First off, some thoughts on FNL, and the Circus Showcase...
I think both had their strengths and weeknesses.
For FNL, I think the weekend was undeniably a success. Although it doesn't look that way publicly...behind the scenes there are several kids ready to throw their hat in the ring after coming to the Swamp. My only complaints regarding FNL, would be that...
(One) there were probably too many kids there. I think FNL loses some of it’s "elite" luster when there's 150 kids in for the camp...and (Two) it would have been nice to see a couple more former Gators in the Swamp. It shows the "family" mantra the staff tries to build extends after college, and gives the prospects an example of what hard work will do for you. Other than that, I thought it was a smashing success.
As for the Circus Showcase…I thought they did a good job. A couple of criticisms on them as well, however...I didn't understand the idea of not bringing fans in. Why wouldn’t you want to? You say you don't want them to be there because they would be a distraction, but you bring in all kinds of former Seminole stars...and Jerry Rice! What do you think they're going to be? Something to help the kids focus?!?!? Also, why was the event rescheduled to a date where the head coach wouldn’t be in town? Seems a little fishy to me...I did like the stars being on hand, for the reasons I listed above...overall it was a good weekend for both programs, but I think the Gators made it a little more productive myself!
As for our board...
I really believe at this point our breakdown by position will be as such:
2 RB
2 WR
1 big WR/TE
3 OL
4 DL
2 LB
2 CB
2 S
1 K
Total 19
That is clearly subject to change, but for now, I believe this to be the case.
At QB...Star Jackson was very impressive at FNL, but I don’t see the staff taking him as of now. However, if our QB situation changes between now and Signing Day, get back to me on this one...
There was an excellent crop of 2009 QB's on hand at the Swamp. In particular, look out for Blaine Dalton of Missouri, Tate Forcier of California, and Rob Henry of Ocala to figure prominently in our plans next year.
At RB...it was a bounty of riches. In particular Jamie Harper and Franklin Green stood out. Harper is the bigger of the two, and has more speed...but Green is silky smooth and seems to run effortlessly. Both have their strengths and there is room in the class for both. Harper seems to have a great rapport with Coach Drayton, and seems to be very close to being in this class. While I wouldn't write Clemson off as of yet...I really believe Harper will be a Gator at this point in time. With Green...there is something curious about his situation (obviously). Even if he does fall into the commitment category in the coming weeks...his situation could still be iffy all the way up to NSD.
As for 2009, Desmond Scott of North Carolina and Lamar Millar of Miami are two RB's that stood out. Scott is a smaller back, more in the mold of an Armando Allen, while Miller is a bigger, more punishing back. While the Gators may only take one back in the Class of '09, both are squarely in the picture.
At WR...this one is getting tougher and tougher to figure out every day. As of right now, I really have no idea who the wideouts in this class will be. Travis Benjamin, A.J. Jenkins, and T.J. Lawrence all performed very well at FNL. Each could commit at this point. Jeff Demps figures in the picture as a RB/WR/KR, so he fits in here as well. Chris Tolliver has us in his top two as well. Burton Scott can play WR or CB, so he can be thrown in the mix here also. It seems unlikely that we wont get AT LEAST 2 from this group, and I can see the staff taking 3 and sliding one to corner. Regardless, the WR board looks really good as of this moment. Plenty of good Plan B options that I didn't even mention tell me as much...
At the big WR/TE spot there are a lot of kids on the board as well. DeAngelo Peterson BLEW up at FNL, and was so impressive, I heard Greg Mattison was asking about him, despite the fact he was working with the WRs. Peterson is exactly what the staff is looking for at this spot. He’s about 6'3"-6'4", and is closing in on 220 pounds. He's virtually a Cornelius Ingram-clone, except he's still in high school right now. Peterson is an LSU commitment, however...expect the staff to ramp up their interest in him at this point. Carl Moore, DeAndre Brown, and Kenny Tate fall into this category as big WR's who could make this transition. As for TE's on the board Austin Holt and Nick Plato would commit on the spot if offered, but neither were remarkably impressive this weekend. Both are Plan B guys at this point. Chase Clement is the last name to mention. He is the only true TE at FNL I believe the staff would take at this point. You have to like LSU here, but UF is definitely a darkhorse in this race...
As for the O-Line, things are still murky. It's pretty clear the staff will take either Ricky Barnum or Byran Jones on the interior (if they decide to go that route) and call it a day there. As for tackle...Love and Patchan are still the top two prospects on the board. I keep hearing all sorts of conflicting info on Love, but as of now…count me in with the group who believes he will end up at ‘Bama. As for Patchan...I have heard from multiple sources now that there is a decent CHANCE he could end up a Gator. The family is still pretty unsure about the new staff in Coral Gables and basically want to see what what kind of product they will put on the field this season. If Miami returns to the days of of old...expect Patchan to end up in Coral Gables. If they really struggle, I think Gainesville will be his destination of choice. If Miami falls somewhere in the middle (7-5 or 8-4) which I expect they will do, things could get a lot more interesting...
As for guys to keep an eye on...clearly the names to watch are Vinston Painter, Antoine McClain, Zebrie Sanders, Kenneth Page, and Dalton Freeman. If the Gators can land Patchan, any of these guys would make a very nice bookend combo for the ’08 class.
The group of O-Linemen in the Swamp for FNL was pretty uninspiring, the only position where I think I can say that, really. John Harrison of Groveland South Lake is a 2009 kid to keep an eye on, but for the most part there were a lot of inside-types at the camp, which is odd considering it is clearly not the area of need for the ’08 group...
As for the defensive side of the ball...
On the line, the Gators are clearly in good shape here. After recruiting 6 excellent defensive linemen in the 2007 class...Florida currently has two commitments for the 2008 class here as well. Chaz Sutton and Earl Okine are a pair of talented athletes who clearly were among the best in Gainesville on Friday night. Both have good size, athletic ability, and the versatility to play multiple positions on the defensive line.
The Gators are not done on the D-Line, however. Chancey Aghayere plans to visit in September for the UT game, and will announce shortly thereafter. While I hesitate to show much confidence in a kid who has yet to visit campus, from all indications I have heard, he is expected to end up with the good guys. If this terms out to be the case...the Gators could stop with him, and close out this group with three top D-Line prospects for the second year in a row. If a top weakside end (like William Green) or a big-time DT (Marcus Forston, for example) wanted in as well, I could see that happening. However, expect the staff to pull 3 D-Linemen for sure, and possibly go to 4 if the right player wants in.
At LB, there were several prospects who impressed last Friday. In particular, Marcus Robinson, Ramon Buchanon, Jerrell Harris, and Marlon Walls stood out to the point where it seems possible that any one of them could be a part of this class. I'd say those four, along with Jonathan Meyers, J.B. Fitzgerald, Brendan Beal, and Malcolm Munroe (no offer), are the only ones left in the running for anywhere from 1 to 3 LB slots (depending on how many the staff will sign, and also on where you believe Dee Finley will end up playing). Robinson is probably the most impressive of this group, but I don't think you will find too many people who feel like he will end up a Gator. Beal will probably end up at USC. Buchanon looked great at FNL, but his size suggests a move to SS is more likely. In the end, it comes down to taking no more than two from a group that includes (in order, likely) Harris, Fitzgerald, Meyers, and Walls. This position, like many others, will cause some tough decisions from the staff.
As for the secondary, again...a lot of the decisions here are intertwined with what is going on at LB. Finley could end up at LB or S. The same can be said for Buchanon. Hill looks to be in for sure. If Finley is projected as a LB, then Buchanon, D’Anton Lynn, and Spencer Adams seem like the surest bests to take the last spot at safety. If Finley is projected as a S. Then the staff would likely be finished recruiting at the position with the commitment of Hill.
At corner, there are really four players involved in the mix as of right now: Brandon Harris, Janoris Jenkins, Burton Scott, and Jeremy Brown. I find it interesting that Adrian Bushell comes to UF, talks about how much he loves it, and then names Oklahoma State his leader a week later. Something doesn't mesh there, and it smells eerily reminiscent of how things went down with Keith Wells. There is certainly a long list of Plan B guys, and as of this weekend, Bushell appears to be on it.
Harris isn’t talked about much, but Florida has quietly moved into a very strong #2 spot behind Miami for his signature, and Urban Meyer will make his decision very difficult. Jenkins had an impressive FNL camp. He now has received the attention of the staff...will he be receptive to their pitch. Scott has all along had Florida at the top. He would come in as an “Athlete.” Finally, Jeremy Brown continues to take visits, set officials, and act as if he's anything but a lock to ND. If he makes it out of this weekend without committing, I feel very good about Florida's chances for his services. Obviously Patrick Johnson and T.J. Bryant could jump on board at any time, but the chances of that happening seem slim. D'Anton Lynn and Spencer Adams are two safeties that could easily project to corner in a pinch as well.
The staff will take a wait-and-see approach with Patrick Nixon. Talent-wise, he belongs in this class, but there may be some other issues that keep him from committing at this time.
Caleb Sturgis was a great pick-up at Kicker. He was a guy sort of forgotten over the Spring, as Gator fans got tied up in how limited our numbers are. He will have a BIG impact on Special Teams at Florida...
Some other thoughts:
The weekend of the UT game (September 14th) is shaping up to be a big one. Will Hill, Brendan Beal, and Chancey Aghayere are already scheduled to be in that weekend. Look for any other major prospects making early decisions to be placed in this group as well.
By all accounts, Logan Heastie had a big performance at FNL. While it isn't protocol for the staff to make an offer to a prospect before his junior season...Heastie has all the tools to be a great WR, and I expect he'll be a Gator sooner, rather than later...
And, finally…for all of those who belittled our effort in recruiting RB's last year...it appears Enrique Davis will be headed to Prep School this year. So for all those that questioned the staff's reasoning for not pursuing a legacy, the reason may now be pretty cut-and-dried…
This post was edited on 7/24 2:39 PM by j wellsif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
I think both had their strengths and weeknesses.
For FNL, I think the weekend was undeniably a success. Although it doesn't look that way publicly...behind the scenes there are several kids ready to throw their hat in the ring after coming to the Swamp. My only complaints regarding FNL, would be that...
(One) there were probably too many kids there. I think FNL loses some of it’s "elite" luster when there's 150 kids in for the camp...and (Two) it would have been nice to see a couple more former Gators in the Swamp. It shows the "family" mantra the staff tries to build extends after college, and gives the prospects an example of what hard work will do for you. Other than that, I thought it was a smashing success.
As for the Circus Showcase…I thought they did a good job. A couple of criticisms on them as well, however...I didn't understand the idea of not bringing fans in. Why wouldn’t you want to? You say you don't want them to be there because they would be a distraction, but you bring in all kinds of former Seminole stars...and Jerry Rice! What do you think they're going to be? Something to help the kids focus?!?!? Also, why was the event rescheduled to a date where the head coach wouldn’t be in town? Seems a little fishy to me...I did like the stars being on hand, for the reasons I listed above...overall it was a good weekend for both programs, but I think the Gators made it a little more productive myself!
As for our board...
I really believe at this point our breakdown by position will be as such:
2 RB
2 WR
1 big WR/TE
3 OL
4 DL
2 LB
2 CB
2 S
1 K
Total 19
That is clearly subject to change, but for now, I believe this to be the case.
At QB...Star Jackson was very impressive at FNL, but I don’t see the staff taking him as of now. However, if our QB situation changes between now and Signing Day, get back to me on this one...
There was an excellent crop of 2009 QB's on hand at the Swamp. In particular, look out for Blaine Dalton of Missouri, Tate Forcier of California, and Rob Henry of Ocala to figure prominently in our plans next year.
At RB...it was a bounty of riches. In particular Jamie Harper and Franklin Green stood out. Harper is the bigger of the two, and has more speed...but Green is silky smooth and seems to run effortlessly. Both have their strengths and there is room in the class for both. Harper seems to have a great rapport with Coach Drayton, and seems to be very close to being in this class. While I wouldn't write Clemson off as of yet...I really believe Harper will be a Gator at this point in time. With Green...there is something curious about his situation (obviously). Even if he does fall into the commitment category in the coming weeks...his situation could still be iffy all the way up to NSD.
As for 2009, Desmond Scott of North Carolina and Lamar Millar of Miami are two RB's that stood out. Scott is a smaller back, more in the mold of an Armando Allen, while Miller is a bigger, more punishing back. While the Gators may only take one back in the Class of '09, both are squarely in the picture.
At WR...this one is getting tougher and tougher to figure out every day. As of right now, I really have no idea who the wideouts in this class will be. Travis Benjamin, A.J. Jenkins, and T.J. Lawrence all performed very well at FNL. Each could commit at this point. Jeff Demps figures in the picture as a RB/WR/KR, so he fits in here as well. Chris Tolliver has us in his top two as well. Burton Scott can play WR or CB, so he can be thrown in the mix here also. It seems unlikely that we wont get AT LEAST 2 from this group, and I can see the staff taking 3 and sliding one to corner. Regardless, the WR board looks really good as of this moment. Plenty of good Plan B options that I didn't even mention tell me as much...
At the big WR/TE spot there are a lot of kids on the board as well. DeAngelo Peterson BLEW up at FNL, and was so impressive, I heard Greg Mattison was asking about him, despite the fact he was working with the WRs. Peterson is exactly what the staff is looking for at this spot. He’s about 6'3"-6'4", and is closing in on 220 pounds. He's virtually a Cornelius Ingram-clone, except he's still in high school right now. Peterson is an LSU commitment, however...expect the staff to ramp up their interest in him at this point. Carl Moore, DeAndre Brown, and Kenny Tate fall into this category as big WR's who could make this transition. As for TE's on the board Austin Holt and Nick Plato would commit on the spot if offered, but neither were remarkably impressive this weekend. Both are Plan B guys at this point. Chase Clement is the last name to mention. He is the only true TE at FNL I believe the staff would take at this point. You have to like LSU here, but UF is definitely a darkhorse in this race...
As for the O-Line, things are still murky. It's pretty clear the staff will take either Ricky Barnum or Byran Jones on the interior (if they decide to go that route) and call it a day there. As for tackle...Love and Patchan are still the top two prospects on the board. I keep hearing all sorts of conflicting info on Love, but as of now…count me in with the group who believes he will end up at ‘Bama. As for Patchan...I have heard from multiple sources now that there is a decent CHANCE he could end up a Gator. The family is still pretty unsure about the new staff in Coral Gables and basically want to see what what kind of product they will put on the field this season. If Miami returns to the days of of old...expect Patchan to end up in Coral Gables. If they really struggle, I think Gainesville will be his destination of choice. If Miami falls somewhere in the middle (7-5 or 8-4) which I expect they will do, things could get a lot more interesting...
As for guys to keep an eye on...clearly the names to watch are Vinston Painter, Antoine McClain, Zebrie Sanders, Kenneth Page, and Dalton Freeman. If the Gators can land Patchan, any of these guys would make a very nice bookend combo for the ’08 class.
The group of O-Linemen in the Swamp for FNL was pretty uninspiring, the only position where I think I can say that, really. John Harrison of Groveland South Lake is a 2009 kid to keep an eye on, but for the most part there were a lot of inside-types at the camp, which is odd considering it is clearly not the area of need for the ’08 group...
As for the defensive side of the ball...
On the line, the Gators are clearly in good shape here. After recruiting 6 excellent defensive linemen in the 2007 class...Florida currently has two commitments for the 2008 class here as well. Chaz Sutton and Earl Okine are a pair of talented athletes who clearly were among the best in Gainesville on Friday night. Both have good size, athletic ability, and the versatility to play multiple positions on the defensive line.
The Gators are not done on the D-Line, however. Chancey Aghayere plans to visit in September for the UT game, and will announce shortly thereafter. While I hesitate to show much confidence in a kid who has yet to visit campus, from all indications I have heard, he is expected to end up with the good guys. If this terms out to be the case...the Gators could stop with him, and close out this group with three top D-Line prospects for the second year in a row. If a top weakside end (like William Green) or a big-time DT (Marcus Forston, for example) wanted in as well, I could see that happening. However, expect the staff to pull 3 D-Linemen for sure, and possibly go to 4 if the right player wants in.
At LB, there were several prospects who impressed last Friday. In particular, Marcus Robinson, Ramon Buchanon, Jerrell Harris, and Marlon Walls stood out to the point where it seems possible that any one of them could be a part of this class. I'd say those four, along with Jonathan Meyers, J.B. Fitzgerald, Brendan Beal, and Malcolm Munroe (no offer), are the only ones left in the running for anywhere from 1 to 3 LB slots (depending on how many the staff will sign, and also on where you believe Dee Finley will end up playing). Robinson is probably the most impressive of this group, but I don't think you will find too many people who feel like he will end up a Gator. Beal will probably end up at USC. Buchanon looked great at FNL, but his size suggests a move to SS is more likely. In the end, it comes down to taking no more than two from a group that includes (in order, likely) Harris, Fitzgerald, Meyers, and Walls. This position, like many others, will cause some tough decisions from the staff.
As for the secondary, again...a lot of the decisions here are intertwined with what is going on at LB. Finley could end up at LB or S. The same can be said for Buchanon. Hill looks to be in for sure. If Finley is projected as a LB, then Buchanon, D’Anton Lynn, and Spencer Adams seem like the surest bests to take the last spot at safety. If Finley is projected as a S. Then the staff would likely be finished recruiting at the position with the commitment of Hill.
At corner, there are really four players involved in the mix as of right now: Brandon Harris, Janoris Jenkins, Burton Scott, and Jeremy Brown. I find it interesting that Adrian Bushell comes to UF, talks about how much he loves it, and then names Oklahoma State his leader a week later. Something doesn't mesh there, and it smells eerily reminiscent of how things went down with Keith Wells. There is certainly a long list of Plan B guys, and as of this weekend, Bushell appears to be on it.
Harris isn’t talked about much, but Florida has quietly moved into a very strong #2 spot behind Miami for his signature, and Urban Meyer will make his decision very difficult. Jenkins had an impressive FNL camp. He now has received the attention of the staff...will he be receptive to their pitch. Scott has all along had Florida at the top. He would come in as an “Athlete.” Finally, Jeremy Brown continues to take visits, set officials, and act as if he's anything but a lock to ND. If he makes it out of this weekend without committing, I feel very good about Florida's chances for his services. Obviously Patrick Johnson and T.J. Bryant could jump on board at any time, but the chances of that happening seem slim. D'Anton Lynn and Spencer Adams are two safeties that could easily project to corner in a pinch as well.
The staff will take a wait-and-see approach with Patrick Nixon. Talent-wise, he belongs in this class, but there may be some other issues that keep him from committing at this time.
Caleb Sturgis was a great pick-up at Kicker. He was a guy sort of forgotten over the Spring, as Gator fans got tied up in how limited our numbers are. He will have a BIG impact on Special Teams at Florida...
Some other thoughts:
The weekend of the UT game (September 14th) is shaping up to be a big one. Will Hill, Brendan Beal, and Chancey Aghayere are already scheduled to be in that weekend. Look for any other major prospects making early decisions to be placed in this group as well.
By all accounts, Logan Heastie had a big performance at FNL. While it isn't protocol for the staff to make an offer to a prospect before his junior season...Heastie has all the tools to be a great WR, and I expect he'll be a Gator sooner, rather than later...
And, finally…for all of those who belittled our effort in recruiting RB's last year...it appears Enrique Davis will be headed to Prep School this year. So for all those that questioned the staff's reasoning for not pursuing a legacy, the reason may now be pretty cut-and-dried…
This post was edited on 7/24 2:39 PM by j wellsif(GetAdminCookie() != 0) {document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
