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          #AskLoogs tackles Tennessee, SEC

          • Tom LuginbillJun 21, 2013, 03:00 AM ET
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            • Senior National Recruiting Analyst for ESPN.com
            • Coached in four professional football leagues
            • Graduated from Eastern Kentucky and Marshall
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          We're back with another edition of the #AskLoogs Twitter mailbag. If you missed last week's discussion, check it out here.

          As always, make sure to use the hashtag #AskLoogs to get in on our discussion. I'll answer fan questions on player rankings and scouting each Wednesday, 2-3 p.m. ET on Twitter, with the five best making it to this weekly mailbag, but you can send questions in any time and I'll get to as many as I can.

          This week, we're tackle questions about the ESPN 300, if Tennessee can keep up its hot start on the recruiting trail, how to build the perfect running back and much more. No more delaying, let's get right to your questions.

          Time will tell. It's a long road to signing day, but this is obviously a very strong start for the Vols after they closed last year's class well by securing ESPN 300 players in QB Joshua Dobbs and WR Marquez North.The first full recruiting cycle for a new staff is when you generally see the most improvement and excitement. Jones hired strong recruiters like Tommy Thigpen, among others, and Tennessee has the necessary resources, including arguably the country's greatest facilities, to get the job done.

          The challenge for Jones is if he and the staff sway the waning positive perception this program once had back in their favor. They have already secured the state's top players, including Jalen Hurd, Todd Kelly Jr. and Vic Wharton III, and keeping them at home is an absolute must. One of the difficulties of the Vols job is you always have to go into your competitors' backyards to steal players as Tennessee is never going to be a state that produces double-digit BCS-caliber prospects. Another good move for Jones is that he is using his Ohio roots to supplement the class.

          Absolutely you can. You could take Nick Chubb's power, Dalvin Cook's or Joe Mixon's receiving skills, Sony Michel's or Joseph Yearby's vision, Donte Williams' strength, Jalen Hurd's or Racean Thomas' top-end speed and add it all up and you get ... Leonard Fournette!! All joking aside, backs come in various shapes and sizes and with differing skill sets, but the one defining trait that sets some backs apart from others is durability. Can you be counted on to carry the load each week and remain healthy? It is a highly coveted trait.

          Ohio State looks like it is building a team that can compete up front, which is the answer to your question. Urban Meyer knows full well how to beat SEC teams and what you have to have in the trenches and that is why he has stocked up on those players. Florida State is close and made up of similar front players to SEC teams. The SEC's reign of terror, as you put it, is built upon two things -- a stronger player pool than anywhere else in the country and two-deep trenches that are superior to that of other teams. The challenge is how to steal these types of players away from the South, particularly up front. Take Notre Dame, for example, Stephon Tuitt is from Georgia, Prince Shembo is from North Carolina and Louis Nix III is from Florida. Any team that can build itself into a championship team up front will compete with the SEC.

          Always be careful referencing a highlight tape as it is only telling part of the story. Matt Elam is a very good prospect and one worthy of consideration as we continue the recruiting process, but there are a couple of concerns. Elam might not be a good fit for everyone scheme-wise. He is a massive inside presence and run-plugger who needs to be cautious of controlling his weight as this limits his mobility and ability to stay on the field on passing downs. He is the ideal fit as a 0-technique in a three-man front to occupy blockers and collapse the pocket if he keeps his pad level down. At his current level of competition, he enjoys a distinct size and strength advantage that can be a little deceiving. Also, his current level isn't overly strong football.

          Some of the things we look for with young linemen is a consistent, great motor and pursuit effort, which is something Elam has to continue to strive to do. His size limits how explosive and disruptive of a gap player he can be at times. We are aware he performed very well at Alabama's camp, and for what they do he is a great fit so it is very easy to see why they jumped on him. As with all players, if we feel we have a guy too low, we can always move them up and vice versa. It's a long process.

          For the high school level, it is always cornerback and offensive tackle. Many would believe it is quarterback, but with QBs there is always plenty to see. The risk is in the projection. With offensive tackles these guys rarely get challenged because they are always the biggest and strongest man on the block, so you rarely get to see what a player can do against a player with similar size and strength and likely better overall athleticism. This position is always my favorite to watch at the Under Armour All-America Game because for the first time for most OTs the game becomes very difficult and now technique and confidence become real issues. This gives you a chance to evaluate mental toughness and see what a guy does when he is getting his tail kicked. We saw this with Cyrus Kouandjio and Jadeveon Clowney the first two days of the week a few years ago as Clowney was completely dominating, but once Kouandjio settled down, he became a fierce competitor.

          As for cornerback, this can be very difficult to even see on film as often you don't have a wide angle. Many corners actually aren't playing corner in high school, so you are making a projection on an athlete to become one. Also, often the top cornerbacks aren't even challenged in high school. How often does a Dee Milliner actually face an A.J. Green or Amari Cooper in high school? Once? Twice? Never? As a result, the player can often get by on athleticism alone and no technique because there is rarely a serious challenge to be beat on a given play. Again, this is where the UA Game helps us out tremendously. One matchup comes to mind is from 2008 when Janoris Jenkins faced off against Julio Jones on the first day during the Under Armour Game practices. Janoris absolutely manhandled Jones, and Jones couldn't even get off the line of scrimmage. We knew right then and there Jenkins was special.