Vols' attrition has taken toll on Butch Jones' approval

If you polled Tennessee fans on their coach’s approval rating, my guess is Butch Jones’ never would have been higher than in February 2014.

The returns were in on his first full recruiting year at Tennessee. And they were outstanding.

The Vols ranked seventh in 247Sports’ composite rankings. Not only did the 32-man class include 16 four-star recruits, but it also was as deep in quantity as quality.

In fact, Jones’ first full recruiting class far overshadowed his first season.

So what if the Vols had just finished with a 5-7 record, lost three games by more than 30 points and fallen short of bowl eligibility for a third consecutive season.

Their recruiting ranking upstaged their record and lent credence to Jones’ brick-by-brick rebuilding job.

But three and a half years later, the class is viewed differently. And the coach whose approval rating soared when the class was signed is viewed differently, too.

The class proved Jones could recruit big-time players. But the same class makes you wonder whether Jones can produce big-time results.

In a way, the 2014 signing class has done exactly what fans had hoped. With back-to-back nine-win seasons, it has helped turn a losing program into a winning one.

The fourth-year seniors on this team can be proud of that. But that’s not solely how their class will be remembered.

It also will be remembered for what might have been.

Imagine if the class had been as good as billed. Imagine if it had suffered only moderate attrition.

The attrition has been well documented. All-American defensive end Derek Barnett and wide receiver Josh Malone were good enough to leave for the NFL after their junior seasons. But the bulk of the losses has come through transfers and dismissals.

The senior class now bears little resemblance to the signing class. It includes four fourth-year starters in placekicker Aaron Medley, tight end Ethan Wolf and offensive linemen Jashon Robertson and Coleman Thomas but has been reduced by almost two-thirds.

When you combine it with the next three UT recruiting classes, you likely would conclude: Jones and his assistants have been exceptional recruiters, but player development hasn’t matched the recruitment.

UT’s 2015 recruiting class was No. 4 in 247Sports’ composite rankings. Its past two classes have been ranked No. 14 and No. 17. Bottom line: Tennessee has been recruiting at nearly a top-10 level, yet its team barely cracked the Top 25 at the end of last season and is No. 24 in the USA TODAY preseason coaches poll.

So you are left to weigh how well Jones has upgraded UT’s talent against how the results on the field have fallen short of the recruiting. An anonymous coach addressed that in Lindy’s preseason football magazine.

“… And for all of those guys they’ve signed, I don’t see any dominant, draftable players,” the coach said. “A part of me says Butch Jones has done a good job. A part of me says no.”

Maybe the senior performances of a depleted top-10 recruiting class will help that coach make up his mind.

Reach John Adams at john.adams@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6284 and on Twitter @johnadamskns.