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Pretty Good McElwain Recruting Analysis

MJWilliamson

Bull Gator
Apr 23, 2007
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I frequent another Gator board quite a bit. On of the regular posters had some cogent analysis of the recruiting performance done by McElwain. Much with which I agree. I am ripping his work and presenting it here.
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Let's take a look at this allegedly deficient recruiting for a minute. I think people get too caught up in recruiting rankings and don't pay enough attention to actual talent.

In 2015, we signed a total of 21 kids. This was the class that was OMFG THE WORST CLASS IN RECRUITING HISTORY!!!! just two weeks before NSD according to critter and other impeccable sources. It was also a class that McElwain put together in a month. From that class, I'd categorize them as follows:

Elite:

CeCe Jefferson, Antonio Callaway

Proven SEC-level talent (not elite per se, but more than capable of playing at a high level in the SEC):

Martez Ivey, Jordan Scarlett, Jordan Cronkrite, Tyler Jordan

Jury is out: (have shown at least some potential, but not enough to prove themselves yet)

Nick Buchanan, Keivonnis Davis*, Chris Williamson, Kylan Johnson, Jabari Zuniga*, Luke Ancrum, Fred Johnson*, Richard Desir-Jones, Brandon Sandifer

Non-factors:

D'Anfernee McGriff (DNQ), Rayshad Jackson, Daniel Imatorbhebhe, Kalif Jackson, Andrew Ivie, Camrin Knight

*the asterisks denote players who have at least show signs that they very likely could play well here but do not have a large enough sample size to judge just yet.


That's six proven players out of the 21, and another likely 4 to add to the list. 10 out of 21 legit SEC players in a rough recruiting year isn't exactly terrible. So let's then cover 2016 in the next post.
 
The 2016 class had a total of 26 kids. It's hard to label any of them "elite" just yet, though we can make a fairly educated guess on Tyrie Cleveland:

Elite:

Eddy Pineiro, Tyrie Cleveland, Chauncey Gardner

Probable SEC-level talent (based on camp performances and the one game sample size):

Jeawon Taylor, Vosean Joseph, Joseph Putu, David Reese, Jawaan Taylor, Jachai Polite, Antonneous Clayton, Freddie Swain, McArthur Burnett, Jeremiah Moon, Joshua Hammond, Mark Thompson

Jury is out:

Lamical Perine, Brett Heggie, Stone Forsythe, Quincy Lenton, Kyle Trask, Feleipe Franks, Dre Massey, Jordan Smith, Rick Wells, C.J. McWilliams

Non-factors:

Tony Nelson

That's 15 SEC-caliber players out of a class of 26. An argument can be made that Jawaan Taylor (a 3-sar by the way) might end up the best of the bunch given the enormous difference in OL play when he's in there versus when Fred Johnson is in there.
 
Another guy posted this comment;

Chump left the cupboard bare especially on offense and linebacker

To which my friend replied;
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Chump completely f*****d us at OL and LB. Think about it this way, McElwain is only in his second year coaching here, and our starting offense looks like this:

QB: Del Rio

RB: Jordan Scarlett or Jordan Cronkrite

OL: David Sharpe

OL: Martez Ivey

OL: Cam Dillard

OL: Tyler Jordan

OL: Fred Johnson

TE: Deandre Goolsby

WR: Antonio Callaway

WR: Brandon Powell

WR: Ahmad Fulwood

Only 5 out of 11 offensive starters are Muschamp recruits at the beginning of McElwain's second season. Think about just how shitty you have to recruit on offense for this to happen. It's even worse when you look at the two-deep.

At LB, Muschamp left us with Analzone, Davis, MacMillan and Rolin (gone). Some defensive guru he is.
 
Yep most coaches at Florida kill it with their 2nd class in the rankings unlike Mac. Mac has to get a top 10 class this year or we may be in trouble.

I just can't get over how we can't get more of the very top Florida recruits anymore.
 
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The 2016 class had a total of 26 kids. It's hard to label any of them "elite" just yet, though we can make a fairly educated guess on Tyrie Cleveland:

Elite:

Eddy Pineiro, Tyrie Cleveland, Chauncey Gardner

Probable SEC-level talent (based on camp performances and the one game sample size):

Jeawon Taylor, Vosean Joseph, Joseph Putu, David Reese, Jawaan Taylor, Jachai Polite, Antonneous Clayton, Freddie Swain, McArthur Burnett, Jeremiah Moon, Joshua Hammond, Mark Thompson

Jury is out:

Lamical Perine, Brett Heggie, Stone Forsythe, Quincy Lenton, Kyle Trask, Feleipe Franks, Dre Massey, Jordan Smith, Rick Wells, C.J. McWilliams

Non-factors:

Tony Nelson

That's 15 SEC-caliber players out of a class of 26. An argument can be made that Jawaan Taylor (a 3-sar by the way) might end up the best of the bunch given the enormous difference in OL play when he's in there versus when Fred Johnson is in there.

Yep the jury is still out on how good they will be and as far as Taylor its hard to say as of now because they protected him against the speed rushers in his limited time against UMass. If he can handle that halfway decent he will be very good.
 
Yep most coaches at Florida kill it with their 2nd class in the rankings unlike Mac. Mac has to get a top 10 class this year or we may be in trouble.

I just can't get over how we can't get more of the very top Florida recruits anymore.
Yeah but his first class isn't really wasn't his...if you remember we went from like 30th in recruiting to almost 10 in 2 months...Mac saved that class and got a big flip at the end. This year was really his first class...but even more than that....since Spurrier none of the other coaches have been left in such a bad hole as Mac...and that with not only talent, pure numbers on the team/positions, and with a reputation for not being a very good team for a number of years. Everyone wants instant success but some of these things are to big to ignore or forget about. Think numbers were so bad on the offensive line that we didn't have enough players to have a real scrimmage, six scholarship O Linemen going into Mac's first spring...Muschamp set us back big time.
 
Yep the jury is still out on how good they will be and as far as Taylor its hard to say as of now because they protected him against the speed rushers in his limited time against UMass. If he can handle that halfway decent he will be very good.
He was put in during the second series against UK. This after Johnson let the DE run to LDR. He played most of the rest of the game there and LDR never got hit again.
 
He was put in during the second series against UK. This after Johnson let the DE run to LDR. He played most of the rest of the game there and LDR never got hit again.
The pass blocking was really good...I think that KY is a bad team but I saw what I hoped for out of our offense....a BIG step in the right direction...hopefully we can be consistent with that type of play. Big kudos to Coach Mac/his staff and the players. Go Gators!
 
We show consistency and fun offense, the players will come; players are drawn to momentum. Yesterday was a great day to catch eyes. We continue to do that, we will see the recruiting results.
 
I would start to boost up Perine. He looks like a natural RB with lots of talent to me.
That kid is a balller...I mean this is the first real game seeing him...he did get the ball a lot more and KY's defense had been on the field for a long time but he's quite possibly as good as any of the other RB's that we have. I'll have to see more but we have 4 good guys.
 
61. C/OG Brett Heggie 6-3 317 Fr
64. RG/C Tyler Jordan 6-4 309 So
65. OT Jawaan Taylor 6-5 340 Fr
66. OG Nick Buchanan 6-2 301 rsFr
67. OG Brandon Sandifer 6-3 323 rsFr
68. OG Richerd Desir-Jones 6-4 292 rsFr
72. OT Stone Forsythe 6-7 329 Fr
73. LG/LT Martez Ivey 6-5 305 So
74. RT Fred Johnson 6-6 311 So

9. WR Dre Massey 5-9 180 Jr (tore ACL)
10. WR Josh Hammond 6-1 186 Fr
16. WR Freddie Swain 6-0 186 Fr
81. WR Antonio Callaway 5-11 197 So
83. WR Rick Wells 6-0 206 Fr
87. WR Kalif Jackson 6-4 217 rsFr (leg)
89. WR Tyrie Cleveland 6-2 196 Fr
Walk On
43. WR Glenn Jarriel 5-8 173 rsFr
44. WR Tucker Nordman 6-1 192 rsFr
45. WR Charles Nordman 6-1 180 rsFr

84. TE Camrin Knight 6-3 246 So

11. QB Kyle Trask 6-4 238 Fr
12. QB Austin Appleby 6-4 240 Grad-Sr
13. QB Feleipe Franks 6-6 219 Fr
14. QB Luke Del Rio 6-1 211 rsSo
Walk On
42. QB Nick Sproles 6-2 203 Fr
46. QB Harry Gornto V 6-2 203 rsFr

22. RB Lamical Perine 5-11 221 Fr
24. RB Mark Thompson 6-2 237 rsJr
25. RB Jordan Scarlett 5-10 213 So
32. RB Jordan Cronkrite 5-11 204 So

So, no matter how many games they win or lose, Mc-staff has already proven that they can't recruit either quality or numbers on offense.... ;)
 
That kid is a balller...I mean this is the first real game seeing him...he did get the ball a lot more and KY's defense had been on the field for a long time but he's quite possibly as good as any of the other RB's that we have. I'll have to see more but we have 4 good guys.

That kid is a baller - we have 4 legit SEC caliber RBs right now. I'm not sure when we've been this deep before.
 
IF the entire team buys into TEAM football, the same way that Mark Thompson has bought into committee (team) RB's, then nobody will be able to stop them on game days. They will become 4th quarter bulldozers that just grind opponents into the turf.... o_O
 
That kid is a baller - we have 4 legit SEC caliber RBs right now. I'm not sure when we've been this deep before.
Reminds me of the old-time Nebraska teams - I remember them playing six tailbacks in one Big 8 televised Game of the Week (like I said - old-time); I think four of them got drafted that year....Yes, indeedy, we are loaded at RB this year. Ain't it grand?
 
IF the entire team buys into TEAM football, the same way that Mark Thompson has bought into committee (team) RB's, then nobody will be able to stop them on game days. They will become 4th quarter bulldozers that just grind opponents into the turf.... o_O

If Mark Thompson didn't buy into committee, Mark Thompson wouldn't carry the ball.
 
Remember Lorenzo Hampton, Neal Anderson, John L Williams and James Jones all on the same UF team.

Paco - All four were only on the team at the same time in 1982.
RB/FB James Jones 6-2 229 -- 1979-82 -- 1st Rnd
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RB Lorenzo Hampton 5-11 205 -- 1981-84 -- 1st Rnd
RB Neil Anderson 5-11 210 -- 1982-85 -- 1st Rnd
FB John L. Williams 5-11 231 -- 1982-85 -- 1st Rnd
Those last 3 were the first Gator 3 RB committee to all rush for over 500 yards in the same season.
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2008 - Not a bad group of runners here either....
QB-DT Tim Tebow 6-3 240 Jr
RB Kestahn Moore 5-10 212 Sr
RB/WR Percy Harvin 5-11 195 Jr
RB/KR Brandon James 5-7 186 Jr
RB Emmanuel Moody 6-0 210 rsSo
RB Chris Rainey 5-9 185 rsFr
RB/Ath Jeff Demps 5-8 176 Fr
In 2008 & 2009 UF rushed for over 2,000 season yards.
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But as a group of pure top quality RB's goes, the current crop could end up being the best ever. Now, add in Lemons next season and OMG!!! :eek: -- :D

RB/ST's Mark Herndon 5-9 209 rsSr ***
RB Mark Thompson 6-2 237 rsJr *****
RB Jordan Scarlett 5-10 213 So ****
RB Jordan Cronkrite 5-11 204 So ****
RB Lamical Perine 5-11 221 Fr ****
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* RB Adarius Lemons 5-11 195 HS ****
 
If Mark Thompson didn't buy into committee, Mark Thompson wouldn't carry the ball.

If Jordan Scarlett didn't buy into committee, he wouldn't carry the ball.

If Jordan Cronkrite didn't buy into committee, he wouldn't carry the ball.

If Lamical Perine didn't buy into committee, he wouldn't carry the ball.

:confused:

So none of them get any credit for being 'team players' because the coaches have a (no-play) gun to all of their heads.... :rolleyes:
 
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If Mark Thompson didn't buy into committee, Mark Thompson wouldn't carry the ball.
MMeehhh...that's actually not true...he might not be that one "guy" that you keep accusing people of him being but he's played really well so far. He's held onto the ball, gotten first downs, moved the pocked, and done a good job so far. I'm really surprised with his ability to put his foot in the ground and go. IMO I really think that we have 4 really good guys...but the freshman seems the MOST legit so far. That will probably change as the year goes along but he's ball'in out. We will see how it plays out...we've played 2 bad teams and I'm interested to see how this team develops and plays this year. Kind of excited.
 
There is no wrong answer. Both sets of triplets were great at the college level. But the one you mention was not nearly as talented.
 
You joking right? Neal Anderson, John L Williams and Lorenzo Hampton were by far the best trio of backs UF has ever had on campus at one time. All 3 were first round picks. Neal Anderson and John L had very good pro careers. It isn't even close. Eli Williams didn't even finish his college career as a RB.
 
There is no wrong answer. Both sets of triplets were great at the college level. But the one you mention was not nearly as talented.

I don't think "not nearly as talented" and Fred Taylor go too well together.

Deshawn Wynn and Faison was a talented backfield. Wynn didn't live up to his talent in college but he started some games in the NFL. Faison was a beast.
 
You joking right? Neal Anderson, John L Williams and Lorenzo Hampton were by far the best trio of backs UF has ever had on campus at one time. All 3 were first round picks. Neal Anderson and John L had very good pro careers. It isn't even close. Eli Williams didn't even finish his college career as a RB.

Williams did average 6 yards a carry in his first 3 years and scored 15 tds. Taylor is the best back in the group by a mile and a half.
 
Williams did average 6 yards a carry in his first 3 years and scored 15 tds. Taylor is the best back in the group by a mile and a half.
I agree Taylor is the best back of them all but again Eli Williams got moved to CB. Everybody had a good yards per carry on those Florida teams.

Hampton, Anderson and John L Williams were all first round picks in the NFL draft. Again all 3 of them were first round picks. That is the most talented backfield trio that UF has ever had.
 
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Neal Anderson was also a 4 time NFL Pro Bowler. John L Williams was a 2 time NFL Pro Bowler. I think some of the younger fans in here probably don't realize how good of NFL careers John L and Neal Anderson had. All 3 of Anderson, Williams and Hampton had much better NFL careers than Terry Jackson and Eli Williams didn't even play RB at the next level.

I agree Fred Taylor is a better back than all of them but Fred was actually only selected to 1 NFL pro bowl.

The best RB by committee ever at UF was the trio of Anderson, John L and Hampton. I doubt we see anything like that again.
 
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I agree Taylor is the best back of them all but again Eli Williams got moved to CB. Everybody had a good yards per carry on those Florida teams.

Hampton, Anderson and John L Williams were all first round picks in the NFL draft. Again all 3 of them were first round picks. That is the most talented backfield trio that UF has ever had.
You're talking about who was the BEST by who they all got drafted...NFL careers...and that's a good argument...but IMO I think the best backfield WE ever was had was with Williams, Taylor, and Jackson....that team was it. Either way I see your argument PACO and you normally have a good one.
 
Getting back to the recruiting analysis, I know I sound like a broken record but having 11 EEs in this class cannot be underestimated, it's like having an additional half star for each player
 
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Williams, Taylor, and Jackson were oretty good in '96.

Wasn't there another RB too on that team??

Oddly Neal Anderson was really close to my grandmother and her family that lived in Alachua, I have many many signed Bears cards from him as a kid. Apparently my family took care of him a lot when he was growing up and in college, they used to call him my uncle. He's a big part of why I became a Bears fan. Crazy but true story, though my grandmothers house being about 4 miles from the stadium for many many years is also odd enough, I used to love staying there and went to the stadium to run around on the field everyday when I visited in the summers and went to my first game in 93 in the Swamp, against FSU.. yea, that was my first Gator experience seeing Dunn run down the sideline. That stadium was as loud that day though as any other game ive ever been to since, I do remember that mostly. My grandmothers house was one of the oldest houses around in Gainesville and those greedy bastards tore them all down to build condos years ago, still awful to think about. Spent my childhood there and became a Gator from day one at a very young age. Much of my family were and some still Bull Gators, im actually sure you guys know/knew some of them or your parents and grandparents sure as hell do. My grandfather played baseball at UF at the same time Spurrier was playing...
 
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I don't think "not nearly as talented" and Fred Taylor go too well together.
Fred might have been the best individual talent of the six, but Anderson was not too far behind.

John L was a special talent. Played for a long time in the NFL.
 
Fred might have been the best individual talent of the six, but Anderson was not too far behind.

Anderson and Williams were very good NFL backs. Taylor was better, but they were both very good. I quibble with "not nearly as talented," because nobody is making this play except for Fast Fred. Also, if you look at Eli Williams' stats in his first 3 years, they stack up pretty good against the other guys, and he did get drafted and spend 4 years in the NFL.

But anyway, they were both great backfields.
 
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