National Signing Day: Tennessee fans’ reactions to losing recruits to Clemson.

Clemson football signed 10 players yesterday and that brought the 2017 Signing Day class to the expected 14 commits. Four players from the class have already been enrolled and this signing group is loaded with enough talent to overcast its size. 

Two of those talented players are wide receivers Tee Higgins and Amari Rodgers from the state of Tennessee. Oak Ridge High’s Higgins is the best athlete in the state and Rodgers from Knoxville Catholic, the son of Volunteer football great Tee Martin, is the most versatile. The Knoxville products are #3 and #7 respectively in the state but chose to wear the orange of the Tigers over the orange of the hometown Tennessee Vols.

Some Vols’ fans are upset with Higgins, Rodgers, and Hoosier state quarterback Hunter Johnson who also signed with Clemson. Johnson and Higgins were both at one time committed to Tennessee but de-committed, and losing their commitments left fans worried about this signing class. But according to 247sports, Tennessee has the #17 class, only one spot below Clemson(16), so maybe those rankings will help the fans feel more optimistic about the future of their recruits.

I was able to find two of those Tennessee fans on social media who expressed their disdain for the recruiting losses to the Tigers in unique ways via Twitter and YouTube.

Fan #1 did his best Dabo Swinney impersonation and decided to take matters in his own hands by pretending to call Tee Higgins and Amari Rodgers. With no audio from the recipients of his calls, I took it upon myself to add some probable reactions to the Tennessee caller.

Fake Dabo: Hey, Miss Stewart(Tee Higgins’ mom).

Stewart: Hello.

Fake Dabo: Yeah, can I talk with Tee, please.

Stewart: Yes. But who’s calling.

Fake Dabo: This is Sabo.

Stewart: Who?

Fake Dabo: Dabo, Dabo Swinney.

Stewart: So this is Dabo?

Fake Dabo: Yeah, Dabo Swinney. Okay, hold on.

Stewart: It’s Dabo. But he’s acting kind of weird. Talk to him, please.
Tee Higgins: Hello.

Fake Dabo: Hey, Tee, it’s Dabo.

Tee Higgins: Who?

Fake Dabo: Dabo, Dabo Swinney.

Tee Higgins: Are you okay?

Fake Dabo: No, I’m just a little under the weather. How you doing? 

Tee Higgins: I’m okay.

Fake Dabo: How you feeling, leading up to Signing Day?

Tee Higgins: I’m good.

Fake Dabo: Yeah, I know it’s been crazy. Well, Tee, I’m sorry. I’m just going to have to tell you. We’re having to pull your offer.

Tee Higgins: What? Really?

Fake Dabo: Yeah, we’re going to have to pull your offer. I’m sorry. But I really think that you should go to Tennessee that’s where you’re from and hey that was just a big mixup at that basketball game. Don’t worry about all that, okay.

Tee Higgins: Who is this again?

Fake Dabo: Dabo, Dabo Swinney, your coach. Well, I mean. Not your coach anymore. I’m pulling your offer. But you should go to Tennessee, okay, bye. Go Vols! (Laughs)

Fake Dabo: Hey, Amari, it’s Dabo!

Amari Rodgers: Dabo.

Fake Dabo: Yeah, Dabo Swinney. Okay, look. I’m sorry to tell yah, but we are going to have to pull your offer.

Amari Rodgers: Really?

Fake Dabo: Yeah, you should just go to Tennessee though, that’s where your dad was good. Okay, bye. Go Vols!!!

About six months ago, Fan #2 expressed his feelings about Higgins’ decision to commit to Clemson, and he did it in oxymoronic fashion. His conversation is considered to be rated R, so prepare your ears for one expletive.

No one knows what either team or what each player will do in the future, and time should eventually take any disgruntled Tennessee fans’ focus away from the Clemson kids and onto the Vols football program.

Meanwhile, Fan #2 is telling everyone how Tennessee will win a National Championship, and Fan #1 is probably somewhere calling another recruit on his circa 2000 telephone. Two different fans supporting one team, in two different ways, and in civilized manners. Hats off to both of them.

So with Signing Day over and no college football, now we all “wait until next year.”