Gene Chizik sure Tennessee will 'grab some people's attention' in 2020
SEC Network analyst Gene Chizik has been one of the biggest believers in Tennessee since Jeremy Pruitt took over. Even during the Vols early struggles in 2019 — lost 4 out of the first 5 games, Chizik was of the impression that it was all fixable.
He proved to be right, because the Vols ended the season on a hot streak with 6 straight wins.
The former Auburn head coach joined WNML-FM in Knoxville Monday to discuss the Vols.
“I was probably one of the few guys that, at the beginning of the season after the BYU game and the Georgia State game. I watched the film and I felt like, I even said it on the air, I felt like everything was correctable, I really did,” Chizik said.
“I think Jeremy Pruitt is a heck of a football coach,” Chizik said. “I think he understands not just the game, he understands players, putting them in a position to succeed and win. They were one of the hottest teams in the league, if not the hottest team, at the end of the year.”
Chizik knows that recruiting is the lifeblood of college football, and he understands that Pruitt and his staff gets it, as evidenced by their dynamic recruiting.
“Recruiting is definitely on the upswing, and if there’s one thing Jeremy can do, he can recruit,” Chizik said. “He has great rapport with high school coaches in a lot of states, starting in Alabama where he was one. Obviously, being under Nick (Saban) for so many years and understanding the importance what it takes to recruit, I think Tennessee is on the up-swing.”
“I think good things are going to happen. Obviously, recruiting is the name of the game. It’s the lifeblood of every team in this league. You can be the greatest X and O guy, you can have all the bells and whistles that you need to run blitzes and have fancy offenses and all those things. You better have dudes that can execute it. And I think they’re headed in that direction.”
The SEC Network analyst likes the direction that Pruitt and company are headed in ahead of 2020.
“I like the mentality of the team, I like the physicality that I saw,” he said. “This is still a culture shift. In Year 3, you’re still in a culture shift. By the end of Year 3, you’re going to really see things start to swing, and they’re really going to grab some people’s attention by the end of Year 3 for Jeremy Pruitt.”
Tennessee is scheduled to kick off the season on September 5 at Neyland Stadium against Charlotte.
I hope so. Incremental improvement is frustrating, but so long as UT improves, it’s all good. They are finally beating the teams they are expected to (less GaSt), but now the next step is to be consistently competitive with and finally beat the top tier teams.
The Vols need more Consistent Quarterback Play to become one of The East’s Big-Three. When they achieve that…maybe.
Adding a 5 star QB in Bailey might help. We will see if he is what we think he is soon.
@dvhill…………Y’all were also supposed to beat BYU. But you didn’t!!! Yea, y’all were hot at the end. But that is only because you played the bottom end of the schedule!!!!
PS. I don’t see the reason for all the OPTIMISM!!! But it’s not my team so I’m good!!!
King Negan
@dvhill……..I challenge y’all. Go look at the 2020 class for UGA!!! Then look at the fact. We should have 3 more 5 star players!!! Because 3 players mysteriously LOST A STAR LATE!!!!! So when you see 4 5 STAR PLAYERS. Just know that 3 are former 5 STARS and are actually 5 star guys!!!
ONCE AGAIN. SOMEONE AT 247 WAS ATTEMPTING TO GIVE SABAN THE RECRUITING TITLE!!!!
Nevertheless he lost!!! Now y’all go look at that 2020 class!!! Then remember it’s the 3rd class in a row ranked #1 by 247 or rivals!!!! Then remember UGA had the #1 RANKED DEFENSE LAST SEASON!!!! We return all but 2 players from the defense!!!! There are some who seriously believe that THE DEFENSE SHOULD BE EVEN BETTER!!!!
NOLAN SMITH was the #1 RANKED player overall coming out of high school from 2019!!! He had a great true freshman season as did 5 STAR DEFENSIVE TACKLE WALKER FROM THE SAME 2019 CLASS!!!! Both guys will be in year two. And both will be bigger and faster and stronger!!!! WALKER IS A 5 STAR DT WITH BOTH STRENGTH AND SPEED. WITH TREMENDOUS PASS RUSH ABILITY!!!! Nolan Smith is a linebacker/defensive end with absolute EVIL PASS RUSHING ABILITY!!!! UGA HAS THE MOST TALENTED PASS RUSHERS IN THE NATION BAR NONE!!! TEAMS WHO GET IN 3RD AND LONG AGAINST UGA THIS SEASON. YIKES!!!! Those teams will be staring at LB Clay Walker, DT Walker, former #1 JC DE and elite pass rusher Jermain Johnson, 5 star Adam Anderson, 5 star Nekobe Dean, 5 star former #1 OVERALL RECRUIT AND ELITE SPEED RUSHER, NOLAN SMITH. Then possibly Monte Rice also an elite speed guy!!! Then Ojulary who’s name I can’t spell!!! LOL, I have a tough time with common names!!! But I could go on and on!!! This is only a small portion of what UGA has to offer!!!!! Then add in elite pass rusher and big time 5 star defensive tackle CARTER from the 2020 class!!!!! And our huge nose tackle JORDAN DAVIS. And former 5 star 5th year senior DT, BIG JULIAN ROCKCHESTER due for a HUGE BREAKOUT SEASON!!!! ROCKCHESTER WAS ALSO A PASS RUSHER FROM HIS NOSE TACKLE POSITION IN HIGH SCHOOL. He has been held back by injuries but should be fully healthy!!!!
The UGA O line is STILL ELITE!!!! And will be for many years to come. Zamir White is finally going to be 100% God willing. He was beginning to get healthy last season. He played on and off all year. It’s clear that he is a beast with strength. THE ONLY THING MISSING WAS THE BREAK AWAY SPEED. AND HE WAS STILL REHABBING TO A POINT.
LIKE CHUBBS FIRST SEASON BACK WAS SO SO. BUT BY THE SECOND SEASON. HE WAS BETTER THAN EVER!!!!! Zamir White will again have that breakaway speed and instincts. That made him the #1 running back in the country. Coming out of high school. At least I expect him to. And if he gets that speed back. Forget about it!!!! Nobody is going to shut him down!!!!
Before the injuries. HE WAS BETTER THAN D SWIFT!!!!! And that is simply a fact!!!! He might have been the most talented rusher since Herschel Walker!!!! It’s hard to put anybody over Todd Gurley when he was healthy. But Zamir White was as good or better before the injuries!!!!
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THESE INJURIES.
If there is a bright side to the injuries Zamir White has come back from. It’s the fact that neither of them had any real MENTAL IMPACT!!! On both occasions. He had to get checked to know he was actually hurt. There was not any real pain during the injuries. THE MENTAL PART OF THESE INJURIES IS THE WORST PART. THE ACTUAL MEMORY OF THE PAIN AFTER GETTING HIT. He didn’t have this at all. Both times he needed to be diagnosed. He only felt a little soreness!!!! AND IT WAS BOTH KNEES AS OPPOSED TO BOTH ON ONE!!! That means he has already been rehabbing the first knee for two years now. And next season will be year 3 for that first injury. And the second is going on year number two!!!! So there is no reason he can’t be SUPERMAN AGAIN!!!! I could go on and on. But I’ll stop here for now!!!
King Negan
The first step to winning is believing you can win.
We get a consistent running game going, we’re gonna get to 9 regular season. Defense is going to be salty for year 3 in same system.
I’m cautious on this season because UT doesn’t have the qb capability to beat the higher tier teams. I think a strong line on each side and good coaching will get them 7-8 wins (leaning towards the latter). I agree they seem to be turning the corner on recruiting. QB, LB, and WR limitations will be felt in the big games.
I agree with the QB analysis but it seriously sucks when Florida beats us with a first time QB twice in the last few years. I still think that Holiday is our ace in the hole.
@oskie……………Well I’m glad to see somebody has a few brains. But as for recruiting. UGA WOULD BE #1. But we are taking our time for a very good reason. Because of the VIRUS and schools being shut down. It’s hard to really know who the best 2021 players will be!!!
There is a chance that we never see any real senior season!!!! Therefore, we need to be DOUBLY SURE that the kids we take are actually quality recruits!!!
Tennessee having 13 3 star recruits could end up biting y’all. I mean yes there is a SLIM CHANCE THAT SOME ARE BETTER THAN THEIR RANKING. But some might actually lose a star or two with a senior season!!!! Then Tennessee would be taking 13 possible 1 or 2 star players. That would be REALLY REALLY BAD!!!!!
PS. 13 3 star guys at this point is all about PERCEPTION!!!! Pruitt is banking on getting a few better kids based upon APPEARANCE OF BEING THE #1 CLASS!!! But to me it’s very risky!!!!!
King Negan
Hype has not been our friend in the last decade. Most true Vol fans are cautiously optimistic but then you have the ones who say This is our year” every year. I’ll be happy when we are on the same level as Georgia and Florida in the East year in and year out.
@ladonvol…….You mean UGA!!!! Florida is consistently 2nd place!!!! Florida is NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING ON UGAs LEVEL!!! Don’t go by one season. That game last season is not a good measuring stick!!! Because Fromm wasn’t in sink with his WRs!!!! The offense wasn’t close to as good as it probably will be!!!
We might not be deadly when we play UVA or Alabama early. But by the time we play Florida. We will have a QB one way or the other. And the offense will be clicking!!! Hopefully it will be for UVA AND ALABAMA!!! But either way. I think we will be fine.
King Negan
We’ll see.
Might win 8
Schedule is tough as always and QB play will be the key I believe.. Defense really came around and you can see Pruitt and staff making serious strides on that side of the ball
Agreed.
If, and a BIG if, we beat Oklahoma early on, we will beat Fla and GA. Only loss will be Bama. Now im not saying we will beat OK, but if they pull out that upset then the team confidence will be higher then ever in the last 10 years. Which i believe would lead to a 11-1 season. Now mote then likely we play them close then they pull away late and we lose a tough one. Even then we could go 2-2 against the big four. Probably not tho. Like everyone said its about the QB. Keep in mind Oklahomas QB Rattler will be in only his 2nd career start. They had 0 spring practices as well. I just think that game will determone the entire dirwction of the season. Maybe Bailey will impress the coaches enough and be a freshmen phenom. If that happens or even if Guarantano just plays conaistent then this team will be a double digit win team. Mark it down. Take a picture.
Troll away about the spelling errors. Had my 2 yr old son on my lap. Lol