With Jon Demps appearing to be cleared to go, that almost cements the number of LB signees for '08 at 2. I saw some idiot on the National Board claiming we need to take 5 this year, but with 9 scholarship LBers on the roster (including Demps), with the possibility of that number moving to 10 with a move of Jerimy Finch, and NONE of them being higher than a sophomore, in terms of eligibility...I don’t see why we need more than 2 LBers in this class. Just because FSU keeps two dozen scholarship LBers on the roster at all times, doesn’t mean everyone else needs to as well.
At wide receiver, things are WIDE OPEN at this point. Chris Tolliver recently named Florida and Alabama as his co-leaders. Burton Scott claims Florida as his leader. Deion Walker raved about a recent trip to Florida. Harry Adams and Jeff Demps are two prospects the staff (and the track team) are high on. Those five, along with A.J. Jenkins, Lamaar Thomas, DeAndre Brown (who would fill the Cornelius Ingram-role), and then Julio Jones (always has to be room for a prospect like this), are the nine prospects to watch at this point to fill just three spots at WR. Only Jones, Walker and Scott are not expected to be in Gainesville for Friday Night Lights.
On the topic of receivers, top 2009 prospect Logan Heastie will be in attendance at FNL. Don’t assume he will come away as a Florida commitment. Heastie will have to blow the coaches away to earn an offer at this point. With a premium again being placed on numbers in the '09 class, don't expect the staff to offer Heastie simply because he can run a 4.4. If Heastie does get a coveted offer at the camp, it likely won't take him long to make a decision on his future school of choice…
On the offensive line, I keep hearing more and more positive things about Ricky Barnum. It seems entirely possible that he could be the interior lineman in this class. He’s about 6'2.5", and closing in on 270 pounds. Very light in the pants for a big ugly these days, but with the depth that has been built on the interior of the offensive line, Barnum will not be rushed into action, and has plenty of time to put on the necessary weight to handle the rigors of SEC competition.
As for tackle, some people may use the word "worrisome" to describe our situation there. I would use the word "cloudy." The staff would like to sign 2 guys who can play tackle. Early on, things were much brighter when UF was in the top two for highly regarded prospects like Matt Patchan, Tyler Love, and Michael Brewst...it now seems entirely possible we could strike out on all three. While that would be disappointing, the odds have been stacked against us on each prospect from the start. The good news is, the board is still deep with prospects like Vinston Painter, Zebrie Sanders, Greg Shaw, Art Forst, Antone McClain, and Kenneth Page all in play. Plus, there are still good prospects like Dalton Freeman, and sleepers like Troy Niblack emerging on the radar as well. It's hard to see the staff "striking out" at the position, but it’s also extremely hard to tell at this point what is going to happen at this point.
At linebacker, it's clear the staff wants a big presence in the middle, as an eventual successor to Brandon Spikes down the line. Shayne Hale, Brendan Beal, Etienne Sabino, J.B. Fitzgerald, and Jerrell Harris are the top targets. Hale seems destined for Ohio State. Sabino is open at this point, but his skipping FNL raises an eyebrow in regards to his interest in Florida. Beal has Florida in his top two, and Harris seems open at this point as well. Landing one of these big guys in the middle, along with a speedier, outside-type should finally give us the LB depth that has been craved for so long.
Last year Florida signed the top two safety prospects in the nation according to Rivals. This year, the board again shows a bounty of riches at the position. Florida already has a commitment from Dee Finley, rated second among all safeties nationally by Rivals. Will Hill, believed to be the best free safety in the country by most has a high interest in UF. D'Anton Lynn, whose stock is flying through the roof now has a UF offer in hand and will be at FNL. Spencer Adams, out of NC is high on the board as well. Florida is in good with all four of these prospects. Expect the Gators to sign two, and possibly three, with the idea of moving one up to linebacker.
Finally, at corn...while the staff would welcome a commitment from Patrick Johnson or T.J. Bryant, I wouldn’t hold my breath on either of them. There are still a lot of good players we’re in the mix for. Jeremy Brown is down to Florida and Notre Dame. Patrick Nixon is an EXCELLENT prospect who should not be overlooked. Again, Florida is in great shape. Adrian Bushell is a talented athlete who the Gators lead for. Robby Green will be in Gainesville for FNL. George Baker and Janoris Jenkins are on the radar of the staff, and could get a commitable offer with a big-time performance at FNL. Lots of possiblities for the two spots at corner...
About 15-16 spots left to fill guys. FNL should go a long way towards clearing up the picture...
This post was edited on 7/17 3:31 PM by j wellsif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
At wide receiver, things are WIDE OPEN at this point. Chris Tolliver recently named Florida and Alabama as his co-leaders. Burton Scott claims Florida as his leader. Deion Walker raved about a recent trip to Florida. Harry Adams and Jeff Demps are two prospects the staff (and the track team) are high on. Those five, along with A.J. Jenkins, Lamaar Thomas, DeAndre Brown (who would fill the Cornelius Ingram-role), and then Julio Jones (always has to be room for a prospect like this), are the nine prospects to watch at this point to fill just three spots at WR. Only Jones, Walker and Scott are not expected to be in Gainesville for Friday Night Lights.
On the topic of receivers, top 2009 prospect Logan Heastie will be in attendance at FNL. Don’t assume he will come away as a Florida commitment. Heastie will have to blow the coaches away to earn an offer at this point. With a premium again being placed on numbers in the '09 class, don't expect the staff to offer Heastie simply because he can run a 4.4. If Heastie does get a coveted offer at the camp, it likely won't take him long to make a decision on his future school of choice…
On the offensive line, I keep hearing more and more positive things about Ricky Barnum. It seems entirely possible that he could be the interior lineman in this class. He’s about 6'2.5", and closing in on 270 pounds. Very light in the pants for a big ugly these days, but with the depth that has been built on the interior of the offensive line, Barnum will not be rushed into action, and has plenty of time to put on the necessary weight to handle the rigors of SEC competition.
As for tackle, some people may use the word "worrisome" to describe our situation there. I would use the word "cloudy." The staff would like to sign 2 guys who can play tackle. Early on, things were much brighter when UF was in the top two for highly regarded prospects like Matt Patchan, Tyler Love, and Michael Brewst...it now seems entirely possible we could strike out on all three. While that would be disappointing, the odds have been stacked against us on each prospect from the start. The good news is, the board is still deep with prospects like Vinston Painter, Zebrie Sanders, Greg Shaw, Art Forst, Antone McClain, and Kenneth Page all in play. Plus, there are still good prospects like Dalton Freeman, and sleepers like Troy Niblack emerging on the radar as well. It's hard to see the staff "striking out" at the position, but it’s also extremely hard to tell at this point what is going to happen at this point.
At linebacker, it's clear the staff wants a big presence in the middle, as an eventual successor to Brandon Spikes down the line. Shayne Hale, Brendan Beal, Etienne Sabino, J.B. Fitzgerald, and Jerrell Harris are the top targets. Hale seems destined for Ohio State. Sabino is open at this point, but his skipping FNL raises an eyebrow in regards to his interest in Florida. Beal has Florida in his top two, and Harris seems open at this point as well. Landing one of these big guys in the middle, along with a speedier, outside-type should finally give us the LB depth that has been craved for so long.
Last year Florida signed the top two safety prospects in the nation according to Rivals. This year, the board again shows a bounty of riches at the position. Florida already has a commitment from Dee Finley, rated second among all safeties nationally by Rivals. Will Hill, believed to be the best free safety in the country by most has a high interest in UF. D'Anton Lynn, whose stock is flying through the roof now has a UF offer in hand and will be at FNL. Spencer Adams, out of NC is high on the board as well. Florida is in good with all four of these prospects. Expect the Gators to sign two, and possibly three, with the idea of moving one up to linebacker.
Finally, at corn...while the staff would welcome a commitment from Patrick Johnson or T.J. Bryant, I wouldn’t hold my breath on either of them. There are still a lot of good players we’re in the mix for. Jeremy Brown is down to Florida and Notre Dame. Patrick Nixon is an EXCELLENT prospect who should not be overlooked. Again, Florida is in great shape. Adrian Bushell is a talented athlete who the Gators lead for. Robby Green will be in Gainesville for FNL. George Baker and Janoris Jenkins are on the radar of the staff, and could get a commitable offer with a big-time performance at FNL. Lots of possiblities for the two spots at corner...
About 15-16 spots left to fill guys. FNL should go a long way towards clearing up the picture...
This post was edited on 7/17 3:31 PM by j wellsif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
