HEROSPORTS
  • Home
  • FCS
    • FCS Home
    • Big South-OVC
    • Big Sky
    • CAA
    • Ivy
    • MEAC
    • MVFC
    • NEC
    • Patriot
    • Pioneer
    • SoCon
    • Southland
    • SWAC
    • UAC
  • FBS
    • FBS Home
    • AAC Football
    • CUSA Football
    • MAC Football
    • Mountain West Football
    • Sun Belt Football
  • College Basketball
  • Register at BetMGM
  • BetMGM Promotions
  • More
    • About HERO Sports
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • FCS
    • FCS Home
    • Big South-OVC
    • Big Sky
    • CAA
    • Ivy
    • MEAC
    • MVFC
    • NEC
    • Patriot
    • Pioneer
    • SoCon
    • Southland
    • SWAC
    • UAC
  • FBS
    • FBS Home
    • AAC Football
    • CUSA Football
    • MAC Football
    • Mountain West Football
    • Sun Belt Football
  • College Basketball
  • Register at BetMGM
  • BetMGM Promotions
  • More
    • About HERO Sports
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
HEROSPORTS
No Result
View All Result

Butch Jones Can’t Win But He Sure Can Recruit

HERO Sports by HERO Sports
October 3, 2017
Butch Jones Can’t Win But He Sure Can Recruit

Forty-eight hours before Tennessee was embarrassed at Neyland Stadium by Georgia, Cade Mays led Knoxville Catholic to a dominating win over Rhea County 12 miles down the road. Mays, a five-star recruit and the 15th-ranked player in the 2018 class, is the crown jewel of Butch Jones' recruiting class and one of many highly ranked players the fifth-year coach has convinced the Vols are headed in the right direction.

Jones is 6-17 against AP top 25 teams since arriving at Tennessee in 2013 — and just 14-20 in the SEC. He hasn't been able to run with the top teams on the field but he can run against anyone in recruiting circles. Excluding his first class, which was finalized just weeks after taking the job in December 2012, three of Jones' five classes have been ranked in the top 10 nationally, including a 2018 group ranks sixth nationally and first in the SEC.

RELATED: Butch Jones is Terrible Against AP Top 25 Teams
COMPARE: Any CFB Team | Any CFB Player

Mays is their lone five-star commit but he's one of 10 high school prospects ranked among 247Sports' top 300 players. Six of them are from Tennessee, where Jones has secured commitments from six of the nine players they've offered in the class. They've landed 20 four- or five-star in-state recruits since 2014.

“I took it upon myself to reach out to these in-state guys and let them see all these SEC teams are winning with kids in their home state,” Mays told Rivals in mid-September. “That’s something Tennessee has been missing the last few years, and coach [Butch] Jones has done a great job of getting in-state kids the last few years. This year, I think, is our strongest year.”

While strong recruiting classes occasionally allow hot seat coaches to retain their job, has Jones run out of talent-developing opportunities?

MORE: Butch Jones' Buyout is Enormous

Tennessee had the seventh-ranked class nationally in 2014 (fifth in the SEC) and fourth-ranked in 2015 (second in the SEC). Many of the highly ranked players from those classes — Jalen Hurd, Josh Malone, Derek Barnett — helped deliver back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2015 and 2016 for the first time since 2006-07. But many others — Kahlil McKenzie, Preston Williams, Daniel Helm — have not been big-time difference-makers (for a variety of reasons) and have not given Tennessee enough talent depth to emerge from a weak SEC East and compete for playoff spots.

As athletics director John Currie and other key stakeholders weigh Jones' future, how much will they consider his recruiting prowess, if at all?

[divider]

NEXT: 5 Potential Replacements for Butch Jones at Tennessee

split-fbo-6-23-25
Previous Post

FAN VOTE: Which SWAC Marching Band Impressed An FBS Crowd Most?

Next Post

D2 Football: Greg Zuerlein, Austin Ekeler Lead NFL Standouts in Week 4

Next Post
D2 Football: Greg Zuerlein, Austin Ekeler Lead NFL Standouts in Week 4

D2 Football: Greg Zuerlein, Austin Ekeler Lead NFL Standouts in Week 4

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • 2025 FBS-to-FCS Transfers
  • Northern Arizona To Remove Interim Tag From Uri Farkas
  • Texas State To Pac-12 Move Nearly Official In Latest College Football Conference Realignment

HERO Sports is the go-to website for FBS and FCS football news, analysis, and predictions.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US)
877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY)
1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR)

For new customer offers, Bonus Bets expire in seven days. One New Customer Offer only. Add'l terms. For existing customers, Bonus Bets expire in seven days. Add'l terms.

21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.

Welcome Offer Bet $10, $150 in Bonus Bets

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (AVAILABLE IN THE US). 21+ ONLY. CO, MI, NJ, PA, WV ONLY. PLEASE GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY. SEE BETMGM.COM FOR TERMS. THIS PROMOTIONAL OFFER IS FOR NEW PLAYERS ONLY. SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. BONUS BETS ARE NON-WITHDRAWABLE. US PROMOTIONAL OFFERS NOT AVAILABLE IN MISSISSIPPI, NEVADA, NEW YORK, ONTARIO AND PUERTO RICO.

  • About HERO Sports
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 HERO SPORTS.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • FCS
    • FCS Home
    • Big South-OVC
    • Big Sky
    • CAA
    • Ivy
    • MEAC
    • MVFC
    • NEC
    • Patriot
    • Pioneer
    • SoCon
    • Southland
    • SWAC
    • UAC
  • FBS
    • FBS Home
    • AAC Football
    • CUSA Football
    • MAC Football
    • Mountain West Football
    • Sun Belt Football
  • College Basketball
  • Register at BetMGM
  • BetMGM Promotions
  • More
    • About HERO Sports
    • Contact

© 2022 HERO SPORTS.