Eleven Warriors

just says Tenn, Alabama, and the Good guys are his leaders.

Sounds like he really likes Tennessee as a childhood favorite. With or without Dooley there it will be tough for us to get him.

They had an article on ESPN rumors about Bell, sounds like he still likes Tennessee for now while they still have their coaches stating that if the time comes where the coach/es get fired, he'll basically look at that and cross them off.  Sounds like if Tenn. fires Dooley, Bell would be an OSU lock.

"Until Coach Dooley is not there, he is still the coach, so that means nothing to me," Bell told Chad Simmons of Scout.com. "The current coaches at Tennessee are still recruiting me, so I am still building a relationship with them. If I have a reason to change, I will, but for now, the coaches are the coaches." 

AND

Bell is big into relationships with the coaches and goes on to say this about OSU..

"I really like how Urban Meyer is close to his players," Bell said. "He has great relationships with his guys and that stands out to me. He was that way at Florida too. He is a winner and a great coach."

If V. Bell picks us if Dooley is gone, right now I'm the biggest Mizzou fan on the planet!

Dooley is gone next year. I'd put down money on it right now. That's true even if they win out. The Tennessee faithful and the boosters are actually working on raising money HARD right now both because of Dooley's buy-out and because they think that, with the right contract, they can get Gruden. If Dooley stays, Bell probably goes to Tennessee, if Dooley leaves and Gruden comes in, Bell definitely goes to Tennessee, but if Dooley leaves and some no name guy gets hired then I expect him to be in the Scarlet and Grey.

I honestly think Alabama is a real sleeper here. He has been to as many Alabama games as he has Tennessee games it seems like. Were the only team of the three that has not gotten a visit for a game yet.

I think its Tennessee or OSU. Alabama is in the final 3 because of the allure of Bama from what I can tell and depict. Not that they can't nab him in the end but I think its OSU-Tennessee.

I think Tennessee can keep Bell even if Dooley goes but it'll depend on who that man is.

Saw some scuttle last night about it being Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. I think hiring Smart may not be a good move to compete right away in the SEC for Tennessee since he would be a first time head coach.

However, coming from another school in his Top 3, I think that Smart would be a coach that could nab Bell. 

FYI: I've heard the total amount of the buyout could be as low as 5.5 but as high as 9-10 million. The difference depends on the assistants and their ability to find other coaching jobs elsewhere.

Teneessee might lose there 3 offensive players to draft early next year.  There Qb and 2 WRs.

OSUFORLIFE - If that is the case, how the heck did Dooley get hired? The guy had absolutely zero going for him except having been on Saban's staff previously and his last name. There is no way the Haslams approved of that hiring. It was all former AD Mike Hamilton making that decision, albeit a decision made in haste following Kiffin jumping ship after one season. All of these Tennessee rumors are just that, rumors. I will believe it when I see it on Gruden coming to Knoxville.

I heard from a media member that covers UT that he believes right now it's 70/30 that Dooley is back next year. 70% he's gone. 30% he's back.

Heres the thing a lot of you are forgetting about Bell, he visited OSU loved the campus, loved the team, loved Urban. Then he came back and camped at OSU which he didn't have to do because he already had an offer. OSU was also the only school he camped at over the summer which in my mind says a ton about what he thinks about the school. I understand Tenn is his hometown favorite, but their coaching staff is so unstable at this point in the game. I think this kid is all buckeye unless he cancels his visit.  The quote @kareemabduljacobb is also another big clue that Urban is solidifying that relationship

^^^^THIS!!!!!

Wow this thread has gotten out of hand.

Back on topic it seems its going to take a lot to pull Bell away from Tennessee. If anyone can do it UFM can.

"Until Coach Dooley is not there, he is still the coach, so that means nothing to me," Bell told Chad Simmons of Scout.com. "The current coaches at Tennessee are still recruiting me, so I am still building a relationship with them. If I have a reason to change, I will, but for now, the coaches are the coaches."

Now with Dooley being fired, would do you guys think our chance to land Bell is?

@HighBallace

IRT that article: it mentions Jon Gruden. I just don't see the appeal at all for Gruden to want to coach at Tennessee or Arkansas. He'd arguably get paid equal or less at the college level, have to devote as much if not more time (when you include recruiting) if time with family is an issue, and if he's unsuccessful his chance of returning to the NFL game would only decrease. In my opinion if he's going to return to coaching, he has more to lose by going to the college football level than he really has to gain. 

Chances improved I think, but who really knows other than Vonn himself. I bet Urban is making a phone call today

Is Bell coming for the Michigan game? Be nice to get a Thread about Michigan visitors. 

Bill Kurelic of 247 talked with Vonn's coach and he said Vonn will be ready to decide after his season is over (now in state semi finals). He likely won't need official visits, but will make an official to the school he chooses after his decision. Said he will probably wait until Tennessee makes a hire, but it doesn't really sound like Tennessee is in the running. Kurelic guessed Bama based on the number of times Bell has visited, but it looks like Vonn has made a decision. 

I read the article and the coments after it from Kurelic and Duane and they are interesting.

To start off, most people now think it is a Bama-OSU battle. The funny thing is, when you asked people in the know a couple months ago, most of them would have said its a Tenn-OSU battle, and there was still thought that Dooley was gone then too.

Now, on one hand, some people are concereneced that because he has visited Bama so many times this season and hasn't visited OSU for a game that Bama leads.

However, Bell did make TWO extended trips to OSU over the summer and one included his mom. He has consitently said that he knows everything he needs to about his finalists in order to make a decision which means he got what he needed out of those two OSU trips. This begs the question, why the trips to Bama if he knows all about his finalists? My thought is, if you live in the south, why not get in to see a top 5 team play for free? Those visits to me seemed like he was just going to watch the game and not specifically there to visit the university.

Another topic of discussion, and why some recruiting analysts still think that Bell is leaning towards the Bucks , is the whole first school naming things. Everytime he or his coach name his finalists, OSU is consistenly the first one named.

Just some food for thought and why I wouldn't give up on him quite yet.

I don't see the Bama flavor to it either.

Tennessee game isn't worth visiting by the middle of the year, and Alabama visit is doable, and an Ohio State one isn't cuz of his own season. Free game. 

Common sense tends to make me believe OSU feels good about their chances. Once David Dawson seemed like a tough pull, an OL offer went out. To fill the position.

When we were struggling at LB, an offer went out to Skai Moore.

No extra offers have gone out at WR or Safety. Feel good about Quick? Feel good about Bell? 

Just a trend I am seeing.

And they do want another secondary mate. Howard gone this year. Roby, Bryant, and Barnett could all be gone after next year. 

Yes, there's Gareon Conley. But I think he is a product of extra space in the class being available.

Thanks for helping me feel at ease Hayze and Derek