There are reports going around that there was a players only meeting tonight -- which was confirmed on Twitter.
Rumors that are coming out of the meeting are that Hurd and Kongbo have left the football program (??) and that good ole Butch might be in trouble.
Tweet confirming meeting
@brown8436 yaβ Jayson Swain (@SwainEvent) October 31, 2016
Cryptic tweet by Kongbo
All things must come to an end pic.twitter.com/Zd9YuNLNnDβ Jonathan Kongbo (@Kongbo_1) October 30, 2016
I don't think I've ever heard of this before, especially with such a high profile program...
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Comments
Insane if true!
Kongbo has deleted everything to do with UT from his twitter. IMO, he's done.
Those are soccer cleats in the tweet; maybe it is just the end of his intramural soccer season. S/
close, lol
No doubt we would welcome Eric Crosby.
You think he would actually reconsider?
If Butch Jones goes out the door, I could see it becoming an option.
After the way we have been playing lately and the mess building up in Knoxville, certainly
And Riley Locklear and the Gaddy brothers.
I wouldn't bet on that. Fuente and co. move on quickly after players choose to go other places. I can guarantee you these players, including Crosby and his 4* rating, have been replaced by other players that want to be Hokies on Fuente's big board.
I think you are partially right. I mean any coach would be stupid to dwell on the recruits he didn't land, but I'm sure if they decommit it will be a numbers game with how many scholarships/commits have accepted vs how many we have left and at what positions we still have needs.
I wouldn't think they would just ignore them because they picked someone else and had a change or heart.
what do you think trying to flip a recruit is?
You only do that to people you think you have a high chance of flipping. You don't want to spend your time and resources working on a kid that's already made up his mind unless you think you can convince him to come back. It's no different than politics - You don't see Mr. Trump spending a billion dollars in California and you don't see Secretary Clinton spending a billion dollars in Alabama.
Something something community guidelines something something
Maybe you were making a joke, but it was clearly just an example and not showing support for any side.
I think yes.
Chem is good. He made an analogy to prove his point. In fact it is more of a business analogy than a political one.
if crosby said he was reconsidering his commitment to Tennessee, the coaches wouldnt be doing their jobs if they didnt at least gauge his interest and try to get him on campus
Fair enough, but who are these DT's who he's been replaced with? We are in a potentially dire situation with quality DT depth.
agree. Crosby's antics surrounding his verbal may not have played well
Eh, he ain't great.
Everytime French said a prospect isn't great I'm just like:
Did they rush Hurd back from injury becaus Kamara was hurt?
I had been hearing (total hearsay) that Hurd was in the doghouse for something.
Was waiting for you to show up on this thread...I know in the past you have had some interesting run ins with Tenn fans
Her hate for UT is greater than my hate for Matt Ryan.
Obligatory Fuck Matt Ryan
And Pat Narduzzi
As a packers fan following today's game: FUCK. MATT. RYAN.
Let me propose. Fuck Matt Ryan is old school. It is not understood by the younger generations. I suggest that we move forward with Fuck Narduzzi.
Or, Fuck Nardouchebag. Narduche'?
Nah. Fuck Matt Ryan is timeless.
Narduzzi was just a jerk. Matty broke my heart
Correct spelling: Nardouchey
I'd like you to carry around a tape recorder while this entire ordeal is going on to catch all of the schadenfreude.
So he quit soccer?
/s
Some of us played football in soccer cleats.
Those would be called kickers
Also poor kids in Pop Warner whose parents asked the "Play It Again" guy for "cleats" without telling him the sport the kid's gonna play.
No, I'm not bitter at all.
Winces at ye metions of kickers today.... Skins fan.
Terrible rule. Can you imagine if this happens in the playoffs?
/s
Feels good to be a Cowboys fan, for once...
and then came the playoffs.
sorry couldn't resist (its tough being a redskins fan)
I know you typed English, but I have zero idea what those words mean.
Like those words individually? Or just the way they're organized in that particular sequence....
Those words the way they are arranged. Reads as irrational gibberish to me.
How does the Cowboys are 6-1 and leading the NFC East by two games sound?
Like the other teams left the NFC East and didn't tell the Cowboys.
Like even more gibberish.
For context: I lived in Texas during a large portion of Roger Staubachs career. You either become a cowboys fan or they top your list of "I hope they lose every game for the next 10,000 years". I didn't become a Cowboys fan.
Edit: notice a miss spelling in the name.
sounds phenomenal to me
Philly's receivers love to drop passes (Agholor, Huff, and Jordan Matthews), the running back (Ryan Matthews) loves to fumble in the fourth quarters, and Pederson decided to punt instead of a trying for a 50 yard FG with less than a minute left in the game.
Isaiah Ford to the Eagles would... well, that would be a perfect fit, wouldn't it.
no.
Actually a perfect fit for my Cowboys! Bryant on one side, and Ford on the other...dynamic!
My interest in this thread is 30% what's going on with UT, 70% what's hokiegirl going to say about it.
Just swung by the vol nation forums and it is nothing short of a dumpster fire.
Man, reading through the comments, these guys really need #sauces.
Something like this?
It's good, but the UVA one is classic.
I'm reading over a thread on there started by a fan that's calling for Butch to be fired... Most of them agree and say that getting beat by a freshman QB in his first start was horrible, some are saying fans are overreacting, and there's one fan that speaks the truth that's just like "nah, they'll blow someone out in the Music City bowl and everyone will be excited again"
Does this mean we can add Butch to the hot seat thread?
Live look in

NashvilleKnoxvilleI'm guessing you mean Knoxville? Or, I'm missing something.
Corrected. Didn't mean to demean your city by saying the Creamsicles originate there.
Thing is Tennessee fans might actually do that to him, if im butch jones im concerned for my life
Did you see the riots after Lane Kiffin told the media he was leaving to go to USC? It's very possible.
Awesome gif. Applies to organtown too this week just replace the wheelchair with a couch.
Tennessee fans, if true

There was a player's only meeting in 2012 for the defense after we lost to Cincinnati. It was called by Jack Tyler and the other captains. No one left that I can recall, though, so that part's a bit of a twist.
Yes I agree -- I didn't mean I had never heard of a players only meeting. I meant more along the lines of people leaving the program mid-season.
damn, SEC folks be fickle.
Players only meetings are pretty typical. You could say the players only meeting that Tyrod and the seniors called together in 2010 saved our season. But that other stuff... very interesting.
I don't recall anything out of the ordinary happening in 2010. We ran the table after a tough loss to Boise State and won the ACC championship before losing to a very talented Stanford team and that's it.
Yeah that's accurate. Something weird must have happened to warrant a players only meeting though! Strange.
Losing to USCe, this year, as a 3rd consecutive loss, is a terrible event that would illicit a team meeting.
I'm talking about VT in 2010 haha
If this has some real #Sauce behind it, and we could get him to transfer here as a WR....
whoa.
edit: From a Blacksburg native that's working for ESPN now.
Tweet that he's referencing
edit #2:
Thomas Guerry has also followed him.
Don't want anyone that values their own personal success above the team's. Any player that requires an offense to be tailored around their specific playing style is not going to be good for the team.
While I agree, if Jones said that he would run less this year, then I think the player would have a legit beef.
Having said that, a player who beefs with the coach could poison the well, and it may be best if they left, especially if the things the player is asked to do doesn't suit their strengths and goals. See: Hackenberg, Christian.
The kid was deciding whether or not to go pro. Butch made promises to change the O, to his strengths to convince him to return. I don't blame the kid at all and I would have no prob if he came to VT, to play WR/TE a la Bucky.
I think VT is better without such a player, even if the reasons he left are legitimate.
I can't understand this sentiment at all and frankly it seems similar to other types of victim blaming. What's wrong with the guy if his reasons for leaving are legitimate? If he feels deceived by a coaching staff (that can leave or change at any time by the way) then why isn't he allowed to make the best decision for his own future? And you must not have seen Hurd play if you think he couldn't be a weapon for our offense.
I don't know who to feel sorry for here...the school or the player.
Supposedly he was sold a bill of goods to run the I-formation more this year. That would mean more carries (if he is the first back on the depth chart, and healthy) and more work.
BUT, he says he transferring to switch positions. Is that because of the lowered work load or the injuries?
He did make the best decision for his future...by signing with UT. Quitting in the middle of the year is not the way to handle it. The coach is responsible for putting the TEAM in the best position to win the game, not showcase one individual. If and when he gets the carries, it's on him to produce. Is Hurd upset they lost 3 straight? Maybe. Is he mad because he didn't get the work he thought he would? He's been banged up and they played back-to-back top 10 teams, then USC. If he wants to peace out after that, then I personally don't want him near our program. Just my $0.02...
I think you're conflating two points that can actually be separate issues.
1. He expected to be used in the I formation because he believed it was the best use of his talents and simultaneously beneficial to the team. However, UT has not used the I formation this season.
2. Once he was injured this year, he realized that his future might be better off at WR/TE. I'd guess this is due to long term injury concerns but could be related to the diminishing existence of I formation offenses as well. Either way his trust in the coaching staff could have been damaged by point 1 and he needed a change of scenery and/or he doesn't believe the UT coaching staff gives him the best chance at playing in the NFL, which wouldn't be hard to imagine given their struggle to develop elite WRs and overall offensive woes.
On #2, he came back this year with the "running I-formation more" promise. If he had issues with his injuries, why would he raise his hand for MORE carries and work? Why not switch during spring practice to TE/WR and stay at UT? It's not like he's going to get released to attend another $EC school, and with they hype train around the Vols, he'd get some good tv coverage.
To me, and this is just the way I "hear" it, is it sounds like he's grasping at excuses and rolling out. Maybe it all comes together and really makes sense to him. But in doing so mid year, he's trying to inflict as much pain on the coaches as possible. Who knows in the long run who this hurts more, him or the UT coaching staff. He has to sit for a year while they are potentially losing a recruit or two, and you know the coaches down south will point to this every chance they get.
It's not possible that a college kid made a decision last spring thinking everything would go according to plan, with UT running more I and his body recovering without issue? On an almost weekly basis we see NFL players rush themselves back on the field without consideration for setbacks or long term consequences. How many college kids, much less football players, accept that injuries are a significant risk?
He quit after they lost 3 in a row. Not because he wasn't getting the type of offense that he was promised. If he had a problem with the offensive philosophy, this would have been an issue 4 of 5 games into the season. Not 8.
Should be noted that their have been rumors he has been playing despite some form of injury. His carries dropped significantly after the UGA game. From what I've read(probably hearsay), he was extremely displeased from that point in the season on from the way his injury was handled to the way he was utilized in the offense. And that was 5 games into the season.
More likely has to do with the fact that since the UGA game, Kamara has been significantly better carrying the football for the Vols than Hurd has.
If you're hurt and it effects your performance that dramatically, you are better staying off the field and getting healthy first. Especially if you care about your draft stock like he clearly does. Playing with an undisclosed injury only hurts his stock.
You are forcing every possible action to fit a preconceived narrative.
-He's not playing because he's not good enough. Therefore, he's selfish for leaving the team and being a distraction
-He's hurt and he's stupid for trying to play because clearly he's selfish (if you need proof well... he's transferring).
Just ignore that Lesean McCoy and Jamaal Charles, with their careers and millions of dollars on the line, literally just made similar decisions to try to play through injuries rather than get healthy.
Come on. BreakZoneHokie makes excellent points but honestly you can easily write a narrative that paints Hurd in a negative manner for him leaving at any point in the season. If he leaves when the team is undefeated, you don't think you'd be calling him selfish for creating an enormous distraction during such a season? Everyone knows winning covers up a lot of problems (see our offensive coaching for the last decade of Frank's tenure), so I'm sure he would bear with it as long as they were competing for an SEC championship- and yes, both for the team and his own enjoyment of a championship run.
The Bama QB quit when his team was undefeated and still receive vitriol for it. Yeah, quitting during the season isn't great, but if the kid is doing it for the right reasons, then I'm good with it. If the reasons are "So I can have a better shot at achieving my dream/goals" then good for him. Coaches do it all the time. Employees at companies do it all the time. Students do it all of the time. I understand that the "team" aspect of sports makes it a little different, but sports have changed. Every non-player involved with the teams is allowed to do what's best for themselves, so it's time to change attitudes about players doing the same.
not singling out your post specifically b/c others have said it as well but i decided to hit reply here.
frankly, it shouldn't matter if anyone thinks his, or any other player's, reasons are right or wrong. they are his reasons and his decision. most situations can be handled better but personally i believe that's independent of the quality of the reason.
I was attempting to avoid making mine a 2 independent dimension point. I agree. What ever the player's decision it's the best decision that he/she for that person at that point in time.
The real point to me is the "he quit on his team" mind set. No where in the rest of the sport do we see that applied. These kids are making decisions that could mean millions of $ to them. All you can do is hope that who ever is counseling them is giving good advice.
It's never that simple, and I don't agree with ever making judgement calls on player's character based on such things. The fact of the matter is that we will never know all the details of what happened. Furthermore, I trust our coaches to make the right call on who they want in their program.
And that's why I said I'm not sure who to feel sorry for. Maybe the coaching staff sold him a bad bill of goods. Maybe he couldn't take the results of what was happening. Don't know. Just doesn't add up. And as much as I dislike UT, I hope there's not anything of the loluva organized fighting scandal going on beneath the surface.
WE all try our best to make the right decision.
But in the harder times of life sometime we have to make the decisions we've made right. I'm not sure what reasoning could ever justify walking out on your TEAM in the middle of a season; maybe family emergency or something of that nature. For me its a short list.
I just think that a player who leaves for greener pastures is a risk that we don't need to take. It's more about the work ethic and "giving up on the team" than pure skill. I don't want to compare this kid to Marcus (and I'm not doing that), but Marcus is the example of why I don't value talent over attitude.
I hope this kid has success wherever he lands, and will root for him if he somehow ends up a Hokie. I just don't think we need him.
Never said that, and there's really no reason to say that as a way to make my opinion sound less reasonable.
what are/were your thoughts on Brewer? he left for greener pastures
the point is this is the new age of college football, players want to play and are willing to sit out for their shot in a better situation
He didn't leave in the middle of the season. He graduated, then transferred.

Brewer was warming the bench at his previous school, if I recall correctly. That's a different story.
He was set to be the starter before getting injured in the offseason. By the time he came back, he was so far down on the depth chart that he didn't stand a chance at seeing the field.
Behind (then) freshmen Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb, both of whom ended up transferring within the next year. Go figure.
Let's get practical for a second.
Suppose he joins the program. Suppose he's an absolute locker room cancer. He's one and done. Do you think he can do enough damage to the program in one season to fundamentally damage it? Worse case scenario, he's benched and quits. But if he can be a contributor in 2018, why not take a chance? Seems pretty low risk with a chance for significant reward.
I couldn't disagree with you more.
You have four years to play college football (five if you redshirt). That's it. Assuming the same rules apply to Hurd as it did for Blake Barnett, if he leaves now, he can play FBS football next year. If not, he gotta go the JUCO route or sit out a year (assuming he hasn't finished his degree). At the end of the day, student-athletes need to lookout for themselves first. They need to do what's best for them. One of the reasons Herd went to UT instead another school because they promised to play him in the way he wanted to play. They broke their promise, but you want him to keep his? He has no loyalty to UT. It's not like Butch Jones was the only coach to give him a scholarship.
I'm not sure where you're disagreeing with me. I think he feels he is making the right move for himself, and that's fine. I just don't think VT needs someone who quits on their team mid-season.
VT needs anyone who can help them win a national championship. I'm not going to rule a guy out because he wants to play FBS football next year. With Ford and Hodges probably leaving next year, Hurd could fill a big need for us.
You'll feel differently when you realize our second best WR next year is CJ Carroll.
Also, by that logic, Wisconsin shouldn't had taken Russell Wilson back in 2011 because Wilson chose to play professional baseball instead of showing up to NC State's spring practice that year.
I know what you're getting at, but the dude has reasons why he left. Sounds like he was lied to by the staff about how he would be utilized. IF he came to VT, it would be a one year thing with basically nothing but upside for the team. If he doesn't have the work ethic or attitude, Fuente will sit him. We've already seen that happen with a few players on this years team.
Boom. Exactly. Make the expectations clear for him at the beginning. If he doesn't like the agreement, he can go somewhere else. If he becomes a problem, Fuente can tell him to go.
I think SevenLayers is suggesting that "making the right move for himself" doesn't mean he wasn't a good teammate at UT, and it doesn't mean that he can't be a good teammate in the future. It's not like he's Frank Underwood and using those around him as a stepping stool to get to a higher position; this decision could have long term effects on his professional career.
Off topic, but I do really enjoy reading about different members' points of view especially in matters of an individual chooses to pursue his goals instead of those of the team/institution (such as this one, should college players get paid, etc) or vise versa. I'm always curious; I'd love to see data on age, political affiliation, careers, income, etc and see if there are any common trends.
Let him go!
I would avoid this kid like the plague. Butch has built up what seems to be a shaky culture of players who don't handle losing very well.
And besides, why would we want a kid that quit on his team mid season?
If Fuente and Cornelsen decide that he's worth the risk, then I'm good. My comments assumed that they would vet his attitude.
While I'm not jumping on the 'let's get this guy' bandwagon (not that we necessarily could), I'm not ready to deem him unreasonably selfish and/or toxic team member.
IF Hurd was about to enter the draft last year, and Butch persuaded him to stay by telling him that he would be used in such a way that he could improve as a player and get better draft stock, but then Butch never kept his side of the deal, then can you blame him?
Let's say the same scenario plays out at your job: You're given an opportunity at another employer, but your boss convinces you to stay with the promise that you'll get experience in a new role, that will boost your skill set/resume. Then 9 months go by, and your boss never gave you the opportunity he promised. The opportunity you had 9 months ago isn't there any more. Why stick around?
At the very least, it sounds like there was misunderstanding between Hurd and Butch at the end of last season. First of all, as a coach, you need to look out for the best interest of your players - part of that is encouraging them to go to the draft IF their grade is high enough. Based on HokieGirl's tweet (which, I recognize, may or may not be accurate) it sounds like Butch was acting pretty selfishly (if not misleading) when pursuading Hurd to stick around.
What if Fuente convinced Bucky to stay by saying that he'd be a big time receiving threat, but then put Bucky in a traditional TE/Blocking role. Could you blame Bucky for getting fed up and leaving? I wouldn't.
TL;DR - Just cause the kid is done at UT doesn't mean he's a cancer to his team.
it's not an IF, all coaches and players know why they play the game.
Pat Narduzzi, the Pre VT game version, discussed in the off season James Conner's staying at Pitt or going Pro and when that was the descion Narduzzi said he would work to get Conner a good season
When Nick Saban lost the National Championship and was asked if he was upset he said he was happy he set his players up for a 1st/2nd round draft picks
I do feel that is one thing VT hasn't/doesn't do to help players and attract top talent. At VT it's one team and if the one team give you success its after the team succeeds
The 'IF' is whether or not Butch intentional misled his player, if there was just a miscommunication, or if Butch was transparent and Hurd just really is a sore loser and can't handle 3 losses. My guess is somewhere in between, although, I do think that coaches often mislead players and recruits to get better on the field results.
"I do feel that is one thing VT hasn't/doesn't do to help players and attract top talent. At VT it's one team and if the one team give you success its after the team succeeds"
What exactly is "that" and what makes you think VT doesn't do "that"? And what does "one team give you success its after the team succeeds" mean?
Slightly delayed on a busy week, but
That is putting players first in a winning situation. That is that VT players can win in the NFL and The Team can win too.
VT has had a lot of talent that never seems to pan out when it comes to the NFL Draft and I'm betting a lot of talent never came to VT for lack of career NFL development. There are many reasons why the 757's top talent didn't choose VT over years on the sideline benches at FSU/Bama/UVA. I just think a top one maybe the lack of top NFL draft picks at VT along with the lack of position awards VT has.gotten.
You're joking, right? VT has been one of the most winning programs over the last quarter century. If not having a losing season in nearly 25 years isn't putting players in a winning situation, I don't know what is.
VT has actually punched well above its weight class in terms of incoming talent and outcomes (both in winning % and draft picks). This has been shown time and time again when analyzing recruiting rankings and outcomes.
Elite players don't come in droves to VT for the same reasons they don't go to other 2nd tier recruiting schools. Athletic program resources, program cache & location. Just look at the top 15-20 recruiting schools over time and look at the top 15-20 athletic budgets. The correlation is about 85%.
Winning has only a marginal contribution. Look at programs like Tennessee, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, etc who have mostly struggled much of the last decade, yet still get top recruits. Or a program like Texas A&M which has one top 10 finish in the last 20+ yrs, yet still gets top recruits.
I don't care about 25 years ago. 5 years ago is a good timeframe.
I don't get this
. What is the weight class
2nd Tier schools? OK so Bama/Ohio St and...ND? And 2nd Tier is everyone else but UVa and BC? Again 5 years not 25 years ago. Houston has a 5 star recruit on their team
Clemson's recruiting numbers are closer to Bama than VT. The others are fair comparisons. Now you need to compare these metrics to actual recruiting numbers. While on an individual basis, single players prove exceptions to rules (just like individual data points will do in any statistical analysis), the over all values (e.g., # of 4* and 5* recruits) as measures of "quality" of incoming players correlates strongly with success of teams as well as number of players who go to the NFL and/or number who are top draft picks.
When you account for the differences in incoming talent, particularly the elite talent, VT has punched above its weight class. Though, I'm not sure that the past 5 years is a great window to make the assessment. Mediocre teams will likely have very few players going to the NFL, so you end up with very small sample sizes, in terms of number of players who are drafted, let alone number that are high draft picks.
From my post a year ago on simalar issue. What do these two guys want, this is what Hokies should have wanted and what we got living in the hype
As for the numbers
Team - Wins / Loses -----5 Star/4 Star recruits 2010-2015
Not sure that I understand the point of reposting the same data, with a question that I can't make sense of (I seriously don't know what you are asking in your question).
There's Bama and everyone else, but there's not that big a difference.
2015 College Football Team Talent Composite Rank
1-----------13-------------29
Bama------------Clemson--------VT
Now that difference is the WHOLE reason I've been posting all of this.
Team 5 Star Recruits / 4 Star Recruits
ARKANSAS 0/28
Boise St. 0/2
Clemson 7/39
vt 1/25
Iowa 0/10
Team - Wins / Loses
ARKANSAS 43 - 33
Boise St. 64 - 15
Clemson 62 - 19
vt 51 - 29
Iowa 46 - 32
TOTAL DRAFT PICKS
CLEMSON 38
ARKANSAS 26
Iowa 26
VT 20
Boise St. 18
This is Dabo Sweeny and Frank Beamer after a 38 - 10 ACC CG
This was Clemson's first Conference Championship Game since 1991, obviously it wasnt their last one since then.
One was living on the hype of 2009/2010 season while not adjusting to the new College football game/Recruiting. the other took that game as a further launching point. Knew the way to win and got the players and got the players drafted
Deleted
Good grief. Weight class is what the expected outcomes given the perceived quality of the recruiting classes. VT has done very well by this measure historically.
If you only care about a small sample size of 5 years, then say so.
Tier 2 recruiting schools are those that are outside of the top 15 or so recruiting schools that have dominated the recruiting rankings since they began ranking them about 15 years.
We can set the time so that everybody at the party has a National Championship game under their belt
Warning, it doesnt help
Whoa!!! that was close!! Almost had to make Bama a Tier 2 school if it had been limited to the Top 10. And Clemson and VT are both Tier 2 and matched up well for a while
I'm so hoping this disappears in the very near future with a new Coach
From my previous research -
Boise State in 5 years
2 Four Star recruits = 3 First RD picks, 18 Total Drafted Players. Overall Record 64-15
Arkansas in 5 years
28 Four Star recruits = 2 National Award Winners 26 Total Drafted Players. Overall Record 43 33
VT in 5 years
1 Five Star and 25 Four Star recruits = 2 First RD picks, 18 Total Drafted Players. Overall Record 51 - 29
A reasonable position on what is an endlessly nuanced and complex situation?
No sir, I prefer my takes much hotter than this.
By that logic, you should hate Jerod Evans because he left Air Force.
By that logic, Tom Brady isn't going to be good for the Patriots because he can't run zone-read.
Do you honestly think life is like a sports movie? Give me a break.
He didn't quit mid-season when playing for Air Force. Huge difference. Also, he felt he could play at a better school that would get him more publicity than AF. Completely different than Hurd's situation.
Another poor comparison. Tom Brady didn't ask the Patriots to base their offense on his abilities, the Patriots did it voluntarily to maximize his ability and the team's success.
Why was this not an issue 3 weeks ago before they lost 3 straight? If Hurd was upset about the style, 5 weeks into the season should have been more than enough time for him to figure out the offense wasn't running how he was expecting it to run. (If it truly was about his draft stock) He quit after they lost 3 straight. That's the much bigger issue. At this point, it's pretty clear that when everything is going well, there aren't any issues, but as soon as the team is losing, it's all about him. That is a piss poor mentality to have.
Are you considering why Herd is quitting now as opposed to at the end of the season? According to NCAA Bylaw 14.5.6, Hurd will be eligible to play the 2017 season if he leaves right now. If he leaves at the end of the season, he has to wait a full year and will be eligible to play the 2018 season. According to 247, Blake Barnett transferring from Alabama four games into the season means that:
So applying the same rule to Herd, that mean he can sit out until October 31, 2017 instead of sitting out the entire 2017 season. Even the article said that Barnett could potentially be eligible for all of the 2017 season, there's no reason why it won't be the same for Herd.
Hurd won't be eligible for all of the 2017 season at a D1 school. The Nana kid transfered when he could enroll in fall classes. That's not the case for Hurd. Even if he goes to a Juco in Jan, he won't be eligible for Sept football at a D1.
Sure, that rule may be a loophole, but transferring after 4 games is much different than transferring after 8.
In order to get that eligibility, Hurd must be enrolled in a full year of classes at the Juco. Most schools have cutoff dates for class enrollment. 4 weeks into a semester gives you a MUCH better shot of getting put into classes than 8 weeks into the year, where at which point the enrollment deadlines have in all likelihood passed.
Also, If Hurd takes that route, he gets to play only 4 regular season games wherever he ends up and at that point he's a senior, because he needs at least 1 year from the date that he enrolls in the Juco. As someone that is trying to show that he can switch positions and learn the new tricks of the trade, this is about the worst thing that Hurd could do.
Also, from that same article that you quoted:
So therefore, he would follow the standard transfer procedure.
From Gridiron Now
If he doesn't graduate this year, he sits out a year. Pretty simple.
Also, feel free to respond to the rest of my post next time, rather than just the first part.
Nah, I'll let my turkey legs talk for me.
Yawn
In retrospect, that was a douchy thing to say, my bad.
edit: pretty much already been said so ill just leave this here.
Wow Fuente is all over it.
If true it's not a good look for Butch. This comes across like he lied to Hurd just so he wouldn't transfer.
What? Hurd wants to transfer to play WR? I'm so confused. Isn't he draft eligible this year? Just go pro as a RB.
The reports are that he's physically banged up so he wants to change positions so his NFL carrier can last longer than a couple of full contact practices in training camp. I've heard rumor of either or both knee and spine injuries.
Apparently that's his uncle...
As a hokie living in tn close to Bristol, this feels good.
Yes it does. Live in Marion, VA. Will definitely have my ear to the pavement today.
Abingdon, checking in. If all this is true, the meltdown around here is going to be legendary. I will love every second of it
Chilhowie checking in. Just got internet, what did I miss?
If you search for the nastiest, darkest thing your inner pervert can create...it's on the internet
Possible NSFW Family Guy Quagmire discovers the Internet video
We'll see you in a few days.
Hey! Chilhowie also. That's pretty neat.
Who would have guessed both residents of Chilhowie were KeyPlayers!?
Only resident of Saltville on here too!
Marion here. Go Smyth County
Me: *sees sign on 81 "now entering Smyth County"*
Me: *drops speed by at least 15 mph*
Me: *probably still gets pulled over*
^True story
I work in Kingsport, TN. For the first time this year I haven't heard a peep about UT today
YES!!! Living in Kingsport, I love to see horrible things happen to their team.
Someone in Knoxville sold their soul for us to fumble five times against them. No way we lose that game if we lose just 2 fumbles.
The Devil goes to Costco to get the SEC variety pack every week.
It comes with 8 Bamas, 4 aTm, Auburns, Floridas, Vols, USCe, UGA, LSU, & Ole Miss, then a couple Arkansas, Miss St, and Vandys (which he never uses, cuz...gross).
Once basketball season hits January, the pack switches out the Bamas, and LSU for Kentuckys and Mizzous.
The Women's SEC variety pack is all Tennessee, but no one really pays a whole lot of attention to it.
Kingsport checking in.
^ Ditto
#NETNHOKIES
You guys have to have it rough. My zip code is VA and I'm still surrounded.
Looks like Jalen Hurd has left the building. Swain is a former Vol player and has a radio show on the Vols.
If Hurd chooses not to declare for the draft (which I suspect he will declare), I would take him in a heartbeat, at receiver or running back.
Well, we don't run out of the I either, so...
Just my $0.02, but I'm not sure I would. I know his stats and physical appearance is good, but for the sake of team unity and not having drama I wouldn't take him.
edit: I don't know how to spell
Apparently he traveled back from the UGA game with his parents instead of the team because he was upset at his playing time (even though they had an amazing win to remain undefeated).
Good/great player but sounds like a prima donna to me.
I'm with you, and with the year sitting out, that's a lot of time stewing and not playing; giving time for odd thoughts that could infiltrate whatever team he lands with. (But, he is a junior, so he should be draft eligible.)
On a side note, is it just me or does the $EC treat their RB's completely different than the rest of the country. A kid has a few good games and the pundits start calling for him to sit the rest of the year or even skip a season. (See Chubb, Fournette...) But if he's strong in the B1G, give it to him EVERY down and work him.
I don't know... Kids go to school to PLAY. And the kid is a stud. He needs to be playing somewhere. Everyone knows about his physical stature, talent and upside, even the NFL scouts. So IMO if he transfers, sits out a year to work on his craft (at the WR position for example) then blows up for a year, good for him and good for the team that took him.
I would personally love to have the guy. I think his desire to play is simply indicative of his competitive nature. It's not like he's a guy who never earned a spot and is mad about it.
I think you missed the point of what I was trying to say. I agree with all of your points made in the 1st paragraph.
I don't agree with the idea that we should try to take him because of his potential upside. I believe that our coaching staff tries to bring in guys who are not only good athletes, but good character guys as well.
With that being said, if FuenteFoster thought it would be good to have him on the team I would trust their judgement on the kid.
Vol fans are either going to be really vocal or really quiet about this. There's no in between. Instead of melting down, they usually tend to disappear when something bad happens.
Hokies in Bristol and the rest of the Tri-Cities and surrounding area be like:
Nailed it. Vols fans abandon or turn on their team at the first stumble. I can't believe the amount of shit-talking they do about their own players.
Exactly! And then comes "next year is our year" after they win a bowl game. They'll all come out in hoards (people that have never even been to a game in Neyland and probably know nothing about football) on Facebook saying #GBO and purchasing their shirts that say "Feels like 98'" for next year. Someone I know was born in 1999 and wrote "Feels like 98'" after the miracle in Georgia... Like, girl, no, you were still in the womb. They'll start reminding the Virginia Tech fans about the Battle at Bristol. They'll win a few games early on and then they'll lose to a Florida, Alabama, or a Georgia and the cycle be will renewed. It's the circle of life.
UGH every time i hear the "next year is our year" garbage, i get sick to my stomach. Even if they go 2-10 on the year they still say... "well we could still beat the hokies". They wont count the 2009 chick-fil-a bowl though. I guess that game never happened for them. Makes me sick to my stomach to even think about vol fans.
via GIPHY
I imagine you snapping your fingers with a mean head bob as you said that.
Wow. It was one thing when Bama's backup QB transferred to get playing time. But for your starting RB to transfer midseason? That's unprecedented.
I feel like I want to give him some career advice. But then I realize he chose to be a Vol, so his unpreparedness is on him.
{That advice would be to enter the draft as a RB. He's a good RB.}
That is bad advice assuming the injury reports are true. See David Wilson if you need an example of why. (Single tear rolls down cheek.)
Yeah, if he can't play RB, he shouldn't.
But if the uncles report is accurate that he wanted to run I-formation, then I wonder what the real injury situation is.
This whole thing is squirrelly.
Bingo. The "I stayed because I was told we were going to run I formation more" meaning he got more carries, but then decides to leave school because of injuries to switch positions... What is it? Why not STAY and switch at UT?? Why stay initially if you are worried about injuries?? Bunch of odd ish going on.
My guess is the frustration from being lied to is why he wants to transfer.
So if he came to VT he would be a great QB, is what you're saying
Or a lean, athletic offensive lineman
Ocainspring would make him an O tackle. Here eat this tub of potatoes.
Now to find all those Vols fans who told me this was going to be like '98 all over again.
So we're gonna play for a national title next year? Sweet!
Man, this show is great. Can't wait until next week when we find out if Butch Jones is a robot or if Tennessee fans are just living in the Upside Down.
UT fans right now:

Live look:

Ok, fine I'll ask since no one else will, two dudes here, right?
One dude.
But which one is it?
That's up to you to check the undercarriage.
-Next year, Pat, next year.
- Shut up, Pat. You said that the last year too.
Vomit in my throat.
Isn't this the same guy in 2 different outfits?
deleted. not legit
"I quit!"
"You can't quit! Because I'm firing you! YOU'RE FIRED!"
Ok so are they dismissed or did they decide to leave? That is pretty shady if Tennessee "dismisses" then when they were leaving already. From the tweets I read, the players were quitting.
They quit.
Time to wait anxiously for their weekly presser at noon.
deleted. im a scrub. i need to tweet better.
Great time for this
Even with VT lyrics, I hate that fuggin' song!
No. Just NO......
I take exception to using a contrived deep south/Florida panhandle accent to sing a bluegrass song.
The most embarrassing thing to come from this news is that we lost to that team...smh
Tennessee has lost 1/3 of the players on the team that beat us in Bristol. That is a completely different team than what we saw in Bristol.
But that doesn't prevent the fans from calling for the coach to be fired.
Because theres a difference between losing more games than expected and creating a cultural problem with the program.
You could replace "Tennessee" with the name of any school...including Virginia Tech.
And I'd venture to say that we are a different team too. Fixed those fumbling problems!
edit: knocking on wood so we don't fumble away the Duke game, or any others the rest of this year.
And, an actual article about alternate arrangements:
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/17935186/jalen-hurd-says...
When did this dude become the Tennessee coach?
LOLespn
Right after ESPN was quoted saying "Reviewing articles before they get posted?
Official. Wow.
And the tweet about the cleats? It's because he lost a game in FIFA.
Even if Kongbo doesn't leave UT, I doubt this is the explanation because he also deleted all UT imagery from his twitter.
....right...
Right up there with
"My twitter was hacked"
Any news on where he's transferring? ESPN is blocked at work...
No... but Tech is a good fit. Just saying.
But we don't really use the I-Formation??
Not sure if /s or not. He wants to transfer to be a WR/TE not running back. I guess he is trying to show exceptional athletic ability like Denard Robinson, Pryor, etc and be drafted for a spot to be named later.
if he actually wants to transition to wr/te (and that's not just some made up claim) then he has the physical tools
but there are apparently people who would counter-argue that because this kid is trying to do what he thinks is best for his career, than he doesn't fit at VT (or something)
He plans to grow 6 inches taller and replace Bucky.
Those people are morons and don't actually care about the players on the team...the best situations are where it's a symbiotic relationship between program and player. We got four years of awesomeness of Tyrod and Tyrod gets early playing time, drafted in the NFL and now has a (potentially) $100 million dollar contract.
And honestly, I think recruitorns actually like it when people are free to transfer if it doesn't work at VT. It's almost like "wow, the coaching staff takes care of all its players regardless of how well they perform on the field."
Totally premature, but what about putting an athlete like him at H-Back? Wasn't Tennessee saying he was their best blocking running back as well? Imagine the moves he could destroy DB's with catching out of the backfield like Sam Rogers.
Live look from Knoxville:
via GIPHY
Poor train.
...I like trains...
All the Structural Engineers in the crowd shutter. Or shudder. Now the English majors shutter.
I've run the numbers and I still don't see how that train collapsed:
Weight of train = A train-sized amount
Capacity of Bridge = Less than a train sized amount
Uplift caused by UT fan's hot air = At least 5 trains-worth
I can only conclude that the UT fans were not smart enough to figure out the train schedule and were not on the train.
Its because that's the fictitious train that runs from Knoxville to the $EC championship game. It was never going to make it.
Next year...
NOTHING STOPS THIS HYPE TR....
.....oh
Entirely unrelated, but there are some cryptic tweets from a few of our players today that are scaring me. Trevon Hill, Billy Ray Mitchell, and Jrod.
Thomas Guerry just followed Jalen Hurd. Just saying.
Also, I walked with Jerod today on the way to class (casually), and he was singing a song by Drake that has the same lyrics that he tweeted. So not really worried about that. Trevon Hill is more worrying, but no clue what it could be about.
Can you give examples?
A few that I've seen:
1) Feel free to delete my comment
2) Both of those tweets by Jerod are lyrics from a J. Cole song and a Drake song.
Oh great, now everyone gets to hyperanalyze these messages without knowing a single lick of context to what they're about.
But I'm guessing the lack of context won't prevent this from blowing up more than it needs to
Kind of what I was assuming. This is why I don't usually follow players or celebrities, everything feels like conjecture.
Edit: spelling
ITS OUR OWN MUTINY!!
First thing that came to mind when reading Trevon's tweet....women.
I mean let's be honest at that age all my problems were female caused.
Yup, exactly my thought process:
1) What could have Trevon feeling like this tweet needed to happen?
Answer: He is 18-19 years old and in college.....girls.
Plenty of my problems were self-inflicted, but almost all were female-centric.
TRUE that!!
#99problems
You know wars have been started over that stuff.
Do not go all Troy on us here.
Good chance that Trevon is talking about the recent loss of his grandmother. But it's impossible to know for sure.
Also, likely.
I really have no clue what to take out of all of this.
That clip of Javier Baez was as he left the dugout after the Cubs won last night to force a game 6. In that context, it's a positive.
My policy of not following athletes on Twitter looks smarter every day.
James Gayle's twitter is 10/10 though
Can't embed on iPhone (mod help) but Fuente, Jaylen Griffin and Ricky Walker all started following him on twitter. And Gaines.
Trevon Hill and Jerod Evans need to do some damage control for our sake a tweet a picture of themselves hugging!
Or grown men need to CTFO and stop wringing their hands over 20 year olds' Twitter feeds.
Well someone can't take a joke today...
yes..this
Ding, ding ding...we have a winner
Jahque Alleyne tweeted "people really have issues" with a laughing/crying face. If that adds to the suspense.
Twitter analysis?
...HAMMERTIME
When it comes to 4 and 5 star recruits considering us, it will be ok for grown men to follow kids on twitter again right? High schools kids at that, that aren't even 20 years old or 18 in some cases. lol I'm done with this thread, and twitter. We lose players on our team, or we do or don't get a transfer player oh well, that's college football.
Boy, Bristol will melt if he transfers to Virginia Tech....
I would definitely have to see a doctor for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. I have no idea if he would fit our scheme or our team but damn do I want to see Knoxville turn into the Dead Sea from all of the tears and saltiness.
Uhh.
Yea, apparently it's bad if it lasts that long...
If you're an amateur, maybe.
The commercial only told me how to "let the dance begin". It didn't tell me anything about how to end it.
I asked a friend of mine who is an ER surgical nurse why it's bad. The words "surgical de-gloving of the phallus" were used.
Ah, priapism...
I think someone else mentioned something about that earlier:
http://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/481312#comment-481312
If he's hoping to transfer into a system where he would be a focal point as a TE/WR, he would fit our system perfectly after sitting out a year. It seems like everything lines up almost too perfectly
I'm assuming he is transferring as a grad student, so he wouldn't need sit out a year.
So Jalen is a Junior. Would he have to sit out a year/redshirt with the transfer or will he do the whole "Tennessee doesn't offer my desired graduate degree, but this other school does" bypass?
I'm sure he would try this method if he can swing it.
If he can graduate he wouldn't have to sit out a year, like what Brewer did.
I googled "Jalen Hurd transfer eligibility" and got this
If you transfer in the middle of the season you get out of this right? I remember hearing something like that during Alabama's QB fiasco earlier this year.
that was because the Qb was transferring to a juco i believe, so i think his quickest route back to fbs was leaving mid season
I believe you sit a semeser which is why he left now. Next semester he couldn't participate in anything but starting with summer semester he would be able to join the team and play next season.
Its more than a semester...its a year.
No, because he's enrolled in school. If he completely drops out not (assume its after drop deadline...) then he won't be associated with any institution. That affects his eligibility. And, UT has to release him from his scholarship. This typically isn't a problem, but I remember hearing something about a basketball player I believe a few years ago that the school did NOT release him, thus keeping him from transferring.
He won't be transferring at the end of this year. He'll be quitting the football team and transferring at the end of this semester. I don't know what that means in regards to sitting out, but he won't have his degree yet. So most likely, he'll have to sit out a year wherever he ends up.
I don't know a lot about Hurd except that he's a fairly big back, but I know we have a Rogers sized hole in the offense after this season, as depressing as that is.
I know of some Peoples who might be able to help with that.
I myself am banking on that.
However, it can't Hurd to have some competition.
Well played sir.
HE will most likely have to sit out a year for sure... which if you look at it is 100% fine.
He most likely will REDSHIRT next year learn an offense then play his redshirt senior year.
So its settled then,
he will come to Virginia Tech and he will Redshirt next season.
Hold on folks, #localSauces say that James Franklin at PSU also recruited him, but to Vandy back when he was coaching the Commies. They would be in the transfer mix as well, with a coach with whom he already has a preexisting relationship.
The one time where having a relationship with a PSU coach is actually a good thing...too soon?
haha no, quite humorous
Not for PSU, they've already celebrated the last one.
The PSU folks got past it pretty quickly, why shouldn't everyone else?
Flipping the Gaddy twins from Va. Beach would be sweet.
This article doesn't really shed any light on the situation, but appears to be a whiney response from a likely TN homer. Please see the link below and enjoy the read as Tennessee begins it's decent back into mediocrity.
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/tennessee-football/jalen-hurd-quitting-...
The salt in that article is real. Comments are actually surprising split down the middle. Half seem to understand he was lied to after the season and bowl game last year and the other half just can't accept a kid leaving halfway through a season.
http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/columnists/university-of-tennesse...
UT loves their "hit-pieces"
Where is the puking puppet gif!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I gotcha

So Hurd basically quit the team with a 1/3 of the season still left to play?
I would love to see him come in and be Bucky 2.0, but I agree he will have to grow a couple feet first.
Sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery. A stable locker room could do somebody like him a world of good.
Not saying we're the Patriots, but they've had success welcoming in talented problem children in the past.
I HURD DAT!
So hypothetically, we get Jalen....does that mean we lost the battle but won the war???
So is there any word on what is up with Kongbo?
Losing to the Gamecocks must have really SCARred them.
SCAR -- get it?
If this is true I think we are better off without Hurd.
Dammmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Ain't that some sh$$%t.
Doubt that's true, it would have leaked out to established media if so.
it's great drama though...I don't see how any of it is really relevant to us, though....aside from some schadenfreude
Why do you doubt it? And why does everything have to leak to the media?
This happened (supposedly) in July/August, and is much more scathing and egregious in my opinion. It wasn't leaked even with reports of camera phones present.
Having coached a high school soccer team this year, I can tell you there are things that go on and get dealt with on the sidelines that the fans know nothing about. They can speculate. They can make up. They can try to figure out. But 9 out of 10 times, they only see 15% of the picture and get the overall wrong.
Yeah I would be shocked if that's true. No way not a single other person has heard any of all those details.
Sounds like a very convenient way to scapegoat one (departing) kid for all the problems that might exist in the program.
Bingo
Also sounds true and explains this bizarre injured/concussion/I-Formation/Transfer to play WR/TE nonsense.
None of that made a lick of sense. Got pissed off and quit on the team seems much more logical.
All of this sounds believable except for the "refusing to go back into the game" on what sounds like multiple occasions. If that happened once, maybe no one notices, but I would still expect to see at least one coach and at least one or more teammates lose their shit on him. If it happened again I would expect Butch Jones to have a heart attack right on the sideline as a result of screaming at him, surely there would exist some kind of evidence of his refusal and the subsequent sideline meltdown by teammates and coaches. At the very least I'd expect a "take your ball and go home" moment, or a "Sit your ass down over there" moment.
Can someone give a description of what is in this image? I can't see it at work, and seems really interesting.
It's a gif which begins with a little girl in a field holding a flower. Camera zooms back and we find out she's in a desert and the field is an oasis. Zoom back further and the desert is actually a sandbox in the world's largest resort hotel. Zoom back further and the hotel is actually a playground for the world's largest prison...
That's not very nice! (Funny, though)
Mods: I don't know the source of this text, so I don't know if it's OK to post it without attribution. If this was a mistake, please correct it.
The text in the image reads as follows (Thanks, Adobe, for the OCR)
"I do not post often. I have been a subscriber since 1999. I only
bring info that I think that isI useful to the board. I have this
information indirectly but the source is one with direct
knowledge of the entire situation from inside the program.
Flame if you choose to flame. No big deal to me. That said
everything here makes perfect sense and explains the past
several weeks events with no exceptions. Here goes:
When Hurd fumbled at the goal line in the GA game, CBJ got in
his face. He told Butch to f$ck off and then said that he was the
team and that we would not win another game without him. Got
benched of course. Kamara went in but later in the half was
gassed and they tried to put Hurd back in but he refused. He
eventually went in and scored on the pass before half. After that
he came back to the sideline and said he was not going back in
the game (to me this explains why he still had his hat at the end
of the game. If he had a concussion, he would have had it
taken away per protocol).
Next week he no showed practice M-W and came back
Thursday (not injured as was reported). When he came back,
Butch put it to the team to decide whether he would play. They
voted that he could come back but should be suspended for the
A&M game (thus he did not travel). Program put out that he
was injured to cover that.
At USCjr he was not playing great and Kelly started getting reps
and moving the ball. Hurd got PO'd and when Kelly got dinged
up they called his number and he refused to go in the game.
Carlin went in and then caused the fumble with Dobbs on that
series. Dobbs got in Hurd's face on the sideline (not typical for
Dobbs) about quitting on the team. He refused to play the rest
of the game. Kept his helmet. Not injured.
Sunday night another team meeting to decide what the players
wanted to do about him. Several called him out for quitting on
the team and being selfish. He then walked out of the meeting.
They then made up the transfer story to cover.
Why would his teammates make up the cover story of him transferring if he quit on them? It just seems strange. It just feels like, as someone else said, this versions absolves everyone at UT of any responsibility and I don't believe all this was all In Hurd. Butch Jones contributed to fucking this up somehow.
Because Butch Jones is the one making up the stories to cover his ass. Kongbo was ready to quit and his teammates talked him into staying, then Butch Jones made up that BS about it being related to FIFA on PlayStation.
#sauces
Never underestimate the ability of a fanbase to blatantly make shit up to explain away issues when things go against their own personal narrative, especially in college football.
Why would the teammates of the UVA kid that just came forward about hazing not say anything? Does that seem strange to you?
No, for a few reasons. (This is all conjecture)
He's a true freshman, so likely has a handful of friends already on the team at most. It sounds like the coach staff started laying into him as soon as camp/practice started. If his friends are also on the team, they're also trying to impress a new staff to secure a place on the team. This means that an easy way into the coach's good side is to also ostracize him. We don't know how many players were forced to fight; if this was like a bull-in-the-ring drill or if this was a fight to not be the omega dog on the team.
If his friends aren't on the team, they may not have any first-hand knowledge of these things.
Or (and I think this and the first option are the most likely), his legal counsel has spoken with his friends and made a request/order to not make any public statements or speak with any media until after whatever resolution occurs.
Wow, it just keeps adding layers. Not sure if this played into things, but I'm sure it didn't help.
Hurd's mom arrested at UT-Fla game
Edit: She was arrested Sept 24, but it wasn't "leaked" until the day after Hurd announced his transferring.
I am going to really jump to conclusions here....this definitely had something to do with it. Or you know, her behavior was directly tied to something going on with her son on the sidelines?
From a completely objective point of view (I don't root for Tennessee, but I also don't really dislike them like a lot either), their football program seems to be an absolute mess. Every year is supposed to their year. They have NFL talent everywhere. They have an experienced quarterback, a talented defense, and had a proven running back in Hurd, but they never play to their full potential. That's on the head coach. Butch Jones doesn't strike me as a good coach. He seems to be over-emotional and tough to play for. He can never maximize his team's talent, even though it's easy to see that Tennessee is the most talented team in the SEC East.
The team really had success in last year's bowl game with the power running game, Hurd's strong suit. I'm sure Hurd was led to believe this style of play would be a major part of their offense this season, but it hasn't been. Good players want the ball in the favorable situations. I'm sure Hurd was upset, said something to Jones, and Jones blew up on Hurd, which upset him. This led to a string of events leading up to the current situation of Hurd wanting out of Tennessee.
I can guarantee you CJF will put Hurd in a position to succeed at VT, if we are fortunate enough to land him. When you have 3 receivers go over 100 yards in one game the game after we saw what Sam Rogers did to Miami, I am completely confident our coaching staff can make Hurd happy, and I'm completely confident Hurd can make us better.
#Hurd2VT
Maybe this hashtag will catch on.
All I know is when Hurd makes a visit or CJF gives him a call, Coach is going to have lots of questions for that young man.
Sounds like they aren't wasting any time. Guerry, Fuente, and Cornelson, all started following Hurd's Twitter within hours of the news.
FTFY.
Depending on which story is true, Hurd could be very upset that we would be passing the ball not running it.
Then again, he wants to be a receiver. I would laugh hysterically if he transferred here and then Ford & Bucky stay and Hurd can't break into the 2 deep.
Hurd can't play next year anyway. He'd be playing in 2018 only. That'd be more telling if he couldn't break in the starting lineup then.
He isn't eligible to use the graduate transfer rule?
I guess he could be, but I don't think so. He would have to obtain a degree this winter (after only 5 semesters in school) or transfer to a different school that takes all of his credits and where he can play football at so that he can graduate in May 2017.
As Chopping Wood by the JUGS said:
Dont college football players take at least 12 credits a summer?
Summer classes dont count towards full time. See what I posted above from the NCAA definition.
But they count for early graduation!
I disagree. If UT wins out (beats TennTech, UK, Mizzou and Vandy - which the should) they're looking pretty good.
Their fans are idiots.
Their defense is very banged up - on par with UF a few years ago. I think they have 1 or 2 starters left on defense, with at least 3 third stringers starting. Regarding Dobbs; he's experienced, but not 'good'. He just isn't accurate enough and doesn't throw the deep ball well enough to lead a team to a national champion.
I think he needs a new OC, who can develop an offensive identity. It looks like he collected the highest ranked players possible, but didn't necessarily consider how they would fit into his system and/or work together (Hurd is and Dobbs are both examples of this). The defense is elite when healthy.
Football fans have been spoiled by coaches like Gus Mahlzan and Tom Herman who have showed up and had immediate success. Butch Jones is building a program. Sometimes building a program takes time and there's learning curves (for both the players and coaches) along the way. If I were a UT fan, I'd let him do his job another couple of years.
If those results were at loluva, they'd make him university president for life.
FTFY
Is it just me or does anyone else hear this thread title as Chris Stapleton singing a la "Tennessee Whiskey"?
Edit: spelling
I mean, I don't think it really matters if it's a singer or anyone else if he's signing a song instead of singing it. You just can't hear anything that way.
At this point, I can't get too excited about Hurd even if there was a strong indication he might come to VT. Seems like there might be too much baggage and primma dona attitude. While talent is needed, Fuente's style is predicated on attitude and work ethic which satisfies me as much as the W/L column. I trust Fuente would assess this thoroughly should the be mutual interest.
Fuente's style is predicated on attitude and work ethic
Sam Rogers.
Honestly I don't want Hurd, we should be able to have a recruit good enough that we do not need him, and he would only have what 1 year of eligibility? I like our TE and WR class we have coming in and what we have on our roster. However I am always open to O-lineman and D-lineman transfers because I feel like you can never have enough.
With the position change and the unavoidable back story of his last days at UT, he needs to understand that he'd have to put in the work of a transfer, and that he may not see the field much (
see Devin Wilson, Henri Murphy). Unless he proves it, he's notBraxton Miller,automatic superstar.I can see him being the #1 target of ESPN's cameras for the first several games of the season, though. Wherever he goes he'll steal the spotlight. They can't pass up a good story.
I can't believe I'm jumping into this long-shot hypothetical discussion, but...
Sure, he'd have to earn playing time - especially at a new position. But are you really comparing a guy who has proven himself athletically at the highest levels of college football to Devin Wilson & Henri Murphy?
And Braxton Miller was anything but an automatic superstar as a receiver. Other than a couple of plays vs VT, he did very little last yr.
I'm more referring to WR/H-back Braxton Miller's reception by the fans/coaches. He was also a proven D1 athlete but not at his new position, and he was annointed the next great receiver, and put to use right away against VT in game one.
Murphy and Wilson are examples of transfers having to make it despite their athleticism, see JUCO transfer Jerod Evans who had to do the same; could have been a bust or lose to Motley in camp.
i have no idea what point you're trying to make.
Are you saying that simply because Hurd is transferring, he's comparable to Murphy - a guy who had never played a Div 1 game? And exactly how is he comparable to Wilson - who is neither a transfer nor had ever played collegiate football?
Yet because Miller was hyped at a new position - incorrectly - by fans & media (I don't recall any coaches saying anything about him other than to say he was a great athlete) and Hurd hasn't been hyped (yet) that they're not comparable?
Just disregard my examples.
Whatever the kid's motives, sounds like he still wants to be on the field, but nothing is guaranteed.
Can someone refresh my memory? Is this what 1998 looked like?
Rough week for Butch. Guess it all got to him right before half...
http://thespun.com/news/butch-jones-yells-neyland
I mean, I don't really blame him in that situation...I think right after he says that he follows up, clapping, with "that was a good drive" seemingly addressing some of his players. He's trying to keep his team's confidence up and the boos aren't helping.
This was my takeaway as well.
being open about why he's leaving and still supporting his former school, what a diva!!!/s
There has been enough stuff on our and other boards that a good clean, polite statement will only help his transfer opportunities.