BigO 316 Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 BOOM!!!! Confirmed his verbal today. I realize its a long way to next February but at least he's committed for now. I will refrain from saying the obvious.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO 316 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2013 From Volquest: Paul Fortenberry VolQuest.com Staff Writer With the possibility of all five starting offensive linemen there's no doubt the Vols needed to add a number of offensive linemen in the class of 2014 and Tennessee grabbed a good one Saturday when Max Meadows, Va., lineman Coleman Thomas committed to the Vols. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman visited Tennessee less than a month ago and thought there was a chance he would commit this weekend but after taking in Butch Jones' first practice he knew he wanted to be in Knoxville. "After my first visit that was all I talked about in the next few weeks and I knew in my hear this is where I wanted to be and the coaches treated me like a son and it was everything I looked for in a college," Thomas said. "I thought about committing coming down here and then after watching practice and knowing where the program is heading I just knew it was for me." For Thomas, the most important factor in his commitment was the family feel he has when eh's around Tennessee's coaches and on Saturday he had his family with him to check-off on Tennessee. "That was the most important thing. I had my mom and sister come up with me and I wanted to get my mom's approval and wanted her to feel comfortable to know that they were treating me like a son and know I'd be ok for the next four or five years and I'd be taken care of," Thomas said. Coleman was able to see first-hand what playing for Jones would look like and liked what he saw. "It was fast paced, it really was and I liked the way everything was going and I liked the way coach Jones was conducting it. It was an organized practice and the tempo was unreal," Thomas said. Thomas also formed a close relationship with offensive line coach Don Mahoney and had that family feel around him as well. "He coaches you like your his son and he really cares about you and wants you to succeed. The techniques and the way he coaches it was just it," Thomas offered. With great length and a big frame, Thomas, who plays center for his Fort Chiswell High School team can play a number of position according to Mahoney. "Coach Mo said center before, but he said he likes the fact that I can either play guard or tackle. I can just play wherever I'm needed," Thomas said. Looking towards the future, Thomas said he wants to be apart of the championship-building process Jones is creating in Knoxville. "You can tell coach wants to win and that's the main thing," Thomas said. "He's on a quest to get a national championship and I want to be a part of that." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1inStripes 933 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Im surprised at the crickets surrounding this post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO 316 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 I'm not really surprised....par for the couse around this place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan 3,569 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 I guess $$$$$$$$$ talks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham32 335 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 After reading this post I took a second and said what a joke. I wish the boy nothing but the best but Tennessee winning a championship in the near future is probably not gonna happen..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurricaneWarning 212 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) After reading this post I took a second and said what a joke. I wish the boy nothing but the best but Tennessee winning a championship in the near future is probably not gonna happen..... Like him playing for WVU having a chance at winning a championship is pretty laughable as well. Edited March 10, 2013 by HurricaneWarning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPF 417 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Like him playing for WVU having a chance at winning a championship is pretty laughable as well. This......good luck to him at UT. I knew WVU wasn't a lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO 316 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 I guess $$$$$$$$$ talks.... Maybe because they spent an inordinate amount of money on their facilities, yes. But to insinuate that UT paid the kid? Really? Classy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsons 178 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 This......good luck to him at UT. I knew WVU wasn't a lock. ....and you wisely kept silent....unlike others... Yes, nothing says "serious interest" like taking an unofficial visit to a local campus. Forget all those scheduled visits for junior days; forget the 6 D-I scholarship offers; forget that the only articles in which his name appears are (1) CavsCorner, (2) HokieHaven, (3) WVSports, and (4) VirginiaPreps; forget the deep tie the kid has to WVU that has been mentioned here by multiple sources. No, I'll start believing the hype when unofficial visits are scheduled. Kid's not going to UT. As Styx once said: "you're foolin' yourself if you don't believe it..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Who really cares who was right about where this kid decided to go. Good for him that he had his choice of some quality D-1 schools. If he actually hits the field and becomes an All-American or something.... then I guess us WVU fans will look back and maybe, just maybe say...wish he would've been a Mountaineer...but I doubt it. He's a good player, but time will tell if he'll see significant playing time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) Im surprised at the crickets surrounding this post. I for one don't really care that much if he picked Tennessee or WVU....was he a 4 star or a 5 star recruit?? If he was, then I'd be disappointed...that he chose the corruption of the SEC. I'm sure his parents are proud of him, no matter where he ends up. Good for him. Edited March 10, 2013 by futbolking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legend11 32 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 I for one don't really care that much if he picked Tennessee or WVU....was he a 4 star or a 5 star recruit?? If he was, then I'd be disappointed...that he chose the corruption of the SEC. I'm sure his parents are proud of him, no matter where he ends up. Good for him. Yeah, I tend to think along these lines as well. It's great to see a kid from SWVA get noticed for his talent, and be in a position to choose which school he gets to play football for the next couple of years. And as a VT alum (who also has a father who attended Alabama), I wish Coleman the absolute best at UT. But let's not parse our congratulations too thin, lest we forget about what's really important here: BigO's ego. So everyone, don't worry about Coleman, the work he's put into being a great football player, and the celebration of a local kid turned collegiate athlete. Make sure you individually message BigO letting him know the greatness and the vastness of his recruiting knowledge! You were right, BigO! (Is that what you wanted to hear?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsons 178 Report Share Posted March 10, 2013 Make sure you individually message BigO letting him know the greatness and the vastness of his recruiting knowledge! You were right, BigO! (Is that what you wanted to hear?) All he ever said was that he thought the kid was giving Tennessee serious consideration. He was then repeatedly told that there was no way the kid would end up at Tennessee. He has a right to crow for weeks about this one, but he's taking the high road......wish I could say the same for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) All he ever said was that he thought the kid was giving Tennessee serious consideration. He was then repeatedly told that there was no way the kid would end up at Tennessee. He has a right to crow for weeks about this one, but he's taking the high road......wish I could say the same for you. Some people take things that are said here a little too seriously....everybody has a right to their opinion....Some folks take the fun out of everything.... So, some folks were wrong about where the kid ended up. Sure he was right and a simple "told you so" would be sufficient. Most of us are adults that post on here and can shake it off when we're wrong about something. I've been wrong plenty of times. Edited March 11, 2013 by futbolking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO 316 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 I follow recruiting pretty closely, just enjoy it. Here's what I find funny about all this....and this happens on every forum and I have even done it before. When a player you want to attend "your" school commits to that school he suddenly becomes the best player to ever step foot on the field. However, when the kid selects another school his athletic ability seems to plummet tragically. No one here has ever said a bad word about Coleman because he's a local kid....and we all hope our local kids have massive success. But when Vonn Bell chose OSU over UT last month (last minute switch) he suddenly sucked. He was going to be the savior of UT football..take them back to a Nat'l Championship....then he switched and suddenly the poor kid couldn't tackle air. It's just a form of venting. What's happening here is people can't stand the idea that CT didn't pick WVU and he picked UT...after I had repeatedly mentioned he was showing serious interest. Suddenly their frustration is taken out on me and I never said the kid was a lock anywhere or even leaning one way or another. But because the kid is local they won't bash him for choosing UT...instead they will bash me to vent. Thats fine. Bottom line...UT got 2 commitments this weekend..CT and a HUGE commitment from Todd Kelly Jr....who WILL wind up an All American...now THAT, my friends, IS a lock. Check this film out...mainly his defensive skills because he will be playing Safety at UT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) This came completely out of left field. Anyone claiming otherwise either (a) is privy to some information that would make a pay site jealous, or (b) dumb lucky. And we have a zoo full of blind squirrels on this board. Good luck to this young man. May he represent himself, his family, and SwVa well! Edited March 11, 2013 by UVAObserver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO 316 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Or, you have 17-18 year old kids....there's your variable....and a hell of a variable it is. I never once claimed he was going to commit to UT...yet, more than 1 person claimed he was a WVU lock. All I did was pass along info that I got from a site that I pay to keep me informed on all things orange. And I most definitely included my sources in my posts. So, what we have here counselor, is someone that knows that you can't assume anything regarding the decision making of a 17 year old. I still am not banking on CT signing with UT....it's a long long time til next February. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham32 335 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 Like him playing for WVU having a chance at winning a championship is pretty laughable as well. who said I was a WVU fan? Hahah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurricaneWarning 212 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 who said I was a WVU fan? Hahah I never said you were but WVU was his other school of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueinbama 259 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 I for one don't really care that much if he picked Tennessee or WVU....was he a 4 star or a 5 star recruit?? If he was, then I'd be disappointed...that he chose the corruption of the SEC. That must be why many West Virginia fans were wringing their hands in delight a few months ago at the prospect of joining the SEC. It would have been the perfect fit. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 That must be why many West Virginia fans were wringing their hands in delight a few months ago at the prospect of joining the SEC. It would have been the perfect fit. :) Any good beatdowns of students take place lately at Bama? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsons 178 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) This came completely out of left field. ! The kid said almost a month ago that UT was at the top of his list. Three weeks later he commits. Sounds to me like some of you guys were making assumptions based on old information. Edited March 11, 2013 by parsons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 That must be why many West Virginia fans were wringing their hands in delight a few months ago at the prospect of joining the SEC. It would have been the perfect fit. :) I'm a WVU fan....and I never wanted them to join the SEC. Just saying... I don't particularly like the Big 12, but it's probably the best financial decision they could've made. I hate to see some of the old rivalry games gone, personally. Joining the Big 12 will only make them better in the long run. At first, I was hoping they would go to the ACC, then realized that the ACC isn't going anywhere and is not held in high regards across the country when it comes to football conferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueinbama 259 Report Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) That must be why many West Virginia fans were wringing their hands in delight a few months ago at the prospect of joining the SEC. It would have been the perfect fit. :) I'm a WVU fan....and I never wanted them to join the SEC. Just saying... I don't particularly like the Big 12, but it's probably the best financial decision they could've made. I hate to see some of the old rivalry games gone, personally. Joining the Big 12 will only make them better in the long run. At first, I was hoping they would go to the ACC, then realized that the ACC isn't going anywhere and is not held in high regards across the country when it comes to football conferences. I could also have said, "People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". We all have skeletons in our closets. Some just are better at closing the closet door than others. Edited March 11, 2013 by blueinbama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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