Happy Meal special: Dan Patrick shares information he's received regarding Tennessee's recruiting violations
Syndicated radio host Dan Patrick weeks ago shared some news from a source about the recruiting improprieties now officially coming out about Tennessee. Now that the news is officially out in the open following a press conference from Tennessee officials, Patrick detailed what Tennessee actually did, according a source.
Patrick also noted that whoever replaces the now fired coach Jeremy Pruitt will have some hurdles from the NCAA. Patrick also shared that among the people who will choose the next coach are the Haslam brothers and Peyton Manning.
Patrick then shared how Tennessee got the two on-field assistants on recruiting violations, which led to their termination, Brian Niedermeyer and Shelton Felton.
“They put money into McDonald’s bags and gave them to the recruits when they came on campus,” Patrick said. “Some of the campus visits were not organized, or they were not above board. But they were handing out cash, I don’t know if it was drive through. So you literally had bag men and they put the cash in McDonald’s bags and handed it to the recruits. My source said they were so in your face with this. They weren’t even trying to hide it, and that’s when my source said, ‘Tennessee got sloppy, Georgia has gotten sloppy’ but there’s been no word on the NCAA looking at Georgia.”
Patrick added that he was told former Ole Miss and current Liberty coach Hugh Freeze is not getting the job.
“The SEC might be blocking the possibility of Hugh Freeze coaching Tennessee,” Patrick said from his source.
Patrick also mentioned former Tennessee player and long-time NFL tight end Jason Witten as a possibility as a future coach.
Source: Tennessee #Vols got sloppy with recruiting. They were handing recruits cash in McDonald’s bags when they visited campus.
Also a name to look out for to fill the Head Coaching vacancy: Jason Witten pic.twitter.com/HKDd02rldz
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 19, 2021
“They weren’t even trying to hide it, and that’s when my source said, ‘Tennessee got sloppy, Georgia has gotten sloppy’ but there’s been no word on the NCAA looking at Georgia.””
The NCAA didn’t look at the Vols either.. They wanted to fire Pruitt so bad they threw themselves under the bus…
IMO the Vols where hoping to find something small but major enough they could use to get rid of Pruitt but I bet they didn’t expect to find what they did…
The buy out clause is forfeited if fired for certain offenses. Very smart on UT’s part.
They need to hire a young offensive minded coach that can weather the storm.
Is it really smart? If something was done improperly along the way Pruitt may still get paid when taken to court..
Also no quality coach is going to want a job at a program about to be hit with Major sanctions..
no quality coach wants to work for a school that has had 5 other head coaches since 2005. an average of <3 years each. regardless. pruitt learned this garbage from saban. everyone does it. end recruiting. pay the players (above board). draft the players. and then we'll find out who the real coaches are when everyone has a comparable roster
It’s why Tennessee needs to hire/poach a quality AD to show they’re fixing the problems and this AD should be experienced and good at hiring quality coaches. It’s a situation that could be flipped into the opportunity it is.
Except Fulmer is hiring the next HC..
No he isn’t.
So he isn’t? He said himself he was going to hire the next HC then step down..
If he isn’t that’s great… He needs to leave the program alone at this point.
Yeah…not smart. This is going to cost them a lot more than Pruitt’s buyout.
Your right we got caught. Rule 1 of cheating. Which every major university does, don’t get caught. Pruitt was too careless and over his head. No more coordinators we need someone who is a head coach already. And not freeze. I vote for Napier, Chadwell, Herman, or Fisher. No particular order.
It isn’t that you got caught.. You guys did this to fire Pruitt. The NCAA wasn’t the ones that caught anything and I imagine the Vols had no idea it was going to be this bad when they started….
They were looking for an out for Pruitt contract.. They found it..
Spurrier was doing it out in public in Columbia. Nobody cared though, because it was uscE. Then he quit. So….
Insiders say Pruitt learned McD’s bag payoff from Saban
The only “insider” you’ve heard from is the voices inside your head…
Your ignorant if you think Bama doesn’t cheat too. They all do. Bama just does it smarter. It helps that no one at Alabama is trying to find dirt on Saban. Our own admin was looking and they may regret it now. Should have fired him without cause and let the Haslams pay the buyout. Then no dirt gets brought it. The NCAA was not looking at us at all till we said ,” hey look over here”. UT has to make the right coaching choice this time. If not, another 20 years of mediocrity at best. If we nail this hire we could be back in about 4 to 5 seasons.
You’re ignorant if you think any of this has anything to do with Bama.. No matter how many times you say “Bama” it’s going to be the Vols that get ran over by the NCAA…
Funny how it is happening at all schools, only when it is yours that gets caught. With what Saban has done, as far as winning, and putting players in the NFL, he doesn’t need to cheat. Hell he only needs 25 players a year
They don’t have to look . they had it all thrown in their lap. Now they sit back and make everyone sweat waiting to drop the hammer.i pray somehow uga isn’t going to be brought up in this. It makes you wonder Ut got sloppy, UGA got sloppy. I thought it was all bullshi@ when i first heard of it two weeks ago.
YOU DON’T KNOW THAT; THEY HAVE NOT SAID HOW IT STARTED
Who thinks UT did the investigation just to KEEP from paying JP buyout because they couldn’t afford it….
LOL. This guy’s CFB “sources” told him in the fall that Wisconsin was going to cancel their season and use Camp Randall as a COVID-hospital.
Dan Patrick knows nothing about CFB.
Ba Da Ba Ba Bah, I’m Lovin’ It!
LOL!
They must have been getting recruits off the dollar menu to go 3-7
Well based on other reports, we didn’t get the recruits in the end. We got outbid (cough cough Georgia).
Chick-fil-A strikes again.
Justafan22, get real! Why would a player like Amarius Mims want to sign with Tennessee?
Those players likely heard that UT was handing out Happy Ca$h meals, and decided to Ca$h in…
Yeah, why would Mims sign with the Vols when the dogs were paying more? He is involved in this mess, so stay tuned you’ll be hearing more.
LOL!
I even enjoyed that one ,Mark
Disgusting. I am really embarrassed by this. I hope UT can clean it up with a new/good AD and HC. Having said that, even if we succeed, it looks like it is going to be a long 3-4 years.
It is embarrassing but let’s be honest, there are a lot of schools that do things like this and been doing it a long time.
Yes it is….first time not really looking forward to a new season, and that includes the SEC not just Tennessee.
It’s the whole culture of the sport. Too much emphasis on winning. Don’t worry, they’ll be back someday and you can be proud again.
Maybe we can enjoy that feeling of being proud of our teams together. Cause I KNOW yor still waiting also. Lol
HOW DO YOU THINK AUBURN GOT CAM NEWTON ?
Jan 14, 2020 · NFL receiver and former LSU star Odell Beckham Jr. was seen on the field after LSU’s 42-25 win over Clemson handing cash to players
this is why recruiting has to end. pay the players. draft the players. where do you suppose pruitt and company learned this garbage? pay the players. draft the players. see ya later bama
LMAO… This has absolutely nothing to do with Bama… keep trying though..
LOL
Not right now. Bama pays, they all do. You really think Saban hasn’t paid off ANY recruits? Seriously I’m curious if you believe that. Cause I think he just is good enough to not get caught and Pruitt and staff just wasn’t.
Again this has nothing to do with Bama… This is all about that trash program in Knoxville…
THERE USED TO BE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE OF ALABAMA PLAYERS SHOWING OFF WADS OF CASH
Well we watched LSU players receive money live after the NC game… LMAO
“Draft” high school players to CFB teams? Brilliant. Ignore the fact that these are institutions of higher education, and that there just might be a higher priority than the NFL for the 99% who’ll never play a down after college.
Kid wants to study engineering but he’s “drafted” by a school offering no engineering degree. Kid wants to stay close to home and family, but he’s “drafted” by a school 2,500 miles away. Kid with a cannon and bright Pro prospects can’t go where he can flourish and be protected by a good O-line – he’s “drafted” by a school that runs the ball 80% of the time and can’t pass protect. But at least their pass-happy rival didn’t get him. Kid wants to play where his dad did or where his sister attends – nope, gotta go where you’re “drafted”. Kid wants a good fit and family feel – forget it, you’re “drafted” to a work-farm program with crappy coaches and an uncaring admin.
Seriously, did you give any thought to this before you tossed it out there?
Of course he hasn’t gave any thought to it.. Look at his posts..
LOL
All excellent points. It looks like the name and likeness payments will probably come down the pike at some point. I can see how that might work, although with things like that, you always run into unintended consequences and the solution chosen is rarely the best of all options.
The college draft idea is ridiculous.
No he did not
I hate that you typed all of that, and went to the trouble to make it intelligent, just to answer an idiot. It is just like the “all schools do it” statement. Only people who root for schools that have been caught cheating say that.
I was waiting in line at the pharmacy for my wife’s COVID scrip, so I had nothing better to do at the time ;-)
Steve Spurrior has long been a proponent of a college draft. I dont think thats possible unless college football is ended and you make them semipro. Problem with associating them with schools is that you still get boosters paying under the table. Even if there were a legal pay level, we’ll pay more kinda thing. I hope this was a VFL self reported. I would rather lose every game than promote the corruption ot these teenagers. We know improper things go on everywhere. Bama guy dont get all defensive. This is about TN. I live in bama. I have connections too. It goes on everywhere.
This could be the most ignorant statement I have ever read on a football board. Pruitt learned it from Phat Phill! He did it with taco bell bags. Former Tennessee player has a published book telling about receiving the Taco Bell bags. I’m sure Phat Phill wasn’t the only one. Draft high school players, not giving them an opportunity to play where they want is assassine. This genius draft notion you came up with already exsists, its called the NFL. Take off the tinfoil hat dude…
Sankey needs an all-hands amnesty to be fair to everyone. Implement new rules with NIL. This McDonald’s bag money ain’t even close to be being the tip-of-the-iceberg. These west coast kids families are getting moved across country, get fat downpayments, cars for kid and parents, monthly cash, baby-mommas getting admissions and support. The truth has to come out. Again, Kirby, Garner, Muschamp, others should be sleeping with one eye open. IF Jeremy, Neidermeyer, or choice others ever decide to give the details of the FACTS it’s going to be a big BOOM (pun intended willy)!
I want to know who the players are and what will happen to them.
Eric grey was one of them he was held out of UT’s last game and that was when the violations were mentioned. seems funny that he was held out and no mention of injury. I hope UGA isnt involved in this crap. If they aren’t they should sue Dan Patrick for slander saying UGA got Sloppy.
Yup.
Tennessee wanted Pruitt gone so bad they investigated themselves to find a reason to fire him.
And delivered “loss of institutional control” to the NCAA on a silver platter. “Thank you sir, may I have another?” Egregiously, stupendously dumb. It’s like swimming in shark-infested waters and asking your buddy on the boat to toss out more chum.
YOU DON’T KNOW THAT;
Vols have never had any major problems in my lifetime. Been watching them 50 years.
There’s a first time for everything and they DEFINITELY have some major problems now. They’re going to get hammered by the NCAA if these allegations are true.
Sure they have. Roy Kramer and Fat Phil made a bargain with the devil to mitigate damage. What you are now watching is PAYDAY.
one thing is for sure, dp continues to lump uga into this debacle. he must really trust this source
with that, he goes on to say the means in which tn got sloppy, but doesn’t provide any details in how uga has gotten sloppy. there may be something, i don’t know….but grouping of the two, yet no uga details leaves a lot to be questioned
Kirby. Sloppy. Two more opposing words don’t exist in the English language.
I like how he is reading the message from his “source” about what went down. I suppose this is intended to lend credibility to his reporting. I wouldn’t be surprised if the message came from one of his Danette’s on the other side of the glass sending it to him. It’s called content!
DP said it so fast I nearly missed it: NCAA was coming after Fulmer, too.
Would you like fries with that?
Fulmer: We will learn from this. Next time we will use bags from 5 Guys.
Terrible choice, the fries create too much grease in that bag. The money would fall right through. Hmm, can’t use Burger King as 1. No one would want it, thinking it to be actual BK or 2. No one believe anyone would have BK. I’d feel bad using Chick-fil-A, though it’d be their pleasure to deliver it for you. Wendy’s maybe? Could throw in some spicy nuggets too.
What we need is a mailbag answer to this. “If you were going to use a fast food bag to give money to recruits, which would you choose?”
Lol!
Having the Haslam brothers involved in the search will lead to the same turmoil they have had for the last 12 years. Peyton, swings a lot of weight with a lot of people.
This! UT has GOT to divorce it’s decision-making from these busybody booster tycoons. It will never get better in Knoxville till they do. This is Job One on the road to program recovery.