The CheckerBoard

The Good:

1. Playing time in 2014 with Lane as a SR (with Neal gone of course) and who knows with Jabo as a true Soph or any other current roster guys emerge to go with DYoung IF he stays at RB vs slot WR. The selling point of course is come in and be the #1 or #2 back bc DYoung should not be a consistent 15+ carry RB in the SEC even though he had a good Miss St game when needed (minus the late fumble of course).
2. Compete to be the #1 and #2 RBs for 2015. Lane will be gone of course and who knows if any others like Jabo are in the mix at this point. It will be more than likely the RBs we sign in the 2014 and maybe an elite RB in the 2015 class at that point that carries the load unless Jabo is who we hope of course.
3. We did run the ball MUCH better in 2012 and should run it even better in 2013 with our NFL Oline. I seriously doubt Butch will only hand it to our RBs outside the guards 2 times or less in mulitple games in 2012. Our run game should have more imagination in it and be more effective because of new coaching and the need to carry our offense with a new qb and very young WRs (except for VDallas).
4. The new staff is more focused on the state of TN and guys like Hurd. I like our chances more and more to land the top RB or one of the top 2-3 RBs instate as long a Butch is here based on what everyone is reporting since he has been hired.
5. Graham has now been at UT a full year.....hard to expect him to land one of the top 3 or even 10 RBs in America when the HC is getting fired as far back as the Miss St game and we have gone 5-7,7-6,6-7,5-7, and 5-7. It was year #1 for him really. This is the year he has to get it done and will IMO.
6. IMO Neal will get drafted easy if healthy. He will run a sub 4.5 easy. It has been reported for 2 years that he ran sub 4.4 (but not sure how that was electronically timed though). I look forward to hearing if Hunter, Patterson and even DaRick Rogers (IIRC) run sub 4.4 as reportedly then did in their college career.
7. Other SEC teams depth charts........and I dont care what Bama or some teams might be selling about sitting the bench for 2+ years and saving you body to star 1-2 years in college vs 3-4 years and go to the NFL fresh. Players WANT to play...they want to play asap and show their skills. IF UT starts winning games (even @ 7 wins and a bowl game).....recruits will come if you recruit the heck out of them. (and even Bama started a true FR this year.....and so did UGA with 2 true FR). The only way Bama's new recruiting pitch works is if they are recruiting kids that are instate or grew up Bama fans or the other team has something much less to offer like not being in the SEC or no recent history of winning a title or 5-7 and 5-7 etc. That is why we must win some games and at worst win a game or 2 we should not and once again make going to a bowl game a given.
8. This staff is "fresh" and usually that means there is nothing held against it by the players they are recruiting. They will be given a real chance and seen as a breath of fresh air with excitement by most every recruit that will really listen and consider UT. Our program washed away a lot of the dirt that it had collected since even 2008 and especially since the KY game of 2011.
9. The new indoor practice facility should be totally completed in the next 2-6 months. Also there are plans I hear for a new "Gibbs Hall" which is the #1 thing UT is WAY WAY behind vs our competition. Living quarters for our football players is not to the standard of the rest of the SEC. I hear those plans are being shown and talked about to recruits and parents on OVs and unofficial visits.

The Bad: (some of this is just yet to be done or proven with the new staff @ UT and in the SEC...some is what UT has failed to do the last few years at least at times)

1. We have to win 7 and go to a bowl. IMO that is the minumum target # to get the pub we need and attract the elite. While 6 is not the worse thing in the world and a bowl game........you better win that bowl game to get some positive late Dec recruiting buzz and you better have competed 4 quarters with everyone on your schedule and really show improvement. I just am not sold that 6 is enough to really get the energy UT needs to recruit a top 10 class that it desperately needs in 2014. We have to start winning games that we have not the last year+ even if it is Mizzou and Vandy and maybe 1 more to go with KY and the ooc games (not Oregon). There is no reason not to steal 1 game at home when you are not favored like USCe who we had on the ropes at their place in 2012 with everything that was going wrong in our program at that time.
2. We also have to show a commitment to the run and scheme to do so. We finally did this after about 4 games into the 012 schedule. We cant get away from it and we have to get the ball to our RBs mulitple ways: off tackle, toss sweeps, draws, the power, lots of formations, screens, wheel routes etc. etc. And the simple checkdown to a RB....This is one thing that Chaney and Bray never did enough of and its the easiest way to get the ball to a playmaker that can take it for huge yardage.
3. We have to get elite Olinemen in this 2014 class to show they will have a top Oline to run behind. We really missed on 1-2 tackles in the 2013 class and came in 2nd in the 2012 class for the #1 OT in the country in DJ Humpheries to FL and Jelks to Vandy. We really need an EE juco OT in this next class to go with Posey and Sanders (maybe Kerbyson slides out there if needed).
4. This staff under Jones is playing catchup and only has 1 year to out recruit other programs that have been at the same school recruiting the same player for 2-3 years. Graham has been here 1 year but not under Jones and not in the same offensive system etc.
5. We probably lose Tiny to the NFL early unless something big happens and we lose Stone, Fulton and J James and probably our 6th best Olinemen in Bullard all to graduation.......leaving M Jackson at guard as the only olineman with serious PT coming back in 2014. That will be used against us. That is why an elite 2014 oline class is a must plus seeing what Kerbyson, Crowder, Jackson and Posey can do in games we can get them some good PT. A Sanders should and will probably RS along with our other 2013 oline signees.
6. The stakes are higher now: In the 2013 class we needed only 1 elite RB really...in 2014 we will definitely need 2 elite RBs. Of course we would have taken 1 more in 2013 and would take 3 in 2014 IF they will come. RB is one of the top 5 priorities of the 2014 class and they are virtually all tied: RB, OT, LB, DT, and DE......(you could add at least 1 elite CB and 1 elite S to that of course just like you can add 1 elite WR, OG, C, QB, TE etc)

I am sure there are a few more points for both categories but just wanted to offer these out there.