Here's your official word: http://govolsxtra.com/news/2009/jan/27/oliver-commits-tennessee/ It's going to be an interesting last week on Rocky Top. The mother lode will be visiting this week with several high level prospects expected in. I'd like to see the Vols close the deal on more of these kids before they leave K-Town.
I don't know what's going on with Pollard, he's a UCLA commit now but I've seen posts that his mother still calls Charlie or something like that.
I am 99% certain that the door in South Bend slammed shut behind him before the wheels of his plane touched down in Knoxville. And that's from an eye witness acoount. Last Thursday he and his father were at Carlo's BB game all decked out in Irish gear..... Dad even had the Rudy jacket on.
Hey stuff happens. He wanted to go to Tenn when Fulmer was the coach and then switched when things went south in Tenn and Fulmer was fired. So now he's back where he probably always wanted to be...Move along nothing to see here folks!
I'm only bringing this up to highlight the uncertainties of betting your future on teenagers. A verbal committment means NOTHING.
It does mean something to most kids, but nothing to others. Problem is how do you know which ones are the guys who keep their word? Tom, in the end I think Texas got the short end of the stick on that Chris Simms deal. He ended up being the center of lots of controversy's and Mack never could just sit him down and play Applewhite, he felt compelled to play him. Plus we got Chance Mock who wasted away on the bench behind both Simms and Applewhite. He would have had a good shot at playing and maybe developing if Simms hadn't been there. Terry
Nope! Both Texas and Tennessee got the short end. Texas got baby Simms and Tennessee had recruits turn away when he called the press conference, put on the Tennessee hat, and said "I'm all Vol." That hurts when it happens months before signing day. He turned tail and ran just a few days before signing day.
I hear you Tom, Mack got his just rewards when Ryan Perraleaux ditched him on signing day and he was stuck with some 1 star QB named Colt McCoy for the future. He had already passed on Chase Daniel because he had Perraleaux comming. Seriously though, it does hurt the program when guys bail on you at the last moment. If they change their mind early you have plenty of time to rework your strategy. Irish had the same thing happen with C. J. Leake, while I don't wish injury on anybody, I wasn't upset when C.J. got injured and became unhappy at Wake Forrest, that he never made it at Tenn was just icing on the cake for what he did to Bob Davie and the Irish. In that case he and his parents had been to ND just a couple of weeks before signing day and confirmed how excited they were to be comming to ND. They already knew he wasn't comming, they just wanted to make sure nothing was getting out and their boy would "shock" the world when he annoucned for Wake on signing day. Terry
A BDR vs Huskerfan battle for the signature of this high school stud!! • Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde linebacker Eric Martin will choose between Arizona and Nebraska, and all indications are the Huskers will win this battle.
Aquila, are you hearing that Kiffen told Damien Thigpen that Tenn was withdrawing it's offer? If so a lot of Irish fans like the kid and hope he falls our way.
I have seen some message board rumblings regarding Thigpen. The speculation is that Kiffin may have handled Thigpen in the same way that he handled Tajh Boyd. He may have told him that he would honor the scholarship but that he didn't exactly fit into the plans. I'm not sure but there is speculation that it could have something to do with Oliver's commitment and perhaps a "silent commitment." We'll have to wait and see. I'm seeing rumors that he could be taking a visit to Penn St. or Auburn.
I'll be fine with Martin's decision as long as it's not ASSU. I am glad he visited Lincoln in January, though.
UT continues to recruit a committed player!!!!!! :x :wink: http://govolsxtra.com/news/2009/jan/29/teague-says-he-still-commited-florida/