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I have seen posts on various message boards discussing how Miami’s defense may be young and talented and that they are also fast and athletic. Instead of just accepting this as gospel, I decided to look into it, and this is what I found.
I looked at Miami’s stating front 7 and speed is not what jumps out at me. If anything size does. They are a bigger group than the traditional Miami defenses which were defined by speed. This is what I found on their list of starters. All 40’s are based upon HS times, since that is all that I have. I listed their weights at the time they supposedly ran those times. I also listed their star ranking. I do think some of those speed numbers are overrated based upon how the older speed numbers used to be compiled (site admins for individual sites used to take coaches word for it). I think they do a better job of getting confirmed times from combines now. Regardless, this group just does not scare me at all. I think our speed on offense is ridiculous compared to what this group can do to defend against them.
DE 94 Eric Moncur | 6-2, 250, Jr., 3V 4* 4.6 40 @ 230 lbs.
DE 57 Allen Bailey | 6-4, 285, Fr., HS 4* LB 4.95 40 @ 255 lbs.
DT 96 Antonio Dixon | 6-3, 322, Sr., 3V 3* 5.2 40 @ 328 lbs.
DT 91 Joe Joseph | 6-3, 300, Sr., 2V 3* 4.9 40 @ 270 lbs.
LB 44 Colin McCarthy | 6-3, 235, Jr., 2V 3* 4.53 40 @ 210 lbs.
LB 50 Darryl Sharpton | 5-11, 235, Sr., 2V 3* 4.55 40 @ 210 lbs.
LB 3 Glenn Cook | 6-0, 228, Sr., 3V 3* 4.6 40 @ 218 lbs.
As a whole, Miami only returns 4 starters on defense from last year, and they are missing 4 of their top 5 biggest impact players from that group by far. Of the 4 returning starters, DVD’s spot is in question and he may lose it. I see nobody on this defense that is a shoe in to pick up for what they lost in Campbell, Phillips, and Gooden, this year, and that is from a defense that was not that great last year anyway. Maybe some of their young guys emerge as the year progresses, but it would be a lot to expect them to come in this year and as a rule become big contributors.
Presented below is a list of all of Miami’s starters and what they contributed last year as part of a team that finished 54th in scoring defense (we were 41st with a much younger defense that is returning much more this year). Keep in mind this is based upon the depth chart from another site. I would imagine that starters could change and there will also be some rotation of the younger players into the scheme. Bottom line is this is very pedestrian group. A lot of their returning experience is comprised of guys who are recovering from season ending injuries, and in some case that was not the first time they were lost for an extended length of time.
Moncur started eight of 10 games at left defensive end. Posted 48 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss … Tied for second on the team with six sacks.
Bailey has never played a game at DE, and came into college as a LB.
Dixon played in nine games and made four starts. Finished with career highs in every statistical category … 21 tackles (eight solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, three QB pressures, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup
Joseph played in 10 games, making five starts…Totaled 25 tackles (15th on the team), with two tackles for loss, six QB pressure and a half sack
McCarthy started at strongside linebacker and ranked fifth on the team with 74 tackles (50 solo)...Led the team with 12 tackles for loss…Added two sacks, three QB pressures, one interception, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, one forced fumble and five pass breakups.
Sharpton DNP in 2007 due to injury. In 2006 he totaled 41 tackles (10th on the team), with four tackles for loss, four QB pressures, one sack and three pass breakups.
Cook DNP in 2007 due to injury. In 2006 he started 11 of 12 games played. Ranked fifth on the team with a career-high 64 tackles (32 solo), four tackles for loss, seven QB pressures and two pass deflections.
Chavez Grant played as the nickel back all season…Started five games, playing in all 12 contests. Set season highs with 26 tackles (21 solo), adding 1 INT.
Bruce Johnson started eight games at cornerback, tied for the most on the team … Totaled 28 tackles (21 solo), with a team-leading six pass breakups … Made one interception.
Anthony Reddick missed 2007 due to 2nd ACL tear in 2 years. In 2006 appeared in only six games (no starts), mostly on special teams…Made one tackle.
JoJo Nicolas played in 11 games for the Hurricanes, mainly on special teams… Picked off first career interception in first game of the season vs. Marshall
As far as the entire defense is concerned, they were ranked 10 out of 12 on defense in the entire ACC. I like to actually look at a teams experience and base it on the percent of returning plays as opposed to just starters returning as I think it gives a more accurate picture of the teams overall experience and how they rotate players, since not only starters play in a game. That being said, here is what Miami returns.
(percents represent the percentage of plays made last year by players on this current squad. Actual numbers in parenthesis)
Tackles 51% (411)
Tackles for Loss 51% (45)
Sacks 39% (12)
Int’s 61% (8)
Pass Break Up’s 55% (22)
Forced Fumbles 31% (4)
As you can see from the data, Miami is returning a little more experience than their 4 starters would indicate, but they are also losing 4 of their top 5 contributors from last year, which is a lot to make up for (Gooden, Phillips, Cooper, Campbell). Believe it or not, we are much younger than Miami on defense, but we are also more experienced.
In general, I just think Miami combines talent and experience, but unfortunately for them their talent is too young to come in and make an impact across the board, while their experience is just not talented or fast enough to hang with our players. They are at least a year away on defense, and we should have our way with them even if they blitz us to death. Tebow should be able to get out of the pocket and wreak havoc on the ends or dump the ball off to one of our stable of speedsters. I also think that while Miami is big up front, our RB’s should be able to find holes, and if they are not running through the line, they will just run around it. I just think we have too much speed and experience on O for them to hang with us for very long unless we make big mental mistakes.
-In the totally random department, here is also something very interesting about last years team although who knows if it still applies. Look at the scoring in the 4th quarter. That usually tells me that they were not in condition late in the games or that they were not mentally tough. Neither is a stretch to believe given what we all witnessed last year.
SCORE BY QUARTERS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
Miami…........................61…54..71..61…0…247
Opponents…...............65…72..60.112…3..31
I am working on the second part of my blog entry that discusses why our defense will appear much improved this year, and in the process I have been compiling statistics for returning players on all of the offenses that we will be facing. The purpose will be to try to show that we will be going up against less experienced offenses this year than we did a year ago. I hope to have that up by this weekend.
In compiling the data, I started to realize how insane our offense will be this year compared to the opponents that we face. This analysis is purely based upon experienced production, or in other words proven players. I have not done any analysis of incoming players or players who did not contribute last year in a meaningful way. While this was not the purpose of my research, I was so blown away that I figured I may as well throw it up here as a separate discussion from my original intent. Have fun!
Last Year’s Baseline…
All percentages represent the percent of total production from last year attributed to players who will be playing this year.
This does not take into account suspensions or injuries for this year that I am unaware of.
Clearly, receiver is the one area that is the most balanced among the 3 categories among the top teams.
QB we win by a landslide. Same deal with overall rushing offense. We may not have a traditional rushing attack, but we certainly have no trouble moving the ball on the ground, and we easily return the most potent group of rushers.
We return players accountable for 60 TD’s and 4894 yards (includes only guys who crossed the goal line or carried the ball—not QB Passing TD’s or yards). The next closest TD total is a tie between Tennessee and LSU with 39 each, and then Georgia with 33. In terms of yards, the next closest is Tennessee with 4098. Keep in mind that LSU and Tennessee also played an extra game, so you can take about 7 or 8% off of their totals.
I don’t have time to dig into this right now and analyze it, but these numbers are pretty eye opening. A couple of quick points that I would look at in evaluating.
—This picture does not take into consideration key staff changes (HC or OC), new player additions, non-contributing players who grew up, and there is no OL data. If someone has a list of returning starters or projected starters on OL for each team that would be appreciated.
—I think it is fair to look at the OL percentages as a group and use it as a way to multiply or discount previous performances. That is also how I look at QB data.
—Before anyone points to new QB’s having the potential to come in and play lights out, and using Tebow from last year as an example, please keep in mind that Tebow saw a lot of game action as a Freshman, and this helped greatly in his maturity. I think it is fair to say that Snead could be successful, although his returning skill players are awful, but I would think twice before jumping on the Marve bandwagon. He has never taken an official snap in college, Miami replaces the middle of their line, and their experienced skill players have not been as productive as advertised as a team.
—This data really highlights a teams performance over high profile individuals (Moreno and Stafford come to mind)
First off, I hope everyone is well. I know I have taken quite a bit of time off and a lot of people wondered what was going on or if I would ever get this blog started again. The short answer is that I have been spending a lot of time building up my business and hanging out with my family. We added a third this year; my son Jackson, who turns 1 next month. Things got a bit crazy at first, but all is well now. Thanks to all those who sent well wishes. No promises on my end, but I would like to start writing again, and I hope to be a bit more active in the coming months.
This first entry is basically a repost of some things that I posted this week on Gator Country. The content was received very well, so I figured that I may as well throw it up here, so that others can view it, and so that I can archive it to see how I did when the year is over. This entry may be a bit unusual in that the content evolved from discussion in the thread, so I am also going to include some follow up points that were made to the existing post. So here you have it…
I am a big believer that our defense will be just fine this year, and possibly even great. That said, I, like many, feel that in order for us to win they just need to hold their own and let the offense do their thing. If we get anything better than an average year from them, we may run over the competition.
I think that compared to the NFL where large scale player development does not seem to occur year in and out, college football sees much bigger changes in player development year over year. This is most notably caused by the fact that these guys are still growing and maturing from their adolescent bodies. Many of the players who come in as Freshman continue to fill out naturally, but also benefit from the extensive strength and conditioning programs that each school offers. I think the biggest changes can be seen after just 1 year on campus.
The purpose of this post is to put into numbers a few things. The first is how much more experienced we are than last year on defense. It is up to you to decide if you believe that experience will equate to improvement. I for one, believe that it has to, especially when you see that the players in question are not only more experienced, but are more physically ready to perform. In addition, when you take into consideration how ridiculously inexperienced we were compared to every other team last year, the case becomes even more compelling for how much we can expect to improve this year.
As a team (offense and defense) we returned only 21 Seniors and Juniors last year. No school in the SEC or in the State returned less than 28 and the average for he entire SEC was 34. Unfortunately, this is one of the few areas that we do not improve that much in this year, although our team total inches up to 24 if you do not count injured Safety, Dorian Munroe. While on the surface this appears troublesome, if you dig a little deeper into it you will see that the quality of players who are part of that group has increased exponentially. I think it is fair to say that of the players that we lost on defense from that group this off-season, only Joiner and Harvey were major contributors, while Manson, Estopinian, Jackson and McMillan were not as dominant or were injured. By comparison, we can now add the following guys to that group… Spikes, Cunningham, Doe, Stamper, Anderson, Pierre-Louis, Epps, and Antwine, Estopinian, Wilson, Holliday, and we have players like Marsh, AJ Jones, Rickerson, Bryan Thomas, and Sanders who are going on their third seasons as Gators, although they are classified as redshirt Sophomores. Last year we did not even have that going for us due to the decimation of the 2005 recruiting class. We only had Stamper and Munroe as RS Sophomores.
So by comparison last year we had 8 players who had been on campus for 3 years or longer on defense, and one of them was a converted offensive player who moved back to offense late in the year, while this year we have 16 players who have been on a college campus for 3 years or longer and from that group we can anticipate as many as 8 or 9 starters. Further compare that to last year where only 2 of those players were full time starters, and it should become clear that our situation has vastly improved in this area.
The second thing that I am going to show is a comparison of player weights compared to last year. Keep in mind that the added size also does not show how much faster or stronger these players have gotten (since I do not have that data), but most of us have seen the boards showing this improvement. The 2008 weights were taken from the new media guide, and while some of those weights have been speculated to be projections, I think overall it should be pretty obvious that our strength and conditioning staff has positioned this defense to be much more physically ready to compete this year. The team is not only bigger among its existing players, but it also seems that we brought in a lot of beef this year compared to those players who left the program. The notable exception being at Safety, although with the moves of AJ Jones, Cade Holliday, and TJ Lawrence to the position, and the addition of all everything Freshman, Will Hill, it seems as though we still have a decent amount of options. Hopefully this size and strength increase will show up on 3rd and 4th downs and late in the game, which was the teams Achilles’s Heal last year.
Here is a link to the 2008 media guide roster for those who are interested in current player weights.
Without further discourse, here is the data. I think it speaks for itself. Keep in mind that what is being presented here is only what can be quantified. In other words, since I do not know how to quantify what an additional year of coaching can mean to play on the field, or what an additional year of life on a college campus and the maturity and experience it brings those things can’t be shown here. I think most people will agree with me though, that those things are just as important, and will prove very valuable on the field for us this year as well.
I. Experience: This Year UF returns (prior year in parenthesis)…
a. our leading tackler…Spikes – 131 (Joiner – 3rd with 59)
b. our sack leader…Cunningham – 6.5 (Harvey – 11)
c. our leading tackler for losses…Spikes – 16 (Harvey – 13)
d. players credited for 82.5% of our tackles (30%)
e. players credited for 70.6% of our sacks (35.3%)
f. players credited for 81.8% of our INT’s (9.5%)
g. players credited with 80.3% of our breakups (22%)
h. players credited with 75% of our forced fumbles (33.3%)
i. players credited with 100% of our fumble recoveries (62.5%)
j. 15 players who started a game last year (6)
k. 8 full time starters (2)
l. 9 of the top 12 tacklers including the top 3 (2 of 12 and lost it’s top 2)
m. Players credited with 103 career starts (36, and 11 of those were credited to KJ from 2 years prior, while 15 went to Joiner)
n. 12 players who have recorded a sack (3 Harvey, McMillan, and Alford)
o. 8 players who have made an interception (1 Joiner)
p. a total of 38 scholarship players on defense (33)
q. 27 non-Freshman scholarship defensive players (excluding Wilson, but includes Epps) (18)
II. Player Physical Development
O.K., so that was the original post, slightly modified to reflect some information that I discovered after I originally posted, and what follows is some additional comments that arose during the discussion. One of the big objections to the relevance of this data was that our development can only be viewed relative to other teams that we compete against like Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, who are also likely to improve. One poster pointed out that as Gators we tend to dog on players like Myron Rolle and Matt Stafford and do not properly account for their potential improvements. While I recognize that this is somewhat tangential t the discussion, I still thought that it was interesting conversation and worth mentioning here. Here is my response.
I don’t disagree that other teams will improve as well. That said, I think we have the capability of improving the most due to talent, returning starters, experience, and physical development of our previous years starters. Most of the guys we are talking about were Freshman and Sophomores and they were not physically developed.
As far as Rolle goes, I would argue that he came into college older than most Freshman. He was almost 20. As such, he was always playing in HS as an older kid and was more physically developed and I think quite a bit overrated. His speed numbers from HS were just not true at all. He runs around a 4.7, and as a hybrid Safety/LB who is on the smallish side for LB, that just is not that fast. Yes, he can improve, but I just don’t think his upside is comparable to many of the guys that we are grooming.
My argument for Stafford is very different. He definitely has been overrated in terms of his play on the field to date. His numbers are just not that spectacular. Georgia wins by running the ball, and if anything, Stafford has driven some Georgia fans crazy with his decision making and low completion percentage. I have seen it written that a QB’s completion percentage is very similar to a baseball players on base percentage. The theory says that you are what you are, and you can’t expect great changes year over year.
FWIW, Stafford was a 50% completion percentage QB as a Junior and elevated his game to 64% as a Senior in HS. So far as a college player he has recorded a 53.7 and a 55.7 percentage. I think he will improve, but I am also not expecting him all of a sudden to put up Tebow numbers as a passer. I think he is a gunslinger with an arm and some moxie. He has yet to learn how to be a polished QB. He was the 56th ranked passer last year and his numbers were very similar to one SEC QB, who was generally considered awful, and another who was considered adequate (although he won the NC). See for yourself…
Since Georgia is on everyone’s mind these days, I spent a lot of time dissecting the differences between their very young defense and our very young defenses of last year. One poster mentioned that if we were to evaluate Georgia’s roster like I did for UF’s we would see very similar improvements. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the new data for Georgia to do that, and their athletic department does not publish the same kinds of stats, but here is what came of that. I think it makes a very compelling argument for why we improve more than they do on defense.
I took a quick look at Georgia’s Defense, and they may be the one team who seriously rivals our ability to improve on Defense, although with South Carolina’s injuries last year, maybe they rebound as well. Georgia was also very young last year, and do return a lot of guys with upside.
In terms of returning players this year, their percentages for sacks and tackles are almost identical to ours. They return 71% of sacks and 80% of tackles. Compare that to our 70.6% and 82.5% respectively. (I do not have data for the previous year.) Keep in mind that these numbers are similar despite them having more starters returning. In addition, their interception percentage is lower than ours by about 20%. We have 81.8% of our INT’s returning compared to their 60%. That is a bit misleading though, because in both cases that equates to 9 INT’s. They just intercepted the ball more last year.
Last year they were also a very young team, and while not quite as young as we were, they were close. I think the big difference can probably be found in the amount of Freshman and RSFR who started or contributed for us compared to them. Most of their young first time starters were all on the team at least for 1 year. They did not start any true Freshman (with the exception of Curran for 5 games) compared to the 3 or 4 that we started at times on a regular basis.
In fact, True Freshman were responsible for 25.5% of our tackles last year compared to Georgia at 6.3%. If you add in Redshirt Freshman than between RFR and FR they combined for 37.2% of UF’s tackles versus 23.1% at UGA. The point is that although previous starts may have been similar for both schools last year, UGA was pretty much a year ahead of us in terms of on campus and in weight room experience and I think that probably represents the difference between the performance of both squads (3.2 pts., 23.6 yds per game, and 13 spots in scoring and yardage ranking). If anything, I think UGA’s success is probably a predictor for how much better we can be this year, although I think we may even surpass that due to the starting and field experience compared to UGA last year, and the slightly better recruiting classes that we had than them.
As you can see from the above chart, their talent was mostly older, although similarly inexperienced (more physically ready). The purpose here is not to say that Georgia won’t have a good defense. I think it is obvious that they will. I think the purpose is only to note which defense has the ability to improve more. The Law of Diminishing Returns certainly favors this argument as they were clearly a better defense than us last year, so they have much less to go in order to be considered great.
One other similarity between Georgia’s defense and our defense this year is that the 2 major players they needed to replace on D are almost identical to ours. They lost their top DE and Safety. Same deal here. They definitely look to improve, and they are talented, and experienced.
I was recently asked my opinions on certain categories involving the past recruiting class to be used as part of an article for TOS. Below is some of the content that I provided them, along with some additional topics of note, that will hopefully put a rap on my coverage of the 2007 class and recruiting season. I haven’t yet thought of what I will cover in Part II, but one of these days I will likely get to it.
CLASS GEM
Cam Newton: When I think of a gem, I think of a player who has raw skills, but has the ability to put it all together to become a dominant player at his position. Cam Newton’s rise from a 3 star player to a 5 star player on Rivals defines that type of ascent, and despite his 5 star status he is still considered more potential than finished product. Given the track record of this coaching staff to develop talent, coupled with Cam’s size, strength, and speed, Cam has the potential to be the #1 prospect at his position coming out of college by the time all is said and done.
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Moses Jenkins: As one of the lower rated players in this class, but at a need position, Moses Jenkins name had consistently been mentioned with higher rated CB’s since his attendance at the Friday Night Lights camp. Moses potential is based upon his height and quickness at the position. While he is on record as running a 4.5 40, at 6’2.5”, it is his quickness and height that have the coaches drooling over his potential as a lock-down corner n the SEC. As a three year starter for Palm Bay HS, perhaps his most impressive feat was allowing only 1 TD reception while playing against some of the top competition in all of Florida and South Florida. His 4.12 shuttle time compares favorably to DeMarcus VanDyke’s, 4.13, and helps to exhibit the raw athleticism and quick’s that made Moses more highly coveted than his ranking indicated, and helps illustrate the quickness and hips needed to be a successful CB on the next level.
MOST WORTHY OF HIS OWN REALITY TV SHOW
DeAngelo McCray: Clearly the one recruit that kept Gator fans on the edge of our seats for a good portion of the recruiting year was DeAngelo McCray, who forever will be known as DLO to unadoring Gator fans. This one time “Dot lock” committed to UF on the six year anniversary of my marriage, and also my mom’s Birthday, April 8th (I hope my marriage does not mirror the drama and turn of events surrounding his recruitment). Starving for more of the publicity surrounding his quick announcement, DLO went on a campaign of self promotion, and eventual self demotion. Committed, not committed, leaning, not leaning, top five becomes former fives, UF leads, FSU leads, Ole Miss leads, Georgia Tech leads, Illinois leads, I broke my arm, I need money for booze from the local ABC, DVD is my boy and is a gator, 5 star, 4 star, Rivals 100, Rivals 250, Mattison, Disch, Marcus Thomas, Dee Webb, Gator fans will turn on you, UF does not have a family atmosphere… If any recruit deserved to have their reputation questioned and their stock ultimately free fall based upon questionable decisions, motivations, and attitude, DLO was your man. His self imposed exile into the equivalent of football Siberia was an appropriate end to the drama of DLO.
BEST VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Carlos Dunlap: This was a very easy choice. Everybody that has ever seen the famous Noel Devine and Reggie Bush films understands the feeling of awe and amazement that most people get when watching those films. For me, I had this same type of reaction when watching this giant man-child running down QB’s, RB’s, WR’s, and the end-zone as a 6’7” 260 pound DE/KR. Simply putting that hyphen between DE and KR should be a cue to anyone who has not checked out his film yet that this guy is more the equivalent of a circus side show than a football player, and although he is unblocked in many of his clips, you are left wondering if that was because opponents were just too scared to line up against him.
Senior Year Part I
Senior Year Part II
WILL CONTRIBUTE NEXT SEASON
Joe Haden: Easily the most versatile member of this class, Haden reminds me of a taller, stronger, faster, and more adaptable version of last years break out sleeper, Brandon James. Haden’s 2nd highest all time SPARQ score defines his potential, while his work ethic and athleticism have been mentioned as causing internal fisticuffs between Coaches Gonzalez and Heater. Regardless of which side of the ball he winds up on, the coaches will try to get him on the field next year. As a January enrollee, Haden will have a Spring practice under his belt, which will help give him the opportunity to compete for playing time immediately. I know some disagree, but I think we can use his type of play making ability and potential at CB more so than any other position right now.
SOME WORK TO DO BEFORE THEY CONTRIBUTE
John Brantley: While arguably the more polished of our two Freshman signal callers, John Brantley physically does not appear to fit the part of a college ready QB at this time. Playing for a high school in a lower classification, and not enrolling until the summer will also contribute to John needing additional time to get ready for the SEC speed on defense that he is sure to face when he is ready to compete. By most accounts, John is the real deal, and while his skills are polished, I think he can benefit the most of our QB’s from a year to learn the system, while readying his body for the future punishment of life as an SEC QB. As an addendum, I wrote this prior to seeing his senior film. I must say he does look more physically ready than I had thought, but I still think the idea to redshirt is a very good one for John.
POSITION MOST HELPED
Quarterback: This is a tough one to decide between OL, DL, QB, S, and LB, but my nod goes to QB. The fact that at least 3 threads per week were started by Rival fans on the national board questioning how UF will manage our QB slots between the 3 new QB’s that we are bringing in is a clear indication that other fans are worried about the amount of talent that we amassed at this position. With Leak’s departure leaving Tebow as the only experienced scholarship QB on the roster, bringing in 2 highly rated QB’s who had the ability to enroll in January and learn the system can be viewed as both a necessity or a bonus. Adding a guy like John Brantley, whose birth right was to wear Gator orange and blue just highlights how well the coaches did in filling out the roster at this position.
POSITION LEAST HELPED
Cornerback: For the second year in a row, the knee jerk reaction is to say that we least answered our needs at corner back. Considering at one time we either were the leader or could have signed DeMarcus VanDyke, Jamire Williams, Akeem Auguste, James Scott, Woodney Turenne, Ronald Johnson, Bert Reed, and Aaron Henry it is amazing to witness the turn of events that led us from seemingly over recruiting the position to being in a position where we only landed two players who are exclusively projected to play CB. While both have the ability to potentially come in and help the other 4 roster CB’s, I would imagine that the uncertainty of the position leaves our coaches and fans very uncomfortable coming into the 2007 season. Moving talented players like Joe Haden and Chevon Walker to this side of the ball could help, and possibly adding Justin Grant in Spring will add depth as well, but it is clear that we did not meet early goals here.
SCHOOLS THAT HURT FLORIDA THE MOST
LSU: While I do not think any one school truly got the best of us this year, there are 4 schools that hurt some of our efforts. They were USC, with Everson Griffen and Ronald Johnson, Miami with Allen Bailey and DeMarcus VanDyke, Tennessee with Lennon Creer, Gerald Jones, Ben Martin, and Ahmad Paige, and LSU with Terrance Toliver, Chad Jones, Sidell Corley, Ron Brooks and Will Blackwell. Each has a reason why they could hold the top spot, but I have to give the slight nod to LSU for the depth and quality of recruits and how they impacted us with other recruits on our board. Toliver is undoubtedly one of our biggest losses this year, and his effect on the recruitment of Paige doubly hurt us. Sidell Corley’s recruitment was a disruptive factor all season, and winding up at a rival school like LSU does not sit well.
OTHER SCHOOL’S CLASS THAT YOU ENVY
USC: While Tennessee and LSU certainly landed big time classes, there is no question that the one school who continued to go toe to toe with UF for best class this year was USC. With a 4.22 star rating and 6 Rivals 5 stars, USC makes the best argument for quality over quantity. The area that they likely helped themselves the most is on defense. It is no secret that USC has no shortage of top prospects on offense, but getting guys like Chris Galippo, Everson Griffen, and Ronald Johnson (WR, yeah right) to play on the other side of the ball will give other teams in the Pac 10 fits for years to come, and help USC maintain its status as the premier program in college football, at least for another year.
HURTS THE MOST THAT THEY GOT AWAY
Ronald Johnson: Of the players that come to mind in this category, DeMarcus VanDyke, Armando Allen, Ben Martin, and Ronald Johnson, it is the relative newcomer to our board that hurts the most. I am tempted to give the nod to DeMarcus VanDyke, because it is a well known fact how much our staff coveted his speed. In turn, they invested an enormous amount of time towards his recruitment. However, I am going to go with Ronald Johnson because it is my feeling that he is more ready to play, and could have helped to pay immediate dividends in a year when we are trying to do whatever we can to get rid of the rebuilding tag, especially at CB.
FUTURE ALL-SEC
John Brown: The most physically ready of our lineman, John has a knack for making plays while fighting through a double team on almost every play. I am going to follow the scouting book on him, and say that he has the talent to be a disruptive force immediately, but lacks ideal height for a DT. If he can manage to overcome his height and a newly discovered learning disability, the sky is the limit. I would not bet against him.
FUTURE ALL-AMERICAN
Deonte Thompson: I honestly could have gone in a number of directions here, but I chose Deonte based upon his combination of speed and already polished route running skills. Deonte is one of a handful of players every year that possesses his type of track speed and football skills. His reputation as a speedster was cemented as a Junior when he ran two successive dead heats with CJ Spiller in 2005 at a UF sponsored camp. Deonte’s skill set fits perfectly into the UF offensive system of getting the ball in space, and I am sure that he will be given ample opportunity from day one to see what he can do with the ball in his hands.
It is way too early to even attempt to do a mock class. That said, a number of names are emerging that have jumped to the forefront of my 2008 wish list. Currently we look to be able to sign 16 players for the next class without any additional attrition. I do look for us to lose Harvey to the NFL at a minimum, with a lesser possibility that Cornelius Ingram may join him. Additional attrition from existing scholarship players of 3 or 4 seems like a conservative estimate, although there are only a limited number of upperclassman to draw from to reach those totals. For now, I will assume a class size of 20 for next year. Of course that number will fluctuate as we learn more information throughout the year.
To be honest, I know little to nothing about most of the prospects on this list. I am simply choosing them based upon publicity from attending a UF Junior Day, Rivals or Scout 100 Pre-Evaluation Junior Lists, or the Florida Varsity Pre-Evaluation Florida 100 List. There is some thought put into likeliness when it comes to guys like Josh Haden (brother of Joe), Michael Brewster (Lorenzo Edwards teammate), Marty Everett (brother of Earl), Nigel Bradham and CJ Holton (attendance at UF events), Eric Smith (Torrey Davis teammate), etc. There are others that I do not expect to sign at this time, but included because this is a wish list. Other than that, I may as well be using darts. For now this will just serve as a starting point for next years class. I expect to do the first official version of my mock class sometime shortly after this year’s Friday Night Lights Camp.
Now that I have had almost a month to ponder the names and watch some film, I have made some changes to my early Wish List, but I still do not consider this a mock class. As I said, my first mock class will be sometime after FNL.
20 PLAYERS AVG. FINAL STARS=NR
Players will be listed by projected position, and in order of likeliness
EE=Early Entry counted back against 2007 class
(S-x)=Scout Top 100 Ranking
(R-x)=Rivals Top 100 Ranking
(R250)=Rivals 250 Member
Bold=Committed
Total Committed=0
Top 100 Players(Scout)=N/A
Top 100 Players(Rivals)=N/A
Top 250 Players(Rivals)=N/A
Top 50 JUCO (Rivals)=N/A
1 stars=N/A
2 stars=N/A
3 Stars=N/A
4 stars=N/A
5 stars=N/A
Wish List 2/8:Josh Haden, Eric Smith, JB Shugarts, Tyler Love, Michael Brewster, Matt Patchan, TJ Lawrence, Antonio Bell, Aldarius Johnson, Robert Quinn, Marty Everett, Marcus Forston, Micanor Regis, Nigel Bradham, Vincent Williams, Ramon Buchanon, TJ Bryant, Patrick Johnson, Brandon Harris, CJ Holton
Wish List 3/2:Josh Haden, Eric Smith, JB Shugarts, Tyler Love, Michael Brewster, Matt Patchan, TJ Lawrence, Robert Quinn, Marty Everett, Nigel Bradham, Vincent Williams, TJ Bryant, Patrick Johnson, Brandon Harris, CJ Holton, Will Hill, Darrell Scott, Julio Jones, Martavious Odoms, Jonathan Meyers
Next In (no order):
Moving Up:
Moving Down:
Moving Out:
Rock Solid (80%+):
High Confidence (65-80%):
Medium Confidence (50-65%): Josh Haden, Jonathan Meyers
Low Confidence (25-50%): Eric Smith, Michael Brewster, Marty Everett, Nigel Bradham, Vincent Williams, CJ Holton, Robert Quinn, Will Hill
A Pulse (less than 25%): TJ Lawrence, TJ Bryant, Brandon Harris, JB Shugarts, Tyler Love, Matt Patchan, Ramon Buchanon, Patrick Johnson, Darrell Scott, Martavious Odoms
The Board:
QB: Terrelle Pryor, Darius Banks, DC Jefferson, Jacory Harris, Justin Tuggle, Connor Kempe, Troy Dannehower, Russ Oltorik, Ted Stachitas
RB: Josh Haden EE, Eric Smith, Darrell Scott, Dontavius Jackson EE, Alonzo Landry, British Footman, Jeremiah Harden, Richard Watson, Milton Knox, Reggie Hunt, Desmond Johnson, Brandon Davis, Tony Morgan, Latavius Murray, Rashad White, Justin Albert, Ty Jones, Darriet Perry, Andre Ellington, Brynn Harvey, Tony Smith, Franklin Green, Carlton Jones, Carlton Thomas, Jamie Harper, Dyrell Roberts
FB: Jonathan Meyers
WR: TJ Lawrence, Antonio Bell, Aldarius Johnson, Julio Jones, Darius Morgan, Daniel Bryant, DeAndre Brown, AJ Green, Tavarres King, Martavious Odoms, Melvin Ray, Christopher O’Neal, Josh Jarboe, Wes Kemp, Darius Morgan, Chris Tolliver, Davon Johnson, Melvin Ray, Davon Johnson, Justin Brown, Avis Commack, Travis Benjamin, Malcolm Johnson, Destin Hood, Darryl Stonum, Rotell Jenkins, Alfred (AJ) Jenkins, Michael Floyd, Kenny Tate, Harry Adams, Keon Broxten, Derek Winter, Tommy Streeter, Onterrio McCalebb, Marquis Law, Chance Blackmon, Kamaron Riley, Brice Butler, Thearon Collier
TE: Austin Holt, Bobby Peterson, Tyler Edwards, Jacob Stoneburner
OL: JB Shugarts EE, Tyler Love, Michael Brewster EE, Matt Patchan, AJ Harmon, Mike Adams, Kyle Long, Gregory Shaw, Tyron Smith, Daniel Campbell, Brandon Washington, RJ Dill, Courtney Senior, Josh Jenkins, Joe Looney, Quin Sanford, Kenneth Page, Jermarcus Hardrick, Vaughn Dotsy, Vinston Painter, Antoine McClain, Ryan Sedlacek, Art Forst, Ben Haburn, Chris Dunning, Steven Robinson, Elmedin Gojke, Darren Mickell II
DE: Robert Quinn, Delvin Hughes, Benjamin Jones, Chase Clement, Toby Jackson, Douglas Alston, Tyler Westphal, Quinton Coples, Chris Martin, Earl Okine, William Green, Moses McCray, Sergio Joyner, Chaz Sutton
DT: Marty Everett, Marcus Forston, Micanor Regis, DeAngelo Tyson, Ramon Booi, Reggie Ellis, Lavunce Askew, Bo Tillman, Christopher Overstreet, Omar Hunter, Kyrhi Thornton
LB: Nigel Bradham EE, Vincent Williams, Ramon Buchanon, Arthur Brown, Duane Maddox, Brandon Harris, Scott Betros, Shariff Blake, Jordan Futch, Steven Sylvester, Chris Gipson, Eloka Anyaorah, Jerrell Harris, Eric LeGrand, Terrell Manning, Andrew Sweat, Christian Wilson, Marlon Walls, Shayne Hale, Nigel Carr, Michael Mauti, Tarik Rollins, Brendan Beal, Malcolm Munroe, Lerentee McCray, Brian Maddox, Loren Robinson
Ath: Sean Spence, Marcell Rose, Jahleel Addae, Sam McGuffie, Travis Leggett, Deandre Holley, Donovan Varner, AJ Alexander, Xavier Boyce
CB: TJ Bryant, Patrick Johnson EE, Brandon Harris, Janoris Jenkins, Xavier Brewer, Terrance Parks, Brandon Harris, Jack Swanson, Bud Barksdale, Ralph Bolden Jr, Cameron Demps, Jarred Holley, Jeremy Brown, Darius Terry, Ahmed Shakoor, Dominique Battle, Donald Warren
S: CJ Holton, Jordon Bayas, Darrius Barksdale, Will Hill, AJ Grant, Kevin Claxton, Laron Byrd, Karnell Hatcher, Maurice Simmons, Nick Moody, Scott Peek, Corbin Brown, Omar Francis, Darrell Simmons, Preston Davis, Dwan Nolton, Mark Jones, Darren Sewell, Brynden Trawick
UF Leads: Harry Adams, Chance Blackmon, Ramon Booi, TJ Bryant, Josh Haden, Will Hill, Carlton Jones, Ty Jones, Moses McCray, Earl Okine, Eric Smith, Chaz Sutton, Kyrhi Thornton
UF Shares the Lead (how many schools): AJ Alexander(6), Douglas Alston(4), Travis Benjamin(4), Xavier Brewer(5), Michael Brewster(5), DeAndre Brown(5), Jeremy Brown(3), Daniel Bryant(5), Ramon Buchanon(2), Quinton Coples(4), Troy Dannehower(5), Brandon Davis(9), Preston Davis(5), Cameron Demps(3), Chris Dunning(2), Andre Ellington(2), Reggie Ellis(2), Marty Everett (2), Michael Floyd(5), Art Forst(4), Jonas Gray(5), Franklin Green(5), William Green(4), Jeremiah Harden(5), Jacory Harris(5), Destin Hood(5), Reggie Hunt(2), Josh Jarboe(5), Janoris Jenkins(4), Rotell Jenkins(3), Davon Johnson(3), Malcolm Johnson(3), Conner Kempe(5), Marquis Law(3), Eric LeGrand(5), Joe Looney(5), Tyler Love(4), Antoine McClain(5), Lerentee McCray(2), Jonathan Meyers(2), Darius Morgan(2), Tony Morgan(4), Latavius Murray(2), Martavious Odoms(6), Vinston Painter(2), Terrance Parks(2), Darriet Perry(3), Robert Quinn(4), Melvin Ray(3), Kamaron Riley(4), Dyrell Robert(4), Quin Sanford (2), Ryan Sedlacek(3), Darren Sewell(2), Greg Shaw(3), Darrell Simmons(2), Darryl Stonum(5), Tommy Streeter(5), Brynden Trawick(3), Marlon Walls(4), Richard Watson(6), Rashad White(3), Christian Wilson(6)
Others Lead: Mike Adams (OSU), Chancey Aghayere (Texas), Justin Albert (Auburn), AJ Alexander (Georgia), Darius Banks (Oregon), Antonio Bell (West Virginia), Xavier Boyce (Va Tech), Nigel Bradham(FSU), Nolan Brewster (Texas), Corbin Brown (Stanford and UCLA), DeAndre Brown (LSU), Daniel Campbell (USC), Nigel Carr (FSU), Chase Clement (LSU),Chris Dunning (FSU), Tyler Edwards (LSU), Marcus Forston (Miami), Jordan Futch (Miami), AJ Grant (FSU), Mike Golic Jr (ND), Ben Habern (Oklahoma), Jermarcus Hardrick (Ole Miss), AJ Harmon (Georgia and Clemson), Jacory Harris (Miami), Karnell Hatcher (GaTech), CJ Holton (Miami), Destin Hood (LSU, Alabama and Florida State), Delvin Hughes (Miami), Omar Hunter (Michigan), Dontavius Jackson (Georgia), Josh Jarboe (Georgia Tech, Georgia and Ohio State), DC Jefferson (Tennessee), Aldarius Johnson (Miami), Patrick Johnson(Miami), Tavarres King (Georgia), TJ Lawrence (Va Tech), Duane Maddox (UNC, N.C. State, and Clemson), Sam McGuffie (Michigan), Nick Moody(FSU), Christopher Overstreet (Miami), Kenneth Page (Clemson and USCe), Devier Posey (OSU), Micanor Regis (Miami), Steven Robinson (Auburn), Marcell Rose (USCe, ND, and Clemson), Gregory Shaw (Tennessee and OSU), JB Shugarts(LSU and OSU), Maurice Simmons (USC), Tony Smith (FSU), Sean Spence (Miami), Jacob Stoneburner (OSU), Darryl Stonum (Michigan), Benjamin Strong (Miami), Andrew Sweat(PSU, ND, and OSU), Bo Tillman (LSU and Ole Miss), DeAngelo Tyson (Georgia), Donovan Varner (Miami), Brandon Washington (Miami), Tyler Westphal (Wisconsin), Rashad White (Rutgers), Vince Williams(FSU)
Recruiting Notes:
The section will be maintained in date order with most recent entry up top. Information will be sorted by recruit, and will reference any new or pertinent info regarding that specific recruit. Information is not necessarily from the date indicated. The date indicated just represents when I was able to record it.
04/19/2007
Earl Okine: Committed to the Gators.
Vince Williams: Committed to the Noles.
Nigel Bradham: Committed to the Noles.
Nigel Carr: Committed to the Noles.
Nick Moody: Committed to the Noles. Did not receive UF offer.
(Need to compile more data)
04/13/2007
Xavier Brewer: Top 5 of Miami, Georgia, Florida, LSU and Alabama. Struck up a friendship with Miami commit Patrick Johnson.
Jordan Futch: Florida offered. He wants to commit by the end of May. Miami leads.
Jermaine Thomas: Visited UF practice. FSU leads. Teammate of Nigel Carr.
Vaughn Dotsy: Top 5 of UCLA, USC, Michigan, Florida and Notre Dame. Grew up a USC and UCLA fan.
Steven Robinson: His family are Gator fans except his mom who went to FSU. He grew up a “die hard” Nole fan. Looks like a tough pull from Tally.
Etienne Sabino: Grew up liking the Canes. Has befriended Jordan Futch.
Chance Aghayere: Top 5 of Texas, Florida, LSU, Notre Dame and OU. Plans on committing on Bday of 9/17. Both parents went to Texas, and they appear to be the favorite.
Terrance Parks: UF and Tennessee lead.
Karnell Hatcher: Top 5 of LSU, Miami, Alabama, Auburn and Florida.
Malcolm Munroe: Brother of Dorian. Attended UF spring game.
Kenneth Page: Attended UF Spring Game.
Josh Haden: Top 3 of UF, BC, and Michigan. An article from a BC site implied that they were his leader, but there was no quote.
Covaughn Deboskie: UF offered.
Marcell Rose: Top 3 of UF, USCe, and ND.
Darius Morgan: UF and FSU lead. Goes to same hs, as Nole, Greg Carr.
04/08/2007
Vince Williams: Sounded very pro FSU after his offer. His dad explained that there was a reason behind it and that he is truly 50/50 between UF and FSU. I still feel he will be a Nole at this point.
Davon Johnson: Top 3 of UF, Miami, and UCF.
Daniel Bryant: Lists his top schools as Florida State, Florida, Alabama, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Auburn, FIU, South Florida, Illinois.
Darryl Stonum: Top 5 of Michigan, Florida, Alabama, Texas Tech, OSU.
JB Shugarts: Set official visit to LSU and has FNL at UF shortly.
Patrick Johnson: Committed to Miami.
Chaz Sutton: Claims UF as his favorite with Va Tech close behind.
Reggie Hunt: Claims that UF and West Virginia lead. He also mentioned that we are only taking one back.
Brandon Harris: Just received a UF offer. He was impressed by the offer.
Dyrell Roberts: Top 4 of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida and Penn State. Claims he will be receiving a UF offer shortly.
Daniel Campbell: USC now leads.
Xavier Brewer: Had an incredible Georgia visit and they have moved up with Top 5 of Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, LSU and Florida .
Ben Habern: Commits to Oklahoma.
Earl Okine: UFandFSU lead. UF has not offered yet. He grew up a fan of UF and FSU. He likes Va Tech’s depth and defense.
Marcus Forston: Miami leads big. UF and FSU are out of it for now. He say UF has too many recruits.
Antoine McClain: Top 7 of Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Clemson and Florida. UF recently offered.
Jeff Demps: Florida and Tennessee lead.
Jonas Gray: Top 5 of PSU, Florida, Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota. Location and depth are factors.
Christian Wilson: Top 6 of Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Florida.
Nigel Bradham: Top 3 of UF, Florida, and Georgia.
Tyler Love: Top 4 of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and LSU.
04/02/2007
Antoine McClain: Top 5 of Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama.
Robert Quinn: He went to Auburn last weekend and Tennessee this weekend. He has 10 offers and appears pretty open right now.
Blake Ayles: Top schools are USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Florida and LSU.
Melvin Ray: Top 3 of Florida State, Florida, and Georgia. Does not have a UF offer. Visited UF and FSU the past 2 weekends.
Andrew Sweat: Said he is likely going to narrow his list to Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State. He just visited PSU.
TJ Bryant: Returned to FSU this past weekend with Nigel Bradham also.
Patrick Johnson: Now claims FSU and Miami are tied.
Jeremy Brown: Top 3 of Florida, Notre Dame and Auburn. Wants to make an early commitment.
Nick Moody: Received a FSU offer, but no UF offer yet. As a result FSU leads.
03/30/2007
Jonas Gray: Came close to committing to UF, but Joe Dumars talked him into waiting.
Tyler Edwards: Top 3 of LSU, Alabama and Miami. UF and USC are in his top 5.
JB Shugarts: Rivals article made it sound like he was more open to his 6 finalists and that he did not exactly have a true top 2.
03/29/2007
Chance Blackmon: Top 3 of LSU, Florida, and Oklahoma State. Florida is his favorite. Claims offers from Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Colorado.
Malcolm Munroe:Brother of Gators Dorian Munroe. Top eight of Alabama, Louisville, Central Florida, LSU, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kansas State and South Florida.
Lerentee McCray: Took in a Gator practice along with Vince Williams. UF and Miami still lead. Top 5 of Florida, Miami, Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina.
Kamaron Riley: Top 4 of Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, and Indiana.
Nick Moody: UF and FSU lead now after a weekend visit to both.
Etienne Sabino: Plans on graduating early. Attended UF Junior day and thought it was great.
TJ Lawrence: VT continues to lead after a visit this past weekend.
Chase Clement: Says that Florida, LSU and Ole Miss have been recruiting him the hardest and he will take official visits to each. He did mention that it was real hot at LSU. It makes you think that southern schools may be an issue.
Vinston Painter: UF and Va Tech lead. PSU previously was tied, but no longer.
Kyle Long: Claims 38 offers. On Florida…Florida – “The Swamp – all you have to say is the Swamp. Coach (Urban) Meyer and (defensive line) coach (Greg) Mattison are there to win ball games. They won’t need to reload there. Their rocket launcher is on full right now and a couple more National Titles are on the way.”
Brice Butler: Son of former FSU player Bobby Butler. Miami, Notre Dame, Florida, and USC have offered in the past few days.
JB Shugarts: LSU and OSU lead, and UF is in the top 4.
Chance Aghayere: Grew up a fan of UF and Texas.
CJ Holton: Received a UGA offer and they have moved into his top 5 along with UF and others.
03/26/2007
Patrick Johnson: Reportedly committed to Miami coaches along with Micanor Regis, but has since backed off those comments, and after attending FSU Junior Day he claims that they lead. Top 4 of Florida State, Miami, Florida, and Ohio State. He claims that he has been a Miami fan growing up and always wanted to play for them, so needless to say this is very confusing. He claims that he is no longer looking at UGA. Skipped Georgia visit.
Gregory Shaw: Michael Brewster appears to be trying to recruit him to OSU, although he does not have an offer.
AJ Harmon: Clemson and UGA lead and he just visited UGA and loved it. UGA player, Fernando Velasco is a good friend of his. May commit soon.
Xavier Brewer: Visited UF this weekend. “The visit to Florida was absolutely incredible and I couldn’t ask for a better visit.” He almost committed to the Gators. Florida leads with atop 5 of Alabama, Florida, Clemson, Miami, LSU and Georgia. Skipped Georgia visit.
Micanor Regis: Committed to Miami. He say that it is 95% done and he played with Randy Phillips in HS and is friends with him.
Eric Smith: Attended FSU Junior Day and they told him that they will be recruiting him hard. He pretty much met everyone including Bowden and his mom was particularly fond of Coach Carter. Grew up a Nole fan. His brother currently attends FSU and his Aunt did also.
Nicholas Plato: He absolutely loved every aspect about UF at the Junior Day that he attended this weekend and can’t wait to be offered. His HS coach and Meyer coached together a long time ago and are friends. Looks to graduate early and was also invited to FNL. He is actually a 5th year HS Senior due to an injury that he suffered in a car accident.
Vince Williams: Was personally offered by Bobby Bowden at FSU’s Junior Day. He reaffirmed that FSU was his favorite school growing up.
Melvin Ray: Attended UF Junior Day. Named a top 3 of Florida State, Florida and Georgia. Rick Trickett’s son plays on his HS football team. He definitely seems most interested in FSU, although I would not name them his leader. He said if they do well early with the new coaches, that will influence his decision.
Earl Okine: No offers from the big three. Attended FSU Junior Day. Says FSU leads and UF is second.
CJ Holton: Still claims Miami leads after he attended the FSU Junior Day. He is very impressed by Miami’s history of putting Safeties in the NFL. He says that he has not heard too much from Florida lately, but would love a Florida offer. Received an FSU offer.
Brandon Washington: Committed to Miami.
Christian Wilson: Top 5 of Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Florida.
Jonas Gray: Still claims UF as his leader. Plans on taking all his visits and committing around October or November.
Terrance Parks: Claims a top 3 of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. He has always wanted to play for a Florida school, but his ex-teammate Eric Berry plays fro UT.
Aldarius Johnson: Canes writers are claiming that he will not be recruited by Miami. Grades and character are being tossed around as possible reasons.
Lerentee McCray: Top five right now is Florida, Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and South Carolina. UF and Miami still lead.
Sanders Commings: Florida told him that they would offer. He was supposed to cme to UF Junior Day, but I do not believe that he made it. Top schools are Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Indiana and Arkansas.
Josh Jarboe: Top 5 of LSU, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Florida and Ohio State.
Michael Floyd: Top schools are Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and UCLA.
Brendan Beal: Top schools are Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida, Wake Forest, Boston College and Rutgers. Claims a 4.3 GPA. “I’m going to the Florida spring practice in a few weeks. They are the national champions and they get guys in the pros,” Beal said. “Florida is a great place to live and the weather is nice. Also, their academic reputation is improving and they aren’t just a football factory.”
Jacob Stoneburner: Committed to OSU.
FSU Junior Day List from the Weekend:
Expected:
QB Justin Tuggle
QB Tino Sunseri
QB D.C. Jefferson
RB Adam Urbano
RB Eric Smith
RB Darius Mitchell Jr.
RB Jermaine Thomas
FB/TE/ATH Jabaris Little
WR Avis Commack
WR Brice Butler
WR Marcus Thurmond
WR Darius Morgan
TE Bryce Ros
OL Steven “Moose” Robinson
DT Anthony Hill (FSU Commitment)
DE Earl Okine
LB/RB Carlton Thomas
LB Nigel Carr
LB Shaq Wilson
LB Nigel Bradham
LB Vincent Williams
LB Ramon Buchanan
LB Sergio Joyner
CB Dwight Floyd
CB T.J. Bryant
CB Patrick Johnson
S Nick Moody
S C.J. Holton
S Angelo Hadley
ATH Jaybo Shaw
2009 LB/S Cody Ledford
2009 LB Petey Smith
Unconfirmed:
ATH/LB JB Shippy
RB Richard Watson
WR Destin Hood
WR Martavious Odoms
DE/LB Derricus Ellis
LB Steven Sylvester
CB Janoris Jenkins
UF Junior Day Expected List from the Weekend:
RB Ralph Bolden
WR Jeremy Brown
Byron Jones
Teavis Dugan
RB Jeff Demps
QB Casey Kelly
CB Jerome Swinton
QB Troy Dannehower
WR Antonio Bell
LB Scott Betros
OL Chris Dunning
WR Brice Butler
LB Andrew Sweat
DT Joel Ross
DT Argyle
TE Nick Plato
RB Darriett Perry
RB Leroy Houston
WR A.J. Jenkins
OL Mike Ross
OL Michael Brewster
OL Ben Habern
DE William Green
DT Joel Ross Houma
LB Etienne Sabino
CB Alphonso Dennard
CB Xavier Brewer
Ath Darren Sewel
Scott Peek
Leroy Houston
OT Michael Tia
03/23/2007
Michael Brewster: Set 5 official visits to Florida, Ohio State, Southern California, Alabama and LSU. Presumably these are his 5 finalists.
Melvin Ray: UF has not offered but his top 3 is still UF, FSU, and Georgia. Grew up a Nole fan. “I kind of fell in love with Florida after going over there.”
Kamaron Riley: Attended the first UF Junior Day. Top 3 of Florida, Georgia Tech and Georgia. No offers to date.
Terrance Parks: Claims 12 big time offers. Top 5 of Tennessee, Florida, Virginia Tech, Auburn, and Alabama. Wants to graduate early like Cameron Newton did last year.
Andrew Sweat: Is visiting Florida this weekend. Florida, Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin have already offered and USC appears to be offering soon. Top 3 of Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Florida. Penn State and Michigan round out the top 5.
Marquis Law: Top 5 of Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Kansas State, and Marshall. Claims no offers yet.
Malcolm Johnson: Claims 3 offers, Va Tech, UCF, and Miami. Cousins of Lance Leggett of Miami. Top 3 of Georgia, Miami, and Florida.
03/22/2007
Aldarius Johnson: Claims offers from Miami (Fla.), Florida and North Carolina. He claims no leader, although it would be hard to imagine Miami not leading.
Darren Sewell: Top 5 of Miami, Florida, USCe, Tennessee, and Auburn. UF and USCe lead. UF has not offered yet.
Rotell Jenkins: Top 3 are Florida, Ohio State and Michigan. Claims a UF offer.
Jonas Gray: Now says Michigan State and UF are his top 2 of the teams who have offered.
William Green: Visiting UF this weekend.
Art Forst: Received a UF offer. “Obviously I’m very excited to get offered by Florida,” Forst stated. “They were the national champions, so you’re talking about the best program in the country with them. They’re one of the four schools I have in front right now.” Top 4 of Notre Dame, Florida, Boston College and Rutgers.
JB Shugarts: Plans on visiting FNL and was the camp MVP last year. Top 6 of LSU, Florida, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Michigan.
03/21/2007
Tommy Streeter: Top 5 of LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Miami. Grew up a Miami fan but seems open to experiencing other areas and meeting new people.
Omar Hunter: Received Michigan offer and they had been his leader even before receiving it.
Chancey Aghayere: Just received a UF and ND offer. He grew up a Gator fan. Texas leads because they are the only campus that he has seen. Top 5 in order is Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M.
Darrell Scott: Wants to commit early to help recruit. He seems wide open.
Jeremy Brown: Auburn leads. Top 4of Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tennessee. Wants to decide before September. Is visiting UF this weekend.
Antonio Bell: Top 5 of West Virginia, Nebraska, Florida, UCLA and LSU. West Virginia leads slightly.
03/20/2007
Greg Shaw: Top 6 of Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Louisville, Florida, Florida State and Ohio State. Claims a UF offer.
Ben Haburn: Claims offers from Arizona, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. UF has not offered, but he is visiting this weekend. I believe that Miami, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma are his favorites.
Moses McCray: The Gators lead big. Claims offers from UF, Rutgers, Maryland and South Carolina.
Jonas Gray: Received a UF offer and almost committed. UF leads. Holds offers from Michigan State, Florida, Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado.
Quinn Sanford: Received a UF offer. Staying close to home may be an issue. Claims offers from Alabama, Florida, MSU, and Ole Miss. Florid and MSU lead.
AJ Jenkins: Co-MVPof Jax Combine with Vince Williams. Claims a UF offer. Grew up a fan of Miami and has always wanted to play there. He is likely to qualify with a 3.1 GPA and a test score.
Michael Brewster: Plans on taking all 5 trips despite what OSU fans have said. Admits that he has thought about committing, although he did not say where it would seem that he means OSU. He pictures himself on a line with Adams, Shugarts, and Jenkins.
Andrew Sweat: Top 4 of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan. Is visiting UF this weekend.
Darryl Stonum: Top 5 of Michigan, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
03/19/2007
TJ Lawrence: Still Favors Va Tech. Plans on going to Virginia Tech and Florida State for camps sometime in July. UF, Boise State and FSU are in the picture. Wants to take all his visits. In another article it said he grew up a Gator fan and still roots for the Gators. I also got the sense that UF and Va Tech share the lead and not FSU, as stated in the other article.
Antonio Bell: Does not have a UF offer yet. West Virginia and Nebraska lead, although in a more recent article he says that Nebraska, West Virginia and Florida lead.
Terrell Manning: Received a Bama offer and seemed very excited by it. He also has a UF offer among others.
Reggie Ellis: Focused on these 10 schools right now…Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Penn State, Tennessee, Florida, Southern Cal, Florida State, Auburn and Clemson. Claims a 3.8 GPA. The next 3 planned visits are Penn State, Illinois and most likely Florida. Florida and Boston College lead. He is scheduled to go to Illinois on April 21st, Florida on April 14th and Penn State in the next couple weeks.
Nigel Carr: Received offers are from Miami, Florida State, Florida and Clemson. South Carolina and Florida State lead. UF appears to be right behind.
Michael Brewster: Rumors coming from OSU fans that he may have committed to OSU, but is currently looking to give Mike Adams and Devier Posey their place in the sun. He hung out with Mike Adams, Jake Stoneburner, Andrew Sweat, and DeVier Posey at OSU and said it went well. He still publicly says that Ohio State, USC and Florida are still his top three. He plans on visiting UF and then possibly making a decision. OSU fan claims that he is visiting UF as an obligation. We will see.
Moses McCray: Claims a Florida verbal offer. Ex-teammates with AJ Jones. UF is among his favorites.
Josh Haden: UF still leads. His younger brother seems like he would accept a UF offer in a second.
William Green: Top 4 of Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech. Wants to decide before season. Is visiting UF shortly.
Michael Mauti: Claims a UF offer.
Jonathan Meyers: Will visit BC soon. The BC writer got the sense that UF leads even though Meyers never stated it. He wants to decide soon.
Carlton Jones: Claims a UF offer and says that we still lead.
Nolan Brewster: Committed to Texas. I am not sure if he still plans on visiting UF. USC also recently offered.
AJ Alexander: Top 6 of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. All have offered.
CJ Holton: Says that where Bradham goes will influence his decision. Does not have a UF offer yet. Rumors from his town that he and Bradham are leaning towards UF right now.
Rashad White: Committed to Rutgers.
Patrick Johnson: Top 4of Miami, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. Grew up a Cane fan, but Georgia leads. UF is in 4th behind FSU and Miami.
Tyler Westphal: Committed to Wisconsin.
Ramon Buchanon: Florida and Florida State lead. Attended last years FNL.
Eric Smith: Nebraska, UCF, Clemson and Auburn have recently offered.
Janoris Jenkins: Top 3 of Clemson, USCe, and UF.
03/13/07
JB Shugarts: Texas A&M was his favorite Texas school growing up. His list has grown to 7. Says LSU is the best visit he has had. Top 5 of Florida, Texas A&M, OU, LSU, and Ohio State. Went with McGuffie and he did not get an offer.
Xavier Brewer: Received a Florida offer to go with his 17 others. Top 5 of Florida, Miami, LSU, Georgia, and USC. Plans on committing before season. Attended UF Junior Day.
Ryan Sedlacek: Grew up a ND fan, and is Irish Catholic. Attended UF Junior Day. Steve Addazio is very good friends with his coach. He attended Addazio’s camp as a Freshman. Top seven of Notre Dame, Florida, Penn State, Connecticut, Iowa, Boston College and Tennessee
Mike Adams: Committed to Buckeyes.
Marlon Walls: Top 4 of Auburn, Alabama, Florida, and Colorado. No Florida offer.
TJ Lawrence: Distance is a factor and wants to receive an offer from UF and FSU. Top 4 of Miami, Florida, Florida State and Virginia Tech.
Marcel Rose: Holds no offers. Top 3 of South Carolina, Florida, and the University of Notre Dame. Says he may accept first offer.
Marcus Forston: Top 5 of UM, Tennessee, Auburn, Rutgers, and North Carolina. Miami still leads by a lot, IMO.
Michael Brewster: He is interested in Florida, Florida St, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio St, and USC . Plans on enrolling in January. Staying close to home is a possible interest.
Will Hill: Over 20 offers. Academics is important. Crowd is important. Coaches involvement is important. “At Rutgers the crowd has the passion. The team is up and coming they help each other out on and off the field.” “At Ohio State they play defense and spread you out on offense.” “At Florida I like the offense. I watched Reggie Nelson a lot.” “At USC they have a good program and produce great players.” “I like Michigan and the over 100,000 fans,” said Hill. “I like the energy they give when they are into the game. I also like Michigan because of Charles Woodson. He went there and played both ways. I would like to play both ways as well. I also want to play early.”
Julio Jones: Attended Junior Days at Oklahoma, Alabama and Auburn. He liked his OU visit that he just took. The 13th of this month he is going to Florida and then on the 24th he is going to Florida State.
Jarred Holley: Just received a Florida offer. Has about 12 offers. Claims a 4.0GPA. I didn’t get the impression that he could picture himself at Florida due to distance.
Harry Adams: Florida leads. Best friends with Deonte Thompson. Sees himself in Bubba Caldwell’s spot. Sounds close to committing. Miami and Auburn are factors. His parents like the Gators also. Is already qualified. Plans on attending a few games.
Nolan Brewster: Favorites are USC, Texas, and Florida in that order. Is linked to teammate Bryce Givens, and they would prefer to play together on the next level. Plans on visiting UF shortly.
Devier Posey: Committed to OSU.
Shayne Hale: Holds 25 plus offers. Received a UF offer and wants to visit.
Maurice Simmons: Committed to USC.
Lerentee McCray: All 3 Florida schools offered. Miami and Florida lead. “They are the National Champions, and you can’t get much better than that. Florida is also a very good academic school which is very important to me when I start breaking things down.” He grew up a Cane fan.
Sam McGuffie: Loved his Texas A&M visit. Named Michigan as a soft leader. Regarding his relationship with Shugarts..”Well, we have gotten to be close friends,” McGuffie said. “We have a lot of the same interests and stuff. But in the end he is going to where he wants to go and I’m going to go where I want to go. Hopefully we’ll pick the same school, though.”
CJ Holton: Offered by Miami. Still no UF offer.
Jermie Calhoun: Committed to Oklahoma.
Jake Stoneburner: Teammate of Mike Adams, who committed to OSU. OSU still leads. Recently received UF offer. Went to dinner with OSU coaches, Brewster, and Adams.
Robert Quinn: Attended Auburn Junior Day. He liked it.
Tyler Edwards: Alabama, LSU and Florida lead. Visited Bama and enjoyed it. I still believe LSU leads, although the article did not say.
Kenneth Page: Visited Clemson again and liked his visit.
Matt Patchan: Said he may want to play both ways.
Latavius Murray: Grew up a Gator fan. Top 2 of Florida and Michigan. Is a friend of Mike Hart’s.
Jeremy Brown: Received a UF offer. He almost committed. He visited a few weeks back and attended a basketball game. Florida and Auburn lead. Distance is a factor. Wants to commit before season. Claims a 3.0 GPA.
DeAndre Brown: Top 3 of LSU, Florida and South Carolina. He attended the LSU/UF basketball game that LSU won. He has friends on LSU.
Vinston Painter: Top 3 of Virginia Tech, Florida, Penn State. Just visited and had a good time.
Patrick Johnson: UF, Georgia, and Miami lead. Passed his FCAT, but has a 2.3 GPA.
Nigel Carr: Received a UF offer. 20 plus offers. South Carolina leads. “I like South Carolina a lot,” Carr said. “The coaches have been really honest with me. I went to camp there last summer, and they said they would offer me. Then they offered my in September. I know their defense, and I know their program. They’ve never had a top-notch linebacker there and I could be their first.”
03/08/07
Josh Jarboe: Georgia Tech, Georgia, Miami, the Florida Gators, Florida State and Ohio State have offered. Top 3 are Georgia Tech, Georgia and Ohio State.
TJ Bryant: Likes USC a lot. They definitely appear to be an option, even though the Florida schools are heavily involved.
Jonathan Meyers: Notre Dame and UF lead. He just visited ND and plans on seeing both schools again. Plans to visit PSU and BC.
Xavier Brewer: Claims offers from Florida, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Miami, and UCLA. Just visited UF. Miami, Florida, and Georgia Tech lead. GT had led, but now are in the pack of 3. Teammate and close friend, Kyle Parker plays for Clemson.
Darriet Perry: Top 3 of Auburn, Florida and Clemson.
Andrew Sweat: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida and Penn State are the ones. They’ve all offered. Michigan, Pitt, and Wisconsin are still in the mix. Wants to commit within the next couple of months. Just visited OSU, and enjoyed it more than ND. He has a teammate at OSU.
Cameron Demps: Wake, USCe, and UF are his top 3. Just attended USCe and UF Junior Day’s and enjoyed both.
Reggie Ellis: Illinois, Maryland, and Virginia lead, and all have offered. He is looking at Penn St., Clemson, Florida, Auburn, and Tennessee. I do not believe they have offered. He associates himself with Illini players Arrelious (Benn), Vontae (Davis). He claims a 3.8 GPA and views Illinois as an up and coming powerhouse.
Michael Brewster: Is visiting OSU today. Other friends who he may see are Mike Adams, Jake Stoneburner, Andrew Sweat, and Devier Posey. Top 5 of Ohio State, Florida, USC, Alabama and LSU. Top 3 of UF, OSU, and USC. Had a great visit to UF with lots of one on one time with Meyer.
Jake Stoneburner: Received offer from Oklahoma State and has an existing relationship with the DC. OSU leads.
DC Jefferson: Claims offers from Auburn, Boston College, Washington, Ole Miss, FIU, UCF, and LSU. UT still leads.
Darrell Scott: Teammate of Texas signee Blaine Irby.
Vaughn Dotsy: Claims offers from Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Alabama, Michigan, Ole Miss, Arizona State and San Diego State. Plans on visiting Arizona and State during Spring Break. Plans on visiting UF this Summer.
Andre Ellington: No offers. Claims UF and USCe lead.
JB Shugarts: Visiting LSU for Junior Day, although they are not in his top 4. He’s going to LSU this weekend. He plans to get to Ohio State and Michigan. He’ll go to the Friday Nights Lights camp in Florida in July. He went to it last year and he was the only sophomore there. Changed his top 4 to Oklahoma, Florida, Ohio State and A&M. A&M is really moving up after a very positive visit.
Daniel Bryant: Claims offers from Iowa State, Illinois, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, Florida State, and Florida International. Top 5 of Florida, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina, and Miami.
Julio Jones: Visited Bama recently and has been there numerous times.
Xavier Boyce: Former teammate of Percy Harvin and Damon McDaniel. Va Tech leads. Claims offers from Va Tech, Connecticut and Clemson. He thinks UF and FSU will offer soon. Claims a 3.0.
DeAngelo Tyson: Committed to UGA.
Marcell Rose: Had a great visit at USCe. Top 3 of USCe, ND, and Clemson.
AJ Alexander: Received new offers from Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Boston College. Fully qualified. Top 3 of Georgia, Florida, and Florida State. He is also considering Pittsburgh, Penn State, LSU, and Miami. Warm weather or close to home effects his decision.
Marcus Forston: Miami still leads.
Nigel Bradham: Grew up a big FSU fan. Top 6 of Florida State, Florida, USC, Michigan, Texas and Clemson. Playing time and coaching staff are very important. Bradham says he has attended Junior Days at FSU, Florida and Georgia. He hopes to attend Junior Days at Clemson, Auburn and Alabama in the very near future.
Patrick Johnson: Georgia and FSU lead. If Michigan offered they would be in the top 3 also. Would like to leave the State.
03/05/07
Michael Brewster: Southern Cal, Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Oklahoma are the teams that he has interest in. Connected to Kyle Long, Josh Jenkins, J.B. Shugarts and also Mike Adams. He visited UF this weekend. Kyle Long also visited UF this weekend. Plans on attending a few Florida practices this Spring.
03/04/07
Vinston Painter: Three other D1 prospects at his school…Kerry Boykins, Todd Harrelson and Jamal Wilson.
Kenny Tate: Claims offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Florida and Illinois.
Maurice Simmons: Mom was very happy when he received his UCLA offer. His brother played at USC when Orgeron was there and he likes USC and Ole Miss as a result. Also likes ND, UF, and Cal.
Destin Hood: Florida State, Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Auburn make up his top five. Visited Auburn and enjoyed visit. Is a top baseball prospect also.
AJ Harmon: Top 6 of Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Auburn and it’s a tie between Ole Miss and South Carolina.
Terrell Manning: Plans on visiting Alabama, Tennessee and Florida this summer. Just visited Clemson. Clams offers from Clemson, Alabama, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Florida, South Carolina, East Carolina and Tennessee.
Chris Dunning: Florida and Tennessee lead. Interested in FSU and Auburn.
Travis Benjamin: Teammate of Deonte’s at Glades. Top 4 schools are LSU, Miami, Florida, and Florida State. Claims a 2.0 GPA.
Nolan Brewster: Top 2 of UF and Texas. Dad is the head Coach at Minnesota and his brother is a QB there. UCLA and Oregon are also in it.
Justin Albert: Auburn is his favorite. He has been there many times. Top 5 of Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama. Has been to UF once and plans to attend Junior Day.
Ty Jones: Teammate of AJ Jones. Florida leads. Top 3 of Florida, Auburn, and Maryland. “They’ve already offered me and I just love everything about them,” Jones said. “I came up for their Junior Day and got to go to the basketball game against Tennessee. I was just overly impressed by the school and how much everyone supports all the sports teams. I’ve gone to a camp at Florida too, so I know about the campus already.”
Darrell Simmons: Clemson, Ole Miss and Georgia offered last week. Florida and Alabama lead.
Robert Quinn: Attended USCe Junior Day and liked it. Plans to attend junior days at Auburn next weekend and Tennessee on March 31st. USC site is afraid he may be a package deal with Dunlap, but he says he is open.
Antoine McClain: Top 5 of Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Just visited Auburn and loved it.
Ralph Bolden Jr: Visited UF this weekend. Wants to play RB, but dad wants him to play CB, where he is being recruited. Claims 4.3 speed. Cousin of Champ Bailey. Dad is a huge FSU fan but he lives with mom. Urban is on him hard.
03/02/07
Lavunce Askew: Claims written scholarship offers from Arkansas, Washington, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss. 21 ACT. Academics seems very important.
Darryl Stonum: Cut his list to 5: Michigan, Florida, Alabama, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
Justin Tuggle: Holds only MSU offer. He has been talking to LSU, Alabama, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Florida has b