Wu's very own recruiting thread.

5 Star dual threat QB Torrance Gibson has cancelled his upcoming visit to USCe and replaced it with a visit to VOLS
 
My responses:

wU-Tang Vol said:
Let me break it down like this:

Everyone sees that he is a "5*"!!!!!!!!!!! We gotta have him at UT!!!!!!!

Let's look at a few of the facts.

- Gibson is a great athlete no doubt. I am not denying that by any means. One of the better athletes in this class.

However

- A 5* player is on that people think could be an immediate contributor. So, this guy isn't even starting at his high school now. At QB, he is extremely raw. Is there some potential there? Yes. But he is not an immediate contributor.

- So, let's think about Torrance as a WR. His athleticism allows him to be able to succeed at this position. But he has never played the position. To say the least, he would be very raw here as well. However, if there is one spot we have good depth at, it's WR. With that being said, we are in on WR's just as talented or more than what Torrance would be at that position, and they have been playing there for their high school career. One of those options, like Rahming, Jefferson, Sanders, Tyron Johnson, etc. would be much better imo

- We did not take a QB last year.To add to that, NO ONE on this roster is a proven QB at the SEC level. So, we need someone that would be able to, IF need be, play right away. Gibson has some tools, but would be at least a 2 year project, wheras someone like Gentry, who runs a similar offense, would be a much smoother transition. Plus, I think he fits this offense better than Gibson, seeing how he is a much better passer.

If we were to take Gibson as a 2nd QB, I would be ok with it. But if we only get one, we need someone that could potentially contribute immediately, and Gibson isn't that guy. I also feel he should be a 4* ATH. At no position do I see a scenario he would contribute right away
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wU-Tang Vol said:
I see your argument, but let me ask this..

What if Riley doesn't pan out? What if he stays hurt at UT?

Obviously young QB's take time to develop, but Gibson isn't even starting at his high school now (if that is still the case). That is a full year of not playing QB. He was raw to begin with, but then he doesn't play QB for an entire year against high school competition, and now he has to develop in the SEC. That would take a long time, and there is zero promise he will pan out.

Like a said, as the 2nd QB, cool. As the only QB, no sir
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Very reasonable points. I still want the New Mexico kid, but I would love to have Gibson too. Probably won't be able to take 2 QBs though. I did like watching Nick Marshall run wild though. I see this kid like Adoree last year, a lot of false hope. But you never know.
 
Scotty's Flat Top said:
Very reasonable points. I still want the New Mexico kid, but I would love to have Gibson too. Probably won't be able to take 2 QBs though. I did like watching Nick Marshall run wild though. I see this kid like Adoree last year, a lot of false hope. But you never know.
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Well, the only thing with the Nick Marshall argument, is that Auburn runs the ball 2x as much as we do. He has a similar skill set though, and would be good in an offense like that. And yeah, 5* got to his head, Adoreé style
 
Gimme all the 5*s possible and sort the **** out later. We need athletes.
 
wU-Tang Vol said:
I agree with that, except at QB. JMO I mean, he's not starting at his high school..
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I got ya and don't really disagree. I don't know anything about the guy. Stars matter less at QB imo. Important to get "your guy"
 
This confuses me as to how he even got a 5* rating at QB in the first place? I mean, if he's not starting, then what is his rating based on? Potential?
 
The verbal commitment of Scout three-star safety Stephen Griffin wasn’t a complete shock as his interest in Tennessee was evident (and even documented in a previous volume of Gate 21). Barring a transfer or a Griffin flip, expect Tennessee to now be done at safety this class. The secondary concentration turns to cornerback and that top group includes, but not limited to, Micah Abernathy, Mark Fields, Iman Marshall, Cameron Ordway, Darius Slayton and Garrett Taylor. Ugo Amadi lists Tennessee in his Top 5, and he could be a guy if the staff whiffs on the elite islanders.

Griffin makes ninth commitment for Tennessee’s 2015 class. Riley Lovingood will be placed on scholarship his first semester on The Hill, but he could be a candidate to blueshirt, especially if a long-snapper scheduled to return in 2015 has a perfect fall for Team 118. Again, the hope is to sign 20 this class. With so few spots remaining and so very much time, expect Vols coaches to continue “swinging for the fences” for the best players in the country (three five-stars already visited unofficially).

Three-star running back Rocky Reid told IT earlier this week that the Vols lead by “a long shot.” He lists several reasons why he’s so high on the Orange & White, but says Tennessee’s coaching staff “just has an it factor.” Reid tried his best to explain what exactly separates the Vols’ staff from the rest.**

“Just, the way they care about everyone. It’s, like, you go on some visits and can tell some coaches just don’t want to be there. Other, like, just come off as salesmen,” Reid told IT. “(At Tennessee), the just care. It’s like a family reunion over there.”

Three-star offensive guard Venzell Boulware of Creekside (Ga.) High School is highly coveted by Tennessee and his recruitment will only continue to heat up. Sources say Vols coaches find him “very underrated” by recruiting services.

While Boulware is high on the Vols’ board, he projects to play guard should he choose to sign on. Finding a big-name tackle in the 2015 class is a priority — and a challenging one at that.*

IT has reported several times that four-star tackle Chuma Edoga has been giving mixed signals to Tennessee coaches and recruiting analysts alike. But he’s not the only prospect doing so.*

Four-star tackle Drew Richmond of Memphis is another sources describe as “confusing.” One moment, he speaks as though the Vols are his clear leaders. The next, he only wants to talk about Ohio State, Alabama and Auburn.*

Tyree St. Louis is another tackle prospect high on the Vols’ board, but he presents challenges as well. Sources say St. Louis “doesn’t like the recruiting process” and communicates very infrequently with Tennessee’s staff.*

Nashville Christian’s Alex Givens is further down the offensive tackle list, but his stock is rising. Sources say after more film evaluation and his recent junior day visit, Givens was a “pleasant surprise.”

Abdul Bello is an offensive tackle IT has mentioned in both Gate 21 and VolChat a few times now. The private schooler in the Sunshine State has little experience with football but his athleticism and size combination have him being recruited by some of the best programs in the country. Scout national analyst Jamie Newberg saw Bello in person at the Orlando NIKE Football Training Camp and said this:

Bello is new to the game and it showed against some pretty good defensive end prospects in the one on one sessions. He played both tackle spots on the day. The good is that Bello is a blank slate. He just started playing the game for the first time this past fall. He has terrific size (6-6/300), good feet and length. He has a nice build and is naturally strong. Bello also has a sound punch. The bad is that he’s so raw and plays with no technique. That will come in time. His upside is enormous.

Newberg was also at the Miami NFTC. Among a deep crop of talent in attendance was five-star prospect and top Vols quarterback target Torrance Gibson. Here’s what Newberg said about the southpaw and FHSAA state champion:

Gibson had a very up and down day throwing the football. He has terrific size (6-4, 207) and length and is an incredible specimen and one of the top athletes in the state. But this five-star prospect has work to do at the quarterback position. At this point of his career he’s battling the consistency issue because he has flawed mechanics. But Gibson has this spring, summer and an entire senior year ahead of him to work on his craft.

The left-hander said this week a list of schools he will unofficially visit this spring. He didn’t initially mention Tennessee but augmented his itinerary to include the Vols over South Carolina. That’s major news for the staff as Gibson is the No. 1 QB target on the board as one of the premier athletes in the junior class.

Zach Gentry is a four-star quarterback from Albuquerque, N.M., that also intends to see Rocky Top this spring. He’s 6-6, 232 and claims to run a 4.68 40. In a perfect world, the Vols would sign two talented signal-callers in ’15. Justin Worley’s graduation after Team 118’s season concludes leaves the team with just three QBs. That trio is bottle-necked in terms of class and a transfer would leave Tennessee with just two at the all-important spot.

Dwayne Lawson, Drew Lock, Lorenzo Nunez and Brandon Wimbush join the group as top targets. That list figures to expand as Bajakian hits the road to evaluate this spring.

The top QBs on the board maintaining that they’ll trip to Tennessee possibly more than once before making a commitment is good news in a week that wasn’t the best for the Vols. Top tight end target pledged to North Carolina. Bowman Archibald is a tight end that IT said last week is one to keep an eye on, but he verbaled to Miami (Fla.) this week. Four-star Hale Hentges is now the No. 1 tight end on the board, and he announced plans to see several schools (including Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State) in April with no mention of Tennessee.

Dexter Williams is an Orlando-based running back with a Vols offer but he appears to have little to no interest in an orange career. He and fellow four-star Taj Griffin are two of the quickest athletes in the ’15 group. While Griffin (5-8, 170) is most attractive, his career in an SEC-based offense would likely place him outside the hash marks at slot receiver and possibly receive touches in similar fashion for NFL Draft first-round selection Tavon Austin.

Four-star Jake Fruhmorgen could push to start his second year on Tennessee’s campus but he now figures to be destined to sign with Alabama, Clemson or Florida.

We mentioned a number of strongside defensive ends and Leo ends in last week's Gate 21. Another to keep an eye on that's a tier below the top targets is Tyrell Jacobs of Metairie, La. Jacobs is currently unranked by Scout but is drawing interest from Mississippi State as well. He has a frame that could slide him into the three-technique at some point.
 
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