Signing day rewind
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SIGNING DAY REWIND
Eight is a magic number
In all the discussion about numbers leading up to and on signing day regarding Butch Jones' 2014 class, the biggest number is eight.
The number eight represents the number of prospects Jones & Co. landed from the Midstate area. It's said to be the largest signing number from middle Tennessee since Doug Dickey's days in the 1960s. The ability to reach the number eight speaks volumes to what Jones and his staff have accomplished not only in recruiting but in athletic department relations in Nashville as well. … Eight is a magic number
D-line haul set to help in 2014, beyond
Tennessee's defensive front needed an upgrade in talent, size and speed and received all three Wednesday according to Butch Jones and defensive line coach Steve Stripling as the Vols landed eight potential defensive linemen. And important haul for both the immediate and long term future in what was quickly identified as an area of weakness a year ago.
Details on what the coaches think of their new defensive linemen inside. … D-line haul set to help in 2014, beyond
Numbers game and more notes
Tennessee head coach Butch Jones said on more than one occasion Wednesday that there wasn't a lot of "drama" on national signing day, as faxed National Letters of Intent rolled in from myriad players as the Vols formally put up 35 players on their wall of bricks.
Those 21 players announced, on top of 14 early enrollees, made for 35 newcomers in a 2014 class that was wrapped up before noon after only two questions - Michael Sawyers and Cory Thomas - needed answering.
But it left plenty of questions about how the Vols crunched the numbers. … Numbers game and more notes
The anatomy of the class
For the Vols, the creation of the class of 2014 has been different from any that Tennessee fans have experienced before. It's a class that's been over a year in the making starting with a Christmas Day commitment and finishing with a signing day commitment on the defensive front.
In our continuing analysis of the class of 2014, we review the last year in Jones' assembly of a Rivals.com top-10 class. A class that the Volquest.com staff has covered closer than any class and a group of players that we have seen first hand more than any class in Volquest.com history … Signing Day Analysis: The creation
Volquest.com TV NSD Analysis: The defense
Tennessee had plenty of needs on the roster when it came to putting together the Class of 2014. Defensively, the entire focus was on getting faster while getting more size up front. From a numbers standpoint, you can argue that linebacker was the biggest position of need of any.
How did Butch Jones and company do on the defensive side of the ball? The Volquest.com staff breakdowns down each position in our continuing analysis of Jones' first full signing class … Volquest.com TV NSD Analysis: The defense
Volquest.com TV NSD Analysis: The offense
Offensively, Butch Jones and his staff found themselves needing immediate help at offensive tackle as well as increased depth in the offensive trenches. One could argue the biggest need was at the tight end position. A position were Tennessee has potentially found immediate. At the skill positions, the offensive staff was looking to upgrade their talent level at running back and receiver. With two 5-stars, it would appear mission accomplished.
In our ongoing analysis of the 2014 class, the Volquest.com staff breaks down what Tennessee got done on the offensive side fo the ball … Volquest.com TV NSD Analysis: The offense
Signing day roster
The ink has dried on all the papers sent in. And the months of work by head coach Butch Jones, his coaching staff, and his entire staff in the football program has come to a close as Tennessee released all their newcomers on Wednesday. A list that included two 5-star prospects, 14 mid-term enrollees, and a group of in-state players deeper in numbers and talent than we maybe have ever seen.
Here's a full recap of all the newcomers including, video highlights and recruiting analyst breakdowns of each player in our signing day roster … Signing day roster
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