Quote from NFL head coach will make it more difficult for Vols' Josh Heupel to recruit quarterbacks to Tennessee
Josh Heupel has been incredibly successful in his first four seasons as the head coach of the Tennessee Vols, but he continues to face questions about his offense and whether it can effectively prepare players for the NFL. Heupel's up-tempo system that utilizes wide splits is a bit different than the pro-style systems that player […]
Josh Heupel has been incredibly successful in his first four seasons as the head coach of the Tennessee Vols, but he continues to face questions about his offense and whether it can effectively prepare players for the NFL.
Heupel's up-tempo system that utilizes wide splits is a bit different than the pro-style systems that player see at the next level.
Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan, in fact, recently did a great job of explaining how college systems like Heupel's are different while also pointing out why it's hard to evaluate quarterbacks from those systems.
"There's just a different style of play [in the NFL]," explained Callahan. "In the NFL, I guess the best way to put it as we start talking ball, is a lot of times in the NFL, you have to throw the ball before guys are anywhere near the spot, or you don't even know if he's open. Because most of the time, you're throwing to spots, you're anticipating windows. And in college football, it's a lot more of seeing guys come open. That's probably the best way I can describe it. As you see a receiver running into a zone, then they go (and make the pass). Whereas in the NFL, you better go long before that spot (comes open) or the ball is going to get picked. That's probably the biggest difference, and it's hard to see."
"I would say the average person just watching college football would never be able to understand that (difference in predetermination and anticipation) just with the naked eye," continued Callahan. "Just watching, it would be really hard to understand. Because there is definitely that element in college where the offenses are so much different. Especially when you talk about, for example, Tennessee, right? The University of Tennessee. That's spread out, that system. And so sometimes those are, as you say, predetermined (throws). The ball's going here no matter what. It looks like they're doing it quickly, [but] they may not really be seeing anything of any substance.
Quote from Dallas Cowboys head coach will make it more difficult for Josh Heupel to recruit quarterbacks to Tennessee
On Thursday, while answering a question about quarterback Joe Milton, Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer made a comment that will make it even more difficult for Heupel to recruit quarterbacks to Tennessee.
"Joe is a guy that we obviously know all about the talent," said Schottenheimer. "But the system that he came from in Tennessee created some challenges in terms of what he has to learn and things like that."
Tennessee doesn't use pro-style play calls, and quarterbacks don't necessarily have the same keys that quarterbacks in the NFL have.
We keep hearing comments from analysts, quarterbacks, wide receivers (such as former UT wide receiver Dont'e Thornton), and NFL head coaches (just this offseason we've heard comments from Callahan, Schottenheimer, and Pete Carroll) about Tennessee's offense and how it's problematic in preparing players for the NFL.
It's a great system for the college game, but until some skill players from Heupel's offense thrive in the NFL, it's going to continue to be a talking point that other programs weaponize against Tennessee on the recruiting trail.
