Tennessee football: Would Vol fans trade 3 losses for more 5-stars recruits?

With only three games remaining in the 2018 Tennessee football season, would Vol fans take losing out to sign more five-stars in the 2019 recruiting class?

Homecoming weekend brought a Tennessee football win, that’s something everyone can be happy about, right? Well, that isn’t entirely true. Most fans have more negative thoughts about the rest of the season after only beating Charlotte 14-3.

Even with all the negative vibes and doubt surrounding the program right now, there was some good news coming out of the weekend. Five-star Tennessee commit Wanya Morris was in town.

At the rate the season is going, the Vols need different players to compete in the SEC, especially on the offensive line. Morris is one of those players. There is no doubt he would be starting this season if he was already apart of the team.

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While in Knoxville, Morris brought along a friend, fellow five-star Owen Pappoe who is currently committed to play for the Auburn Tigers. The battle is on for Pappoe, Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols could end up flipping his commitment which would be huge news for the program.

That got me thinking; there are only three games left this season, let’s play the “what if” game for a second. If Vol fans were given a choice what would they prefer? Here are the two choices.

Choice A: Tennessee losses the three remaining games on the schedule but signs five more highly talented recruits. Let’s say at least two of the five are five-star prospects including Pappoe. That would mean the Vols signed three five-star recruits; I would guess they would move into at least the top seven in the 2019 recruiting rankings.

Choice B: Win the remaining three games but sign zero four or five-stars with open scholarships. The 2019 class would rank somewhere between 15-20, but the Vols would have the opportunity to get to eight wins on the season with a bowl victory.

I think the choice is easy. However, it does come with painful experiences. Let me preface my answer with, recruiting ranking aren’t everything. Remember how well Butch Jones recruited? In 2014, his class finished ranked 7th in the nation. And, in 2015, the Vols inched up to a top four ranking.

The pain would begin with Kentucky walking out of Neyland Stadium victorious. The win would mark the first back-to-back win in the rivalry for the Wildcats since the 1976 and 1977 seasons. It would also mark the first time Kentucky won a game in Neyland Stadium since 1984.

Then, there is the Derek Dooley deal. As the offensive coordinator of the Missouri Tigers, Dooley would walk away with a win against the Vols. Are Vol fans over Dooley now since Butch Jones was such a train wreck? Maybe so, but to some, it would still sting quite a bit.

Finally, Vanderbilt would beat Tennessee for the fifth time in seven games. The last time that happened was back in the 1920s when Vanderbilt had a six-game winning streak from 1920-1926.

Is all that worth it for a top-seven class? As bad as it sounds, I think so. Maybe I’m overlooking the fact back-to-back 4-8 seasons could hinder the program even further.

Next. Top 15 prospects for Vols to pursue in 2019. dark

But, I think talent is what is going to turn this program around. Of course, coaching is essential, but they can only do so much. Tennessee needs football players. Give me three more losses for a top-seven recruiting class to rebuild this roster.

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