trail, and not only did he get a couple of late commitments, he retained the ones he had even after the staff they knew bailed on them. This is something every school can’t say. After the HS All-American game, Cal was boasting a top 10 class. After losing just one assistant coach (Tosh Lupoi), unlike us losing 4, Cal had committed recruits jumping ship left and right. They now sit at 24^th on Rivals.com. The point I’m making is that the job Dooley and his new staff have done this recruiting season is extraordinary. Would I like to have a top 10 class? Sure. Do I expect it? Sure. But that’s only because I am a Vols fan and we have high expectations for our program. Truth is, it’s not realistic right now. Before we get back to that point we must start winning games. At any rate, if you stop and look at the facts, Tennessee is the only team ranked with a top 25 class that had a losing record last year. Heck, we finished one spot ahead of (11-2) South Carolina, one spot behind (12-1) LSU, and two spots behind (12-2) Oregon. That, my friends, is impressive.

When I look at this class I get really excited, not only because of the talent coming in, but because the staff addressed the needs that needed addressing. They took great steps to add depth at DL, WR, DB and RB, but the Vols are still bare at LB. Most people will say well we have stud LB right now and Lathers is coming back. True statement. However, with our base defense switching to 3-4, you need a lot of LB, and we all know how one injury can affect a season. I expect to see a lot from Sophomore Christian Harris this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see current DE’s Jordan Williams and Jacques Smith lining up at OLB in the 3-4 too. Dooley and gang are looking to add a little post-NSD help at the position from LB Kenneth Bynum. Bynum is a current Cincinnati commit that postponed signing his LOI to give the Vols a visit. He will be visiting on Monday and Tuesday and more than likely signing his LOI on Wednesday.

In conclusion, I am very happy with our 2012 recruiting class and if you are a logical, reasonable fan, you are too. However, as I mentioned earlier, this momentum must translate into wins. It does no good to buy an old bottle of wine just to let it gather dust on the shelf. Recruiting solid talent is great, but only if you coach them up to perform well. As well all know, this year is make it or break it for Dooley. He’s said it himself that this year he finally has the talent, depth and experience to compete. I look forward to spring practice and seeing how both the new players and staff settle in, and also the progress our current players have made. As always, it’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.

National Signing Day is here and Tennessee made up for a couple of disappointing decommitments over the last week with one really nice signing day surprise.  This class is loaded with speed and playmakers and addresses many of the Vols' key needs. 

Here is all you need to know about each player who has signed their letter of intent. 

* = Signed
(EE) = Early Enrollee
(JC) = Junior College

Tennessee Volunteers recruiting commitments for the class of 2012:

Drae Bowles*
Jackson, TN
6'1"/198 lbs./Wide Receiver
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 19
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 48
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Arkansas, Cal, Auburn, Michigan, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Virginia, among others
Local News for Drae Bowles: Jackson Christian School wide receiver Drae Bowles chooses University of Tennessee, from The Jackson Sun.
Drae Bowles video:

Justin King*
Dunwoody, GA
6'3"/215 lbs./Athlete
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 59
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 79 (OLB)
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisville, Southern Miss, Syracuse, UCF, Virginia, among others
Local News for Justin King: LB Justin King commits to Tennessee Volunteers over Virginia, UCF and Cincinnati, from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Justin King video:

Alden Hill (EE)*
Alliance, OH
6'2"/220 lbs./Running Back
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 47
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 65
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Boston College, UConn, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Virginia, among others
Local News for Alden Hill: Marlington’s Alden Hill reportedly commit to Tennessee, from the Akron Beacon Journal.
Alden Hill video:

Nathan Peterman (EE)*
Fruit Cove, FL
6'2"/205 lbs./Quarterback
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 8
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 18
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Cincinnati, UConn, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Florida International, Miami (OH), Southern Miss
Local News for Nathan Peterman: Peterman commits to the Volunteers, from InsidetheGators.com.
Nathan Peterman video:

LaTroy Lewis*
Akron, OH
6'4"/230 lbs./Defensive End
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 23
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 43
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Boston College, Illinois, Cincinnati, Michigan, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt
Local News for LaTroy Lewis: Tennessee snags defensive end from Ohio, from CBSSports.com's Eye on Recruiting blog.
LaTroy Lewis video:

Cody Blanc (EE)*
Knoxville, TN
6'1"/190 lbs./Athlete
Rivals Rating: 2 stars
Scout Rating: 3 stars
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech
Local News for Cody Blanc: Central athlete Cody Blanc commits to Tennessee, from the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Cody Blanc video:

George Bullock*
Knoxville, TN
6'1"/195 lbs./Kicker
Rivals Rating: 2 stars
Scout Rating: 3
247Sports Rating: 2
Other Offers: Navy
Local News for George Bullock:West kicker George Bullock commits to Tennessee, from the Knoxville News Sentinel
George Bullock Video:

LaDarrell McNeil*
Dallas, TX
6'1"/190 lbs./Safety
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 5
Scout Rating: 4 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 7
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, California, Clemson, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas A&M, USC, among others
Local News for LaDarrell McNeil: DB LaDarrell McNeil commits to play for Tennessee, from The Dallas Morning News.
LaDarrell McNeil Video:

Jason Croom*
Norcross, GA
6'5"/212 lbs./Wide Receiver
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 43
Scout Rating: 4 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 39
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, UConn, Florida State, Illinois, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, among others
Local News for Jason Croom: Norcross WR Jason Croom picks Tennessee over Mississippi State, from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Jason Croom Video:

Trent Taylor (EE)*
Lakeland, FL
6'3"/245 lbs./Defensive End
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 19
Scout Rating: 4 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 29
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Louisville,
Local News for Trent Taylor: Lake Gibson Defensive End Trent Taylor Changes Mind, Commits to Tennessee, from The Ledger (Lakeland, FL).
Trent Taylor Video:

Danny O'Brien*
Flint, MI
6'2"/293 lbs./Defensive Tackle
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 11
Scout Rating: 4 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 18
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, among others 
Local News for Danny O'Brien:  Powers Catholic football star Danny O'Brien says he still plans on attending University of Tennessee, from The Flint Journal.
Danny O'Brien Video:

Daniel Gray*
Lauderdale Lakes, FL
6'0"/165 lbs./Defensive Back
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: NR
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 111
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: FIU, Mississippi, Nebraska, Texas Tech, West Virginia 
Local News for Daniel Gray:  Tennessee Picks Up Cornerback Daniel Gray, from CBSSports.com.
Daniel Gray Video:

Quenshaun Watson*
Athens, GA
5'9"/175 lbs./Running Back
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: NR
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 110
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Indiana 
Local News for Quenshaun Watson:  Watson at peace with decision, from the Athens Banner-Herald.
Quenshaun Watson Video:

Justin Meredith (EE)*
Anderson, SC
6'5"/210 lbs./Tight End
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 21
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 17
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Duke, Illinois, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest  
Justin Meredith Video:

Alton Howard*
Orlando, FL
5'9"/178 lbs./Wide Receiver
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 47
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 76
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Cincinnati, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, UCLA, among others 
Local News for Alton Howard:  Edgewater WR Alton Howard commits to Tennessee over UCF, from the Orlando Sentinel
Alton Howard Video:

Darrington Sentimore (JC) (EE)*
Perkinston, MS (Gulf Coast CC)
6'3"/273 lbs./Defensive End
Rivals Rating: 3 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: JC
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: JC
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Texas A&M 
Local News for Darrington Sentimore:  Darrington Sentimore commits to Tennessee, from SB Nation
Darrington Sentimore Video:

Daniel McCullers (JC)*
Milledgeville, GA (Georgia Military)
6'6"/380 lbs./Defensive Tackle
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: JC
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: JC
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Alabama, Mississippi State 
Local News for Daniel McCullers:  Large man, long road: UT's 400 pound recruit disproving skeptics, from Nooga.com
Daniel McCullers Video:
No video immediately available.

Davante Bourque*
Crowley, LA
6'3"/200 lbs./Athlete
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 14
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 29 (RB)
247Sports Rating: 4 stars
Other Offers: Miami, Nebraska, Arizona State, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, among others 
Local News for Davante Bourque:  Davante Bourque commits to Tennessee, from Acadia Parish Today.
Davante Bourque Video:

Deion Bonner*
Columbus, GA
5'11"/185 lbs./Defensive Back
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: 19 (Cornerback)
Scout Rating: 3 stars
Scout Position Ranking: 28 (Safety)
247Sports Rating: 3 stars
Other Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, South Carolina, USC 
Local News for Deion Bonner:  Carver's Deion Bonner commits to sign with Tennessee, from the (Columbus, GA) Ledger-Enquirer.
Deion Bonner Video:

Cordarrelle Patterson (JC)*
Hutchinson, Kansas (Hutchinson CC)
6'4"/205 lbs./Wide Receiver
Rivals Rating: 4 stars
Rivals Position Ranking: JC
Scout Rating: 5 stars
Scout Position Ranking: JC
247Sports Rating: 5 stars
Other Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Kansas State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, among others 
Local News for Cordarrelle Patterson:  Former Northwestern star Patterson picks Tennessee, from the (York County, SC) Enquirer.
Cordarrelle Patterson Video:

With only a few hours remaining until NSD, things have certainly changed since my last post. Dalton Santos is a Longhorn, Otha Peters is a Razorback, new prospects have been offered, and every Vol fan is awaiting the decisions of four specific targets: WR Cordarrelle Patterson, DT Korren Kirven, WR Quinshad Davis, and CB Amos Leggett. First off, let me say that regardless of what happens with these four prospects, if we don’t lose anymore current commitments, this will still be a solid class that addressed a lot of needs. No, I’m not just saying that to try and stop the bleeding Vols fans are feeling after today, it’s the truth. Having said that, let’s take a look at each target and what to expect tomorrow.

WR, Cordarrelle Patterson

Announcement Time: 10:30 AM (Eastern)

Schools Considered: Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn

The Skinny:

After a rollercoaster of a recruitment, CP’s destination is still unclear. While most believe this to be a battle between the Dawgs and Vols, don’t count out the Rebels either. The word in Oxford is that CP has told Coach Freeze that he would indeed be a Rebel. Only thing is, take that with a grain of salt, because he has told the same thing to Georgia and Tennessee. The rumor going around right now is that Freeze has talked about bringing CP’s JUCO Coach to be an assistant at Ole Miss if he can egt CP to come with him. Dirty? Sure. Illegal? Unfortunately, no. No one is sure what this kid will do tomorrow, but I’m not holding my breath one way or the other until his papers are signed.

My Two Cents:

While Tennessee has been recruiting CP the longest, unfortunately I see him ending up a Dawg.

DT, Korren Kirven

Announcement Time: 8:00 AM (Eastern)

Schools Considered: Tennessee and Virginia Tech

The Skinny:

Kirven’s recruitment is an intriguing one. While VT has been the known leader throughout most of his recruitment, the Vols have made a late push. The hiring of Sal Sunseri to Tennessee really got his attention, seeing as how that was his primary reason for considering Alabama. Two weekends ago, Kirven’s parents were said to be making a trip to Knoxville without their son. This looked to be good news for the Vols because no parents are going to travel from Virginia just to take a tour. However, his parents did not end up making the trip but have kept in constant contact with the coaching staff. The following weekend, Kirven visited the Hokies, and Beamer and gang knew they had a lot of work to do. Apparently they left no stone unturned and showed him a great time. However, will it be enough to keep him at home?

My Two Cents:

While I want to believe that Tennessee will land this 4-star prospect, VT has a storied history of keeping it’s instate talent at home. In the end, I think the comfort and convenience of home proves too much and Kirven signs with the Hokies.

WR, Quinshad Davis

Announcement Time: 12:00 PM (Eastern)

Schools Considered: Tennessee, Wake Forest, North Carolina

The Skinny:

There has not been near as much drama surrounding Davis and his recruiting process, but that’s not to say there won’t be tomorrow around lunch. Most believe the Vols to be the clear leader with Davis, and I think their main threat is Wake Forest. It’s no secret he loves their academics and has a fantastic relationship with their coaching staff.

My Two Cents:

I think Davis ends up a Vol.

CB, Amos Leggett

Announcement Time: 9:00 AM (Eastern)

Schools Considered: Marshall and Tennessee

The Skinny:

While Leggett is currently committed to Marshall, everyone knows it’s only because it is the only place he is academically eligible. However, the Vols contacted him a few days ago in hopes to be able to sway him to Tennessee and see if they can get him enrolled. Before his academic issues became apparent, he was receiving a lot of interest from Florida St. and Miami.

My Two Cents:

I really cannot say with this kid, only because I don’t know if he will be eligible. If the Vols can get him enrolled I fully expect him to be a Vol tomorrow. If not, that is the only reason to think he would stay with the Thundering Herd.

In summation, while losing Santos and especially Peters hurts this class, it is still an excellent haul of talent considering the Vols just came off of a 5-7 season. While talented, those are two kids that have yet to play one collegiate game yet. They do not define this class and they sure as heck do not define the University of Tennessee. This staff has addressed the needs that needed to be addressed heading into the offseason, and they are to be commended for that. Looking back they probably shouldn’t have told LB Khalid Henderson to look around, but then again, hindsight is 20/20. Consequently, they have offered LB Kenneth Bynum at the last second in hopes of swaying the Cincinnati commit to fill the void left by the aforementioned prospects. Who knows, maybe the 23 point beat down the Vols put on the Bearcats last season will help. Either way, barring a stampede of decommitments from current verbals, this will be a good looking class. The only two current commitments to keep an eye on is McNeil (Oklahoma St.) and Pig Howard (UCF). One thing to note is that if by chance we miss on our targets tomorrow and lose a couple of commitments, we will more than likely hold on to them for 2013. This is the year that you can expect the Vols to be recruiting with the big dogs once again. So strap in, try to enjoy the ride, and let’s see how it all unfolds. For better or worse, IT’S GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOL.

I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers: The Story of Success.  It's a fascinating work that studies the circumstances which help mold ultra-successful people.  There is a lot more to success than you might think.  The typical American thought process on success is that smart and talented people work harder than their peers and ultimately become successful in their field.  That's the American Dream, but it isn't that simple.  While hard work and talent are certainly critical to success in any venture, those aren't the only ingredients.  Timing, opportunity, expectations, access, and cultural factors all play a major role in success.  For instance, Gladwell writes that Bill Gates just so happened to go to one of the few middle schools in America that had a computer in the late 1960's.  Gates spent hours learning how to program and write code.  Had Gates been a youngster in any other city or at any other middle school or in any other time in history, the world might not know the basics of the PC as we have them today.  Would Bill Gates have been any less intelligent had he not had that access?  Of course not.  Would Bill Gates have been any less driven had he not been able to work on his craft at such a young age?  Of course not.  But Bill Gates is a product of excellent timing, unique access, nurturing support, and endless opportunity. 

National Signing Day 2012 will once again be a huge event.  Hundreds of websites will enjoy record traffic, and countless radio and television shows will profile the nation's top high school football talent.  It is not uncommon for recruiting junkies to take off work on the first Wednesday in February and spend the day trying to make sense of their favorite team's recruiting haul.  And I've got news for you, National Signing Day is only going to get bigger.  But what created this monster?  This relatively new phenomenon of sports lunacy had to start somewhere.  The NCAA doesn't directly benefit from high school kids choosing hats off of a table.  So what factors built National Signing Day into the huge event that it is today?

1.  Football is King

In case you haven't noticed, football is far and away the most popular sport in America today.  The effects of football's popularity are felt in many different ways by many different people and organizations.  The latest Harris Interactive Poll shows that college football has caught baseball as America's 2nd favorite sport behind only the NFL.  With the increase in popularity that college football has enjoyed it only makes sense that the event that has the largest single impact on college football rosters would be heavily followed.  There is no draft or trades or collectively bargained free agency period in college football.  Those events are all widely covered and heavily critiqued in each of the major professional sports.  In their absence, college football fans have turned National Signing Day into their once a year roster shake-up extravaganza.  An event so big that it is comparable to the MLB trade deadline, NBA free agency, or the NFL Draft.  Without football's immense popularity, National Signing Day would go by largely unnoticed.

2.  The Recruiting Website

I remember when the internet was new (at least to me), and there was some website called Rivals.com that had the audacity to charge subscribers a monthly fee for their service.  Before that, I am told, the real recruiting junkies would get their information from subscription magazines and that even 1-800 recruiting hot-lines briefly became en vogue.  As a kid I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to pay money to read online about some high schooler who may or may not even play for Tennessee.  My budding business mind thought that Rivals.com didn't have a shot.  Boy was I wrong.  In 2007 Yahoo! bought Rivals for the gigantic sum of 100 million dollars.  Clearly there was a market for a website dedicated to recruiting. 

Today there are dozens of sites that focus on the year-long battles within the recruiting world.  Rivals.com and Scout.com (which was purchased by Fox in 2005) are still the big boys on the block, but ESPN.com has in recent years poured a ton of resources into their recruiting coverage.  Anything the Worldwide Leader puts dollars behind is bound to attract consumers.  In 2010 a couple of the founding executives of Rivals started a new venture, 247Sports.com.  They have quickly become a viable resource for the recruiting nerd.  These websites and others lay the foundation for the National Signing Day craze.

3.  Instant Information

We want our information right now, and we get it right now.  Today it is being reported that Otha Peters has flipped on his commitment to Tennessee and will sign tomorrow with Arkansas.  Twitter is melting.  Message boards are going crazy.  But, if Peters had pulled a similar stunt in 1980 no one would even know about it right now (assuming, of course, anyone actually cared back then).  We would have to wait until our paper was delivered in the morning to even find out about such an occurrence. 

Recruiting news is immediate and constant and always fluid.  The internet, and specifically social media websites like Twitter, were made for recruiting coverage.  Fans can live and die with each kid's official visit.  We can mourn the loss of a switched commitment or rejoice in the addition of a new 4-star defensive back.  Instant access to information is what drives recruiting junkies wild.  Without it National Signing Day would be far less dramatic. 

All of these factors come together to build National Signing Day.  National Signing Day is a uniquely American event.  It could only happen within a culture that cherishes sport the way we do, is full of brilliant entrepreneurs who are eager to capitalize on that obsession, and is followed by consumers who demand their information immediately.  National Signing Day is wild, wacky and full of drama and excitement.  It could only happen right here, right now.     

Recruiting gurus simply amaze me, including CBC's own Drew Pirtle.  Gurus, such as Drew, soak in recruiting knowledge like a heavy duty sponge. Oftentimes these guys know all the high schools by name in certain hot spot cities.  They know all the players by name, player family backgrounds, what types of offenses their high schools run, etc.  They know 40 times, top-five school lists, official visit schedules and on and on.  While I like to read the recruiting articles, I am not what you would call a recruiting junkie.  I don't live on the message boards, and I am not a recruiting "insider" by any stretch.  With that being said, I would classify myself as someone who follows "crootin" to an extent, and I am looking forward to National Signing Day next week just like all college football fans. 

San Fransisco 49ers star linebacker Patrick Willis has received a ton of press over the past few weeks.  Willis, who has been regarded as one of the top linebackers in the NFL over the past few seasons, played on chronically bad teams his first four years in the NFL.  Also, he has played his entire career on the West Coast in San Fransisco. When you combine the two factors of a bad team on the left coast, you get an under appreciated and under covered player.  That has all changed this year (with the success of the 49ers), however, as Willis was profiled on E60, the New York Times and ESPN.com (just to name a few).  The former Ole Miss Rebel and Bruceton Central Tiger has certainly come a long way from his humble beginnings in rural West Tennessee.

My first job out of college was working at a small market ESPN Radio Station in West Tennessee, 96.5 WBFG Parkers Crossroads, The Sports Voice of West Tennessee to be exact. (This was in the early 2000's, and WBFG was the only FM ESPN affiliate in the state of Tennessee.  The GM of the station, at that time, Dan Hughes was a visionary; just look at sports radio today.)  As a station, we covered a lot of high school sports - football, hoops, baseball, etc.  We even gave out the very coveted "Taco Bell - West Tennessee High School Football Player of the Week Award" to the brightest star from the previous Friday night during the football season.  (Willis could have won it every week while starring at Bruceton Central High School.)  Anyway, my cohort, Kerry Mallard, and I drove the trophy out to Bruceton one week to present to Patrick at school.  (He was coming off a typical monster game at running back and linebacker.)  Patrick was a star player locally, but he wasn't on the radar of many high level D-1 college teams due to the fact that he played in tiny Bruceton.  Bruceton is a school that has actually had very good success over the years in single A football in West Tennessee so where's the love (haha)?  Kerry and I met with the Head Football Coach and caught Patrick in the hallway in-between classes to present him the award.  Patrick was a very nice kid that gave a hearty handshake (with those big meat hooks), looked you in the eye and answered our questions with "Yes Sir" and "Thank you" (Even though I wasn't old enough to be a "Sir").  When we were leaving, Kerry turned to me and said, "He's going to be a star one day.  Do you know how I know this?"  I knew Patrick was an absolute beast on the football field so this answer could go in several directions so I responded with a simple, "How?"  Kerry quipped, "Did you feel the heavy calluses on his hands?  That means he's hitting the weights hard and has a great work ethic."  I doubt Kerry knew that Willis would one day be an All-Pro NFL linebacker, but his words that day couldn't have rang more true.

The feel good story of Patrick Willis has helped me realize a couple of things. First of all (as always stated by the recruiting gurus), I fully realize the state of Tennessee doesn't produce a high number of BCS conference caliber players, but the "dearth of talent" that is often linked to TSSAA football is not very accurate.  Tennessee doesn't produce quantity, but there sure are some quality football players that come out of the Volunteer state.  Willis is arguably the best linebacker in the NFL, and Jason Witten is arguably the best tight end.  What do those two elite players have in common?  That's right; they both played their high school ball in the borders of the Volunteer state.  Plus, don't tell Nick Saban the state of Tennessee doesn't produce players.  Saban used a couple of All-SEC Volunteer state natives to help win the BCS National Championship this past season with Barrett Jones anchoring the offensive line and Dont'a Hightower leading the defense.  Obviously, the examples above are only a few players not encompassing a large sample size.  Powerhouse states such as Georgia, Florida, Texas, Louisiana and California produce far more players than Tennessee, but the lack of respect for TSSAA football goes a little too far at times.

Secondly, the Patrick Willis story tells me this.  The recruiting gurus and college coaches aren't always right about a kid.  Scout.com had Patrick Willis ranked as a two-star player coming out of high school, not exactly the type of kid that fans get super excited about.  He wasn't even ranked at his position per the Scout website.  Patrick's home state Volunteers didn't offer so he took his talents down to Oxford, MS, where he excelled to say the least.  The collegiate accolades are astounding:  two-time All SEC, two-time All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award and a Jack Lambert Award.  Not a bad list of accomplishments for a two-star kid from rural West Tennessee.

With the above paragraph being said, I have no problems with the star rankings or those who religiously follow them.  Many of the top ranked players are ranked highly for good reason, and those kids typically pan out.  I wish the Vols could land a top five signing class full of four and five star studs.  However, I love the kids like Willis that come out of nowhere to be unbelievable players in the SEC and beyond.  When we're all scanning down the list of UT's completed class next Wednesday night, will we read the name of a future Patrick Willis?  Will we have a diamond in the rough in the fold?  Most likely not, but based on the chance that a future slobber knocker of the SEC hidden as a two-star is a part of Dooley's haul should make all UT fans giddy with excitement. 

Be sure to visit Checkerboard Chatter next week for coverage of National Signing Day by Recruiting Guru Drew Pirtle and the rest of the CBC staff.

It’s that time of year again. The time of year that is better than Christmas for the fanatics of the college football world. If you’re anything like myself, you have been on the message boards daily looking for even the smallest snippet of insider news on the recruiting trail. Well on the first Wednesday of February, this year February 1^st, all of the excitement and even dread, will for the most part be put to rest. It’s no secret that the coaching turnover on Rocky Top is getting old. Not only are we starved for wins, but stability as well. Mostly because those two generally go hand-in-hand. But despite the recent attrition among the staff, the Vols 2012 class has not really taken too big of a hit. Let’s take a look at how the Vols are looking on the recruiting trail, as well as what to expect on NSD.

First off, I am very impressed with what I’m seeing so far out of Coach Sal Sunseri. The guy can flat out recruit, and the clout of his former school is paying dividends on the recruiting trail for the Vols. While the Vols have seen a few players decommit such as, Keithon Redding, Imani Cross, Kenneth Crawley, and Khalid Henderson, things have honestly been looking pretty good as of late. Dooley and gang have upgraded with commitments from 4-star CB Dion Bonner, 4-star ATH Davante Bourque, and 4-star DT Daniel McCullers. However, as always, expect there to be some drama on NSD. Here are a few guys to watch that could end up somewhere else than Rocky Top on the 1^st.

Reports came in yesterday that long time Vol commit, Dalton Santos, will be visiting Texas next weekend. This is the one school that from the get-go everyone knew could give Tennessee trouble with Santos if they showed interest. Some sources are saying that it is basically a done deal and that Santos will be a Longhorn after this visit. While my source is usually spot on regarding recruiting, I personally will wait until February 1^st to officially see how it all goes down. But let’s say he does in fact flip to Texas. Several, nay, the majority, of Vol fans on the message boards are going to be devastated by this loss. However, I will take the opposite stance. I will miss this kid because I love his attitude and think he will be a solid leader, but purely from a talent standpoint, it is not a big hit to the 2012 class. I think he will be a good LB in college, but I am much more excited about the likes of Otha Peters and sophomore Christian Harris. Would I like to have him? Of course. But let’s not overreact to one kid heading elsewhere. Another prospect to keep an eye on on NSD is Alton “Pig” Howard. While Howard has said that he is solid to the Vols, never underestimate the pressure from a mother and the convenience of staying at home in Florida. While I hope he stays solid, don’t be surprised if Howard flips to UCF on NSD. Finally, just watch the recently committed ATH Bourque as well. While this young man is an exceptional athlete, he also has a knack for taking his verbal commitments lightly. He has decommitted from a couple other schools, most recently LSU. The school to keep an eye out for is Miami (FL), the same school his friend and high school teammate is considering. Bourque visited Miami this past weekend and insists that it was just for fun, but considering his past, I wouldn’t be shocked if he jumped ship.

Now let’s take a look at some the remaining targets for Coach Dooley and his staff. While Coach Sunseri has only been in Knoxville for a short time, he has already made an impression on several recruits the Vols have been pursuing. Dooley would love to land one more highly touted DT to compliment an already impressive DT haul consisting of Danny O’Brien, Daniel McCullers and Darrington Sentimore. The two main targets on the wish list are 4-star DT, Korren Kirven and current 4-star FSU commit, Justin Shanks. Truthfully, the Vols landing one of these two guys is unlikely, however, the addition of Coach Sunseri at least has their attention and earned them a visit from Kirven. I fully expect Shanks to stay solid to FSU and for Kirven to sign his LOI with the team that has led for his services from the beginning, Virginia Tech. Due to this being the most realistic outcome, the Vols have shown interest in a few other talented DTs: current Miami (FL) commit, Jacoby Briscoe and TN DT, Tevin Bryson. I feel Bryson to be the most realistic option out of this group, but each year Dooley has been able to pull a surprise recruit at the last second. Don’t be shocked if he does it again.

Also, with the possibility of landing long sought-after JUCO WR, Cordarelle Patterson fading, the Vols have targeted a couple of other good-looking WR prospects. First is SC WR, Quinshad Davis. While Patterson is undoubtedly the most talented wide out the Vols have a shot with, Davis is by no means a slouch. He shows great hands and speed, and looks to be game ready. Another prospect they are in talks with is JUCO WR, Demetrius Wilson. This is a kid that is a lot like Davis in my opinion. I fully believe he could be an instant impact receiver that would compliment Rogers and Hunter very well. While he is listening to the Vols, most believe Arkansas to be his leader at this point. Finally, one major area of focus in recruiting this year has been the secondary. While I hate we lost Crawley due to academic issues, I am really excited about both McNeil and Bonner. These are two guys that could very well see major PT next season. But why not try to add another stud CB for good measure? That CB they are going after is CA CB, Devian Shelton. Shelton is currently committed to Oregon State, but has been garnering a lot of attention nationally as of late. While I personally think he will end up a Beaver, I also don’t expect Coach Sunseri to give up easily.

Only time will tell whether things end up good or bad for Coach Dooley and the Vols on NSD, but I can guarantee you one thing – there will be more drama than a high school prom. Be sure to check out checkerboardchatter.com in the following week to see updates on the Tennessee Vols’ recruiting trail.

Call me a Dool-Aid drinker, but in my opinion it's hard not to feel pretty good about the direction of the football program based on Derek Dooley's off-season hires.  Sure, there have been 6 coaches leave for other positions, but considering the Vols were 5 and 7 last year including a loss to Kentucky is that really such a bad thing?  Is the staff that lost to Kentucky and beat Vanderbilt in overtime really a staff that Tennessee fans wanted long term?  Change was needed and regardless of how that change came about Derek Dooley was given a chance to start fresh in a few key areas.  On paper he hit a homerun.

It all started when wide receivers coach Charlie Baggett retired.  There was a lot of speculation swirling around Baggett's relationship with Da'Rick Rogers and the role that Derek Dooley played within that dynamic.  Ultimately Baggett left.  Baggett is an extremely well respected wide receivers coach with lots of great experience both at the collegiate level and in the NFL.  This was not a loss that Tennessee fans should be happy about.  But let's look at it from Dooley's perspective.  If Baggett and Rogers weren't going to get along and that could potentially be detrimental to the 2012 football team, is Baggett's exit really such a big loss?  This isn't 1997 when Tennessee fans could side with coaches over players.  Back in the day if a wide receiver had a problem with a coach and couldn't get over it then the Vols could easily have parted ways with the player and filled his slot with one of the other NFL caliber wide outs that was playing behind him.  Those days are over.  If Dooley is going to win in 2012 Da'Rick Rogers is going to have to be an integral part of the offense.  There is no way around it.  If the choice was to lose Charlie Baggett or lose Da'Rick Rogers then Derek Dooley did what he had to do.  He needs Da'Rick Rogers to help him win next season and therefore secure his job beyond 2012. 

It has since been announced that former Volunteer running back Jay Graham will replace Baggett.  Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will coach the quarterbacks, former quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw will coach the receivers in Baggett's absence, and Graham will of course take over the running backs.  While Baggett's loss shouldn't be undersold, Graham is a huge addition to this staff.  He brings the experience and passion of having played for Tennessee during a time when no one was better.  Perhaps more importantly, he brings a great recruiting resume' with him from Steve Spurrier's staff at South Carolina.  Derek Dooley has made it clear that Jay Graham is a big part of his plan to revitalize the once great recruiting pipeline to the Carolina's that Tennessee had long enjoyed.      

Next to go was Eric Russell who left Knoxville to join Mike Leach's staff at Washington State.  Russell worked with Leach at Texas Tech and has roots in the Pacific Northwest.  Can't really blame the guy for making the move.  Russell was Derek Dooley's special teams coach and led that unit to some nice improvements during 2011 thanks in large part to the addition of Devrin Young.  But let's not fool ourselves.  Special teams at Tennessee has been bad for a while now.  It was bad at the end of the Fulmer era.  It was bad under Lane Kiffin.  It has been bad under Derek Dooley.  This gives Dooley the chance to once again start fresh and whether he brings in someone to give the special teams units new direction or he coaches them himself, there is an opportunity for immediate improvement.

Then the really bad news hit.  Justin Wilcox and Peter Sirmon were leaving for Washington.  No doubt, this one hurt.  Sirmon is becoming one of the top recruiters in college football and Justin Wilcox is considered one of the top young defensive minds in the game.  How was Dooley going to replace those guys?  How could Tennessee fill those shoes?

In the midst of finding a defensive coordinator to fill Wilcox's spot more news broke out of Knoxville.  Harry Hiestand would leave Tennessee to join Brian Kelly at Notre Dame.  In almost no time at all Derek Dooley announced that Sam Pittman would replace Hiestand and coach his offensive line.  This can only be viewed as a significant upgrade.  Pittman has been North Carolina's recruiting ringer under Butch Davis.  He has been named as one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation.  Furthermore, it seems pretty clear that Dooley was poised to make this move regardless of Hiestand's choice to go to South Bend.  While the offensive line was good in pass protection they were atrocious in run blocking.  Derek Dooley needed to make a change in that position group and Hiestand being able to go to Notre Dame works out best for all parties involved.

Then the big news.  Derek Dooley announced that Sal Sunseri would be leaving Alabama's staff and take over defensive coordinator responsibilities for the Vols.  You can read more about Sunseri's past here, but he comes very highly regarded.  He was named college football's top recruiter for 2011 and brings experience from both Nick Saban's 3-4 defense and John Fox's 4-3 defense.  Before any games are played I feel confident saying that Sal Sunseri was a great hire by Derek Dooley.

But the shuffling wasn't over yet.  Sunseri was named on Friday and then on Sunday it was reported that Lance Thompson would leave Dooley's staff to fill the vacancy left by Sunseri on Nick Saban's staff.  Lance Thompson is a really good coach and a great recruiter, however Derek Dooley had to consider this scenario as a real possibility before hiring Sunseri.  Lance Thompson has twice been passed over by Dooley for the defensive coordinator spot.  There were rumors that this might happen regardless of who Dooley hired as DC.  Many seem to think the sky is falling because of Thompson's departure, but would Tennessee fans really have prefered Dooley not hire Sunseri and promote Thompson to coordinator just to ensure he didn't leave?  The Tennessee football defensive coaching staff improved with the addition of Sunseri regardless of the departure of Thompson. 

Football coaches leave every year.  It is one of the most volatile industries in America.  Turnover will happen and while it is never easy it is often necessary to aid in a program's growth.  Tennessee definitely needed to grow and improve.  The additions of Jay Graham, Sam Pittman, and Sal Sunseri make this possible.  Staying the course with the staff, as it was constructed, was not going to happen regardless.  No matter how down the program is at Tennessee you have to make some changes after a 5-7 campaign.  Derek Dooley made plenty of changes.  I'm not sure why it is perceived by many to be such a bad thing.

To be sure, my opinion is quite possibly in the minority among those who follow Tennessee football.  Some have written that Derek Dooley is desperate, other have construed Derek Dooley and Nick Saban's trading of coaches to have some how worked out in Saban's favor (I don't see that).  Tennessee has even been called Alabama's JV squad.

The fact of the matter is Derek Dooley has to win a minimum of 8 games in 2012.  His current staff couldn't even beat Kentucky.  If it takes a major overhaul to get the team to 8+ wins next season then I say Derek Dooley is doing exactly what he needs to to get Tennessee back where it belongs.