Last week Lane Kiffin, Tennessee’s head football coach, informed Tajh Boyd that he’d love to have him, but didn’t believe the five-star prospect’s skill sets matched Kiffin’s offensive plans for next season.
Tajh Boyd
Boyd had originally committed to the Volunteers on November 2 when Phil Fulmer was still the head coach. But the next day, Fulmer announced his resignation and a search for a new head coach began.
When Kiffin was named the Vols head coach on December 1, Boyd, like most of the Volunteers’ commitments, was anxious to meet Tennessee’s new leader.
The 6-2, 210-pounder from Hampton, VA would have been a good fit for the offense being run by former Vols’ offensive coordinator Dave Clawson.
But Kiffin wants to run a pro style offense similar to the one he coached as the offensive coordinator at Southern California. Boyd is more suited for an option offense that can take advantage of his ability to run.
Losing a five-star prospect is never good, but under these circumstances, Kiffin’s honesty with Boyd spoke volumes about his integrity. Moreover, it sends a message to the other prep prospects Tennessee is pursuing that Kiffin will be forthright in his recruiting efforts.
Tennessee Vols Head Coach Lane Kiffin
The never-ending process of recruiting athletes can get ugly, especially when a player of Boyd’s talent is being pursued by several of the nation’s top football programs.
Instead of misleading Boyd and signing him to a scholarship, Kiffin took the high road and allowed the young man to seek other options.
He also avoided a potentially nasty situation had he brought Boyd into the program, only to discover he wasn’t going to get an opportunity to play the position he wanted.
Had Kiffin done that, Boyd could have easily sought a release from his scholarship, wasting a year or more of his time. It could also have wasted an opportunity to develop another young quarterback on Tennessee’s roster more suited to the pro style offense.
Tennessee’s 2009 recruiting class isn’t as shiny today without Boyd’s name on the list, but Kiffin’s actions will bear fruit with other prospects for years to come.
[...] Originally Posted by posivol yes and no. hes behind in recruiting this year and we need a qb now.i think boyd would have been a better option than what we have in house now. look at it like this,we gave kiffin a chance to prove himself,did not boyd deserve the same opportunity? Kiffin’s Honesty With Prospects Speaks Volumes | The World According to MoonDog | The Ultimate Footb… [...]