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Mitch Light writes a recruiting piece in the Athletic about Vandy's all-time biggest signee, biggest bust, most influential recruit, and best developmental story in school history.

All his conclusions are debatable of course, but I'd say he's pretty on target with his selections.

The Athletic (premium): VU recruiting rewind: Best signee, biggest bust, the one who got away and more
(by Mitch Light)

I feel like there's a gray area between "pre-internet era" and "modern era." Chris Young and Jimmy Williams were both huge recruits in the mid-to-late 1990s. Is that pre-internet? I know the internet was around then, but was it as influential pre-social media? Or are they considered to be in the modern era?

Biggest bust? I'll go with a real darkhorse....Mike Bryant, OL LaVergne Tn.

Did nothing at VU, transferred to ut-Martin and didn't even start there until his final season.

AuricGoldfinger wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 10:21 am I feel like there's a gray area between "pre-internet era" and "modern era." Chris Young and Jimmy Williams were both huge recruits in the mid-to-late 1990s. Is that pre-internet? I know the internet was around then, but was it as influential pre-social media? Or are they considered to be in the modern era?

I'm embarrassed to say that I know a lot about this matter, certainly at the local media level.

Reporters' desktop computers in The Tennessean newsroom didn't have internet access as late as 1999, although there were (I think) 2 special computers that had internet access which some tech-savvy folks would use mainly to do email. But almost no news was on the internet in 1999 -- certainly no local or statewide news.

The first news article to ever be published via internet in Nashville was when the subscription only news service NashvillePost.com started in January 2000. It went out via dial up connection from the state Capitol. (By "published via the internet," I mean originally published on the internet, as opposed to being in print first).

For a few months after that, the Post was pretty much the only internet news source in the state. But by the middle of the year, The Tennessean was posting stories on line -- in many cases ones that the Post had already reported. At the time, Gannett did not own nearly as many papers as it does now.

I cannot speak for Silicon Valley, but 1998 and 1999 were definitely pre-internet as far as Tennessee's news media was concerned.

AuricGoldfinger wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 10:21 am I feel like there's a gray area between "pre-internet era" and "modern era." Chris Young and Jimmy Williams were both huge recruits in the mid-to-late 1990s. Is that pre-internet? I know the internet was around then, but was it as influential pre-social media? Or are they considered to be in the modern era?

I think what he should have said was pre- the era of heightened interest and coverage of college football recruiting. TheInsiders.com (later Scout.com, with which VandyMania was once affiliated) and Rivals.com didn't come along and start assigning stars to players until about 1998 or 1999, but even before that, there was a boom in recruiting newsletters, magazines, etc. Remember when Bill King of WLAC owned the airwaves in terms of college football recruiting, giving out details and speculation every night across the South? This was back in the early 1990s, and before the Internet came along. Some say Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson's success in the 1980s launched the era.

AuricGoldfinger wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 10:21 am I feel like there's a gray area between "pre-internet era" and "modern era." Chris Young and Jimmy Williams were both huge recruits in the mid-to-late 1990s. Is that pre-internet? I know the internet was around then, but was it as influential pre-social media? Or are they considered to be in the modern era?

I heard Chris Young transferred.

Along the main focus of this thread, I think we can safely say that Johnny McCrary was an incredible bust as an SEC quarterback, although he may be a fine man for all I know.

DYK...David Koral's father was the co-founder of the 7 For All Mankind denim brand?

(THIS IS THE KIND OF USELESS TRIVIA YOU'VE COME TO RELY UPON FROM ME)

Let me amend my first "ultra-bust" post.

You guys remember that guy that was Phillip Rivers younger brother?

The one that VANDERBUILDER said would be a star in the NFL after he left Vandy?

Not only did he average an interception for every 8 pass attempts for VU... but according to his NFL.com draft profile "is unathletic, lacks anticipation as a thrower and has below-average arm strength." What about that, VANDERBUILDER?

Apparently the kid eventually got to attend an Arizona Cardinals free agent cattle call of 150 players...but nothing after that on the web about him.

MrMemorial wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:54 pm Let me amend my first "ultra-bust" post.

You guys remember that guy that was Phillip Rivers younger brother?

The one that VANDERBUILDER said would be a star in the NFL after he left Vandy?

Not only did he average an interception for every 8 pass attempts for VU... but according to his NFL.com draft profile "is unathletic, lacks anticipation as a thrower and has below-average arm strength." What about that, VANDERBUILDER?

Apparently the kid eventually got to attend an Arizona Cardinals free agent cattle call of 150 players...but nothing after that on the web about him.

I don't think Vanderbuilder has posted here in about nine years; my guess is, he's probably not going to read your post. (But, I could be wrong.)

But yeah, Stephen Rivers had only a 38.5% completion percentage, had 3 INT's and never threw a TD pass in his VU career.

AuricGoldfinger wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:36 pm DYK...David Koral's father was the co-founder of the 7 For All Mankind denim brand?

(THIS IS THE KIND OF USELESS TRIVIA YOU'VE COME TO RELY UPON FROM ME)

Didn't know that... but I do recall that David once threw for over 700 yards in a high school game in California!

AuricGoldfinger wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:36 pm DYK...David Koral's father was the co-founder of the 7 For All Mankind denim brand?

(THIS IS THE KIND OF USELESS TRIVIA YOU'VE COME TO RELY UPON FROM ME)

"Then Auric unlocked his word-hoard ..." and made my day!

commadore wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 1:08 pmI heard Chris Young transferred.

Wasn't to Ole Miss, was it? That would KILL me.

Btw, I LOVE Mitch Light. I liked his sideline reporting, his interviews, the Gold Report (if you don't think THAT dates me, as if the Chris Young comment didn't). The ONLY minor trivial problem is that he has succumbed to pronouncing "versus" as "verse". As 80% of sports pbp & color, and sports talk people have.

Other than that, did i mention i LOVE Mitch Light?

Go Vandy! wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 5:54 pm

commadore wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 1:08 pmI heard Chris Young transferred.

Wasn't to Ole Miss, was it? That would KILL me.

Btw, I LOVE Mitch Light. I liked his sideline reporting, his interviews, the Gold Report (if you don't think THAT dates me, as if the Chris Young comment didn't). The ONLY minor trivial problem is that he has succumbed to pronouncing "versus" as "verse". As 80% of sports pbp & color, and sports talk people have.

Other than that, did i mention i LOVE Mitch Light?

Are you saying he is "scuffling?"

Go Vandy! wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 5:54 pm The ONLY minor trivial problem is that he has succumbed to pronouncing "versus" as "verse". As 80% of sports pbp & color, and sports talk people have.

Don’t include ME in that group.