How much does the UF-UM game really mean to recruits?

Going into Saturday's in-state showdown between Florida and Miami, there are going to be plenty of predictable storylines over just how much this game means to the two programs as they square off over a number of prospects from around the Sunshine State (many of whom will be in attendance at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday.) But is that really the case? How much does this game ultimately mean in the decision-making prospects of the top seniors who make the trip to Miami Gardens?

The answer, in the big picture, is "probably not much."

I look back to one of the first feature articles I wrote for recruiting, entitled "A Battle for the Hearts and Minds." It's on a site I refuse to link in this blog, but a quick Google search of "battle for the hearts and minds gators" will bring it up if you wish to give it a look.

The piece centers on the Florida-Miami game in 2008, and how many key prospects that both schools were targeting planned to attend the game. Now, keep in mind, there were other recruiting battles that had already concluded (defensive tackle Curtis Porter, for instance, had already picked Miami over Florida. He will compete for the 'Canes on Saturday as a redshirt senior.) I'm also not aware how many of these prospects actually showed up to the Swamp on Sept. 6, 2008, and I have no intention of going back to research it all. However, let's use the 14 prospects featured in the article as a small cross-section of how the recruiting battles between Florida and Miami played out that year.

– Three of the 14 players (DB Ray Ray Armstrong, DE Dyron Dye and OL Jared Wheeler) signed with Miami, although it should be noted that Wheeler didn't have the option to attend UF.

– Three prospects also elected to attend Florida: LB Jon Bostic, WR Andre Debose and OL Xavier Nixon.

– Of the remaining eight players, two went to Georgia (TE Orson Charles and LB Jarvis Jones), and one each went to Alabama (RB Trent Richardson), Michigan (QB Denard Robinson), Minnesota (CB Michael Carter), North Carolina (WR Jheranie Boyd), Rutgers (DL Antwan Lowery) and South Florida (DE Ryne Giddins).

So, despite the big (although far from pretty) win by Florida, the Gators didn't appear to get any major boost from the victory. Bostic had long favored Florida. Nixon was on his official visit that weekend, and the entire experience helped deliver him to Florida, although the Gators had been trending positively before the trip. Andre Debose was sort of all over the map, but his decision seemed to come down to Florida and LSU more than Miami in the end.

A late field goal conversion to cover the spread, ordered by Urban Meyer, didn't help Miami "more than [we] will ever know." However, the loss didn't particularly harm Miami's efforts on the recruiting trail. They signed the No. 15 class in the country according to Rivals, only inking 19 a year after they signed 33. Florida, likewise, was limited on numbers and only brought in 16 that cycle, good for No. 11 in the Rivals team rankings.

In the end, it's relationships that ultimately matter in recruiting. Florida has one of the best assistant coaches in the country as it relates to establishing relationships in Travaris Robinson. The Gators will be fine, regardless of what happens on Saturday. Looking further down the line, winning this game is bigger for the Florida program because they don't want to take a huge step back from 2012. No one expects 11 victories from the Gators again this year. I think most fans would be satisfied with nine wins or more. But this tilt is a key to for Will Muschamp to make that figure happen. Dangerous trips to LSU and South Carolina loom in the distance. Georgia is a tough out in Jacksonville. Florida State will prove a tough test to close out the regular season schedule.

From the Miami perspective, this game is about trying to re-establish themselves on the national scene. A win would potentially provide a huge boost, as the only other marquee game on their slate is an November date in Tallahassee against FSU. If they lose, no big deal. The 'Canes still have a real shot at winning 10 games and competing for the ACC title. But a win ... well, a win could catapult them towards something entirely different.

One thing that strikes me when going back to reading my article from five years ago: I was guilty of propagating the exact same storyline I'm now debunking. I guess I was naive back then. There is a lot hanging on the line for what will likely be the last regular season contest in many years between the two programs – especially in terms of bragging rights for the two fanbases. But the point is, if someone tries to sell you on the idea that the decisions of 20 recruits are hanging in the balance, don't buy. In the end, all this game means to high school recruits is the opportunity to watch a big game in person, and the opportunity to check out some hot girls while they're at it.

The Class of 1991: A D-Line haul for the ages

This is the second installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1991.

The first full recruiting class for Steve Spurrier, he left no stone unturned, and brought in the maximum allowed 25 prospects for a recruiting cycle, plus three junior college transfers. This group was ranked well within the top 10 in the country (Max Emfinger had it as the third-best recruiting class for 1991) and considered the top group in the SEC.

Although many point to the 1992 class as the impetus to the four year reign over the SEC from 1993-96 (as well as the National Championship to cap off that run), this group had a big hand in that succcess as well. In fact, it could be argued that this group is one of the more underrated classes in UF history.

Steve Spurrier announced a batch of 27 new Gators on Feb. 7, 1991. Two signees (Mark Campbell and Mark Grimes) came in after National Signing Day.

Darwin Anderson, Back, (6-0, 197), Winter Park

Jason Bartley, Back (6-0, 208), Jacksonville (Fletcher)

Luke Bencie, Quarterback (6-4, 201), Sarasota (Riverview)

Mark Campbell, Line (6-3, 275), Miami (Sunset)

Kevin Carter, Line (6-5, 235), Tallahassee (Lincoln)

Antwan Chiles, Quarterback (6-3, 235), Lauderdale Lakes (Cardinal Gibbons)

Marion Dixon, Line (6-5, 240), Largo

Shayne Edge, Kicker (6-1, 185), Lake City (Columbia)

McDonald Ferguson, Line (6-2, 235), Miami (North Miami)

Mark Grimes, Line (6-3, 230), Cookeville, Tenn. (Cookeville)

Ben Hanks, Back (6-2, 190), Miami (North Miami)

Lawrence Hatch (6-1, 190), Long Beach, Calif. (Costa Mesa C.C.)

Jack Jackson, Back (5-11, 175), Moss Point, Ms. (Moss Point)

Scott Joslyn, Line (6-4, 295), Orlando (Evans)

Ellis Johnson, Line (6-3, 275), Wildwood

Kevin Johnson, Line (6-3, 250), Vero Beach

Jeremy Kennedy, Back (6-4, 230), Oklahoma City, Okla. (Westmoore)

Larry Kennedy, Back (5-11, 185), Sarasota (Riverview)

Henry McMillian, Line (6-4, 270), Folkston, Ga. (Charlton County)

Jimmy Owens, (5-9, 170), (San Bernandino Valley College)

Sorola Palmer, Back (5-10, 170), Lacome, La. (Manderville)

Carlton Pouncy, Back (5-11, 185), Kissimmee (Osceola)

Matt Pearson, Back (6-1, 223), Mayo (Lafayette)

Anthony Riggins, Line (6-4, 215), Ft. Pierce (Central)

Alfred Smith, Back (6-3, 225), Brandon (Coffeyville C.C.)

Craig Weaver, Line (6-3, 304), Miami (Central)

Ed West, Back (5-10, 178), Miami (Carol City)

– The Gators led all teams with 12 signings among the state's Top 50 prospects. Florida State landed nine, despite being touted as having the better class. Miami nabbed six. Auburn was the most successful out-of-state program, with four top-50 prospects from the state of Florida. The Tigers dipped into their pipeline at Ft. Lauderdale Dillard for three of those players, with running back James Bostic (6-2, 215) and wide receiver Frank Sanders (6-3, 195) carving out big roles during their time on the Plains.

– Although Kevin Carter was generally considered to be the jewel of Florida's 1991 class, it was Scott Joslyn who earned the highest honors by being named first team All-American according to the USA Today.

– Three-quarters of Florida's recruiting class (75%) were native to the state of Florida (21 of 28).

Biggest hits: This was probably the best defensive line class recruited in the history of the University of Florida. Carter lived up to the hype as the top recruit in this class by earning All-SEC and All-American honors and being one of the highest-ever drafted Gators when he went sixth overall to the St. Louis Rams in 1995. Johnson was also an All-SEC honoree and first round NFL Draft pick in 1995 (Indianpolis Colts, 14^th overall). McMillian went in the sixth round to Seattle (180^th overall) that year, and Mark Campbell (78^th overall) would be Florida's top pick a year later by the Denver Broncos after earning All-SEC honors that year as well.

P Shayne Edge, LB Ben Hanks, WR Jack Jackson and DB Larry Kennedy also earned All-SEC honors during their stay in Gainesville, and were key contributors to SEC Championships in 1993 and 1994 (as well as 1995 for Hanks.) Kennedy, it should be noted, originally signed with Ohio State in 1990, but academic issues prevented him from enrolling in Columbus. He eventually ended up in Gainesville, and wound up a major factor in the secondary for the Gators from 1991-94.

Although he didn't sign with Florida in 1991, Chris Doering of P.K. Yonge would walk-on at UF and eventually develop into one of the top receivers in school history.

Biggest misses: Despite coming in with a massive hype, Scott Joslyn turned out to be a huge bust at Florida, making close to no impact on the UF line-up. Antwan Chiles got lost in the shuffle at quarterback, and when he was asked to move to linebacker (the position most recruiting services projected to be his best coming out of the high school ranks) Chiles elected to transfer to Liberty instead.

Derwin Anderson didn't qualify and eventually wound up at Kansas, where knee injuries derailed his career. Luke Bencie transferred to Michigan State after one season in Gainesville. Ed West left football to focus on track. Late signee Mark Grimes lasted one year in the program before moving on. Craig Weaver was an academic casualty and never suited up for the Gators. Owens was expected to have an immediate impact, but was quickly passed over by better players at UF.

The ones who got away: It's not hard to spot the two biggest misses for Florida in the Class of 1991. Derrick Brooks (6-1, 205) and Warren Sapp (6-3, 232) were two highly-regarded prospects who had Florida on their short lists, only to end up at Florida State and Miami, respectively. Brooks was the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year out of Pensacola Washington, and was sold on the idea of playing safety in Tallahassee. Brooks was subsequently moved to linebacker where he excelled at Florida State, and played out a Hall-of-Fame caliber career in Tampa Bay for the Buccaneers as well.

Sapp took a visit to Florida where he reportedly weighed in at close to 260 pounds, and was already growing out of the tight end position he was projected at by most services. Miami sold him on leaving the central Florida region to play for the 'Canes instead, and the rest is history.

The USA Today Offensive Player of the Year, Marquette Smith, also signed with Florida State out of Lake Howell in Winter Park. Smith got caught in a crowded backfield in Tallahassee and wound up transferring to UCF, where he finished his brief career in Orlando as the third all-time leading rusher in school history. He was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 1996, but never saw action in a regular season game as knee injuries prematurely ended his career. Ironically, Florida signed another 2,000-yard rusher from the Winter Park area to replace Smith in Darwin Anderson, but he never suited up for the Gators either.

Finally, the Gators landed a commitment at one point in the process from Jesse Mitchell (6-3, 217) out of Key West, widely regarded as the No. 2 defensive end prospect in-state. However, he elected to sign with Miami on National Signing Day instead. Still UF would seemingly get the last laugh, trading Mitchell for Mark Campbell, a one-time Miami commitment who signed with the Gators nearly a week after National Signing Day.

Michigan and Penn State shared the disputed crown for National Signing Day. Florida State, with a haul of 19 players, also landed a top-five class. DE Derrick Alexander, DB Devin Bush, OL Forrest Conoly (a former Gainesville resident), OL Greg Frey, OL Juan Laureano and OL Clay Shiver were among the major pick-ups for FSU in the 1991 class.

Have some other thoughts on this group? Add them in the comments below.  

Get well soon, Trey Marshall

There is absolutely no doubt that Lake City Columbia safety Trey Marshall is one of the best defensive backs in the state of Florida for the Class of 2014. The FSU commitment has been a star on the gridiron for the Tigers since his sophomore year, and displayed his tremendous athleticism out at Nike's elite prospect camp "The Opening," over the summer as well.

Tonight, Marshall reportedly took a ferocious shot on a punt return in a game against Tallahassee Lincoln that put him into the hospital this evening.

This was the scene as they carted Trey Marshall off this evening. pic.twitter.com/rwMxllySUc
— Chris Nee (@CNee247) September 6, 2013

According to Gainesville Sun preps writer Larry Savage, Marshall is now undergoing surgery in Tallahassee.

We should all send special messages of support for Trey Marshall, a great kid and competitor who is going through surgery in Tallahassee
— Larry Savage (@SunPreps) September 6, 2013

For a kid with such a bright and promising future ahead of him, this is an incredibly terrible development. All of our thoughts are with Trey Marshall and the Columbia football family tonight. May Trey get well soon, and get back on the football field shortly thereafter.

FRIDAY UPDATE (11:45 AM): Marshall suffered a ruptured stomach in last night's 28-14 upset victory for Columbia over Lincoln, according to Tigers head coach Brian Allen:

Update on Trey Marshall: Columbia coach Brian Allen said surgery went well and he will be moved out of the ICU unit this moring
— Larry Savage (@SunPreps) September 6, 2013

Marshall suffered a ruptured stomach in the first quarter after a vicious helmet to gut hit during a punt return against Lincoln
— Larry Savage (@SunPreps) September 6, 2013

I've heard of a player suffering a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding before (Drew Bledsoe and Chris Simms come to mind), but a ruptured stomach is something entirely different and frightening. Thankfully, it sounds like Marshall is already on the road to recovery.

1990: Spurrier's First Recruiting Class

This will be the first installment of a running anthology of articles as we look back at how Florida has done on the recruiting trail over the past 25 (or so) years. First up: the recruiting class of 1990.

Duke head coach Steve Spurrier was announced as the new head coach at Florida on Dec. 31, 1989. He had approximately six weeks to put/hold together the Class of 1990 for UF, and by most accounts, he did a solid job of rounding up his first incoming crop of freshmen in Gainesville. The Gators announced an 19-man recruiting class on Feb. 14, 1990:

Pete Archie, Back (6-0, 185), Houston, Tex. (C.E. King)

Jay Austin, Quarterback (6-3, 202), St. Petersburg (Northeast)

Chris Bilkie, Back (6-3, 215), Bradenton (Manatee)

Craig Carey, Line (6-3, 285), Houston, Tex. (Wentworth Military Academy)

Kendall Cook, Kicker (5-10, 170), Lakeland (Lake Gibson)

Zach Crockett, Back (6-3, 215), Pompano Beach (Ely)

Terry Dean, Quarterback (6-2, 180), Naples (Barron Collier)

Kevin Freeman, Back (6-1, 190), Bradenton (Manatee)

Michael Gilmore, Back (6-0, 190), Chipley

Greg Gingeleski, Line (6-8, 270), Sarasota (Riverview)

Dean Golden, Line (6-5, 230), Plantation (South Plantation)

Aubrey Hill, Back (5-11, 175) Miami (Carol City)

Harrison Houston, Back (5-9, 160), Pensacola (Pine Forest)

Eddie Lake, Back (5-11, 175), Tarpon Springs

Kedra Malone, Back (5-9, 175), Niceville

George Rushing, Back (6-4, 225), Miami (American)

David Swain, Line (6-4, 255), Altamonte Springs (Lake Brantley)

Lateef Travis, Back (6-4, 215), Pensacola (Pine Forest)

Scott Travis, Line (6-5, 245), New Rochelle, N.Y. (New Rochelle)

– 10 members of this class were considered to be among the Top 50 prospects in the state of Florida (Austin, Bilkie, Dean, Freeman, Gilmore, Gingelski, Houston, Malone, Swain and Travis.) Florida State would land 12, while Miami was only able to haul in four in 1990. Among out-of-state programs, Notre Dame had the most success in Florida in 1990, grabbing four top-50 prospects, including future starting quarterback Kevin McDougale (6-2, 183) out of Pompano Beach Ely.

– 17 of the Gators' 19 signees (89.4%) hailed from the state of Florida. All 19 players also came directly out of the high school ranks.

– At 6-9, Gingelski is one of the tallest players to ever suit up for the gridiron Gators.

– Travis was named as the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Florida in 1989. He was a part of back-to-back Class 5A state championship squads at Pine Forest in 1987 and 1988. He was considered by most outlets to be the crown jewel of Florida's recruiting class.

Biggest hits: Although the class was considered strong on paper, it didn't prove to be overly productive in Gainesville. Houston was the only NFL Draft pick out of the bunch (Atlanta, 138^th overall, 1994.) He was a valued member of the receiving corps along with Aubrey Hill. Dean was originally slated to be Shane Matthews' heir apparent, but shared the quarterbacking duties with Danny Wuerffel in 1993 and 1994 before Wuerffel eventually took over full-time midway through the '94 season. Bilkie, Dean, Gilmore and Swain would all be named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll at least once in their careers. Bilkie may be best remembered for his involvement in this "hidden ball" trick play in the 1994 Sugar Bowl against West Virginia:

Biggest misses: Already considered an academic risk when he signed, Travis was officially jettisoned after drug-related arrests in June of 1990. He wound up at Pearl River Community College before transferring to Mississippi State, where he would letter for the Bulldogs in 1992 and 1993. Crockett failed to qualify, and would later sign with Florida State alongside his younger brother Henri in 1992. Crockett would put together an impressive 13-season career in the pros.

The ones who got away: Despite being born in Gainesville and playing at nearby Chiefland, tight end Oscar McBride (6-5, 260) elected to attend Notre Dame. He also played two seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals.

Lake Wales linebacker James Roberson (6-3, 220) decided to sign with Florida State after originally committing to Florida. Roberson grew into a defensive end with the 'Noles and later played four years in the NFL. Roberson would attribute his decision to go with FSU over fear Florida would fall under major NCAA sanctions after being in the governing body's doghouse for most of the 1980's. Florida was eventually put on probation, and did not play in a bowl game following the 1990 season, but avoided any other serious penalties.

Tallahassee Lincoln placekicker Dan Mowery (5-11, 165) also reneged on a pledge to UF to attend FSU. He would later become famous as the victim of “Wide Right II” at the Orange Bowl, as the 'Noles dropped a 19-16 decision to Miami. Following the de-commitment, Florida moved to offer Kendall Cook of Lakeland, who signed with the Gators. Mowery was one of two top-rated placekicking prospects in the state of Florida for 1990, the other being Aaron Mills of Satellite Beach, who inked with Stanford.

Wide receiver Chris T. Jones (6-3, 197, West Palm Beach/Cardinal Newman) was so torn as to his college choice, he elected to wait until after National Signing Day to turn in his letter-of-intent to Miami, this despite the fact he was originally expected to select between Florida, Michigan and Michigan State. Jones was a third-round pick of the Eagles in 1995, but a promising start with Philadelphia was short-circuited in his third season by a knee injury on the notoriously rough Veterans Stadium turf in 1997.

Notre Dame signed what most services considered to be the nation's top class. But Florida State, with a crop of 23 players, was not far behind. The Seminoles landed a pair of USA Today first team All-Americans in Miami Northwestern LB Marvin Jones (6-2, 220) and St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Durham quarterback Chris Weinke (6-5, 205). DB Clifton Abraham, DE Ken Alexander, RB Sean Jackson, TE Lonnie Johnson and DB Corey Sawyer were among the other major contributors from that class.

The top class in the SEC belonged to Georgia, which signed four USA Today All-Americans, headlined by wide receiver Andre Hastings and 6-9 lineman Bernard Williams, who went on to be a first round pick of the Eagles. In-state star Garrison Hearst was also a part of the Bulldogs' haul, which included 27 players in total.

Have some other thoughts on this group? Add them in the comments below.

Central and Booker T. Washington: No. 1 vs. No. 2

The top two teams in the state of Florida will matchup tomorrow night, as Miami powerhouses Booker T. Washington and Central tangle at Traz Powell Stadium. Maxpreps has put together a nice little preview video and story for the upcoming game:



The Miami Herald also has a nice little preview of the game here.

Fans of all three of the state schools have a reason to watch this one with an eye on the future. While the Hurricanes are best represented in this matchup (OL Trevor Darling and RB Joe Yearby of Central, DL Chad Thomas, DL Demetrius Jackson and DB Nigel Bethel of Washington,) both Florida (Central RB Dalvin Cook and junior WR Da'Vante Phillips) and Florida State (Washington QB Treon Harris, Central DT Frederick Jones) also have a rooting interest in this game.

That doesn't even begin to touch on all the future FBS talent in this game, however. Washington WR Lamar Parker is headed for West Virginia. Central DB Deatrick Nichols has already given a pledge to South Florida. There are literally dozens of other players competing in this game, especially among the underclassmen, who will suit up for one of the Big Three schools, or another BCS-caliber program down the road.

In other words, this game is a big deal. In fact, it might be the be the most impressive collection of talent on one field since another matchup between the top two high school teams in the country: Long Beach Poly and Concord De La Salle out of California on Oct. 6, 2001. That game featured future pros Darnell Bing, Winston Justice, Derek Landri, Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew (then just known as Maurice Drew.) Numerous top prospects who went on to attend Michigan, Notre Dame, UCLA and USC, among other top programs also took part in the game. Even Brian Banks, the linebacker who was exonerated on rape charges in 2012 and spent training camp with the Atlanta Falcons this summer, also took part in the game.

Oh, by the way, De La Salle won the game in at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, 29-15, before an announced crowd of 17,321. Drew accounted for 152 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in a winning effort. The Spartans ran their national-record winning streak to 116 games that night (it would eventually reach 151 before De La Salle finally dropped a contest in Seattle to Bellevue, Wash. in 2004.) The Jackrabbits, it should be noted, had come in to the game having won 57 of their last 59.

In terms of Florida history, the most recent game that comes to mind in the 2006 Class 5A state final between Lakeland and St. Thomas Aquinas. The Dreadnaughts, who won a 45-42 shootout in overtime to clinch the mythical national championship, got a herculean performance from future Florida Gator and Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Rainey, who rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Lakeland also featured future NFL offensive linemen Maurkice (Pittsburgh) and Mike Pouncey (Miami). St. Thomas Aquinas could claim eventual Chicago Bears safety Major Wright among it's talented roster, which also featured Leonard Hankerson, now a receiver for the Washington Redskins.

So, will the game live up to the hype? Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But it's No. 1 and No. 2. For fans of college and/or football, it's a game worth watching at 7:30 PM on Friday night. If you don't happen to have a date or something.

Recruiting Roundup: The LSU meltdown edition

If you come across an LSU fan today who happens to follow recruiting – even just in passing – give him/her a hug. They're going to need it.

You see it? ROLL DAMN TIDE!!! Get with it or get rolled over 🐘🔴⚪ http://t.co/ipibrYnXrX
— Cameron D. Robinson (@crobinson_68) September 4, 2013

Cameron Robinson, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive lineman out of West Monroe, La. is heading to Alabama, and this is a decision that most certainly moves the needle in recruiting circles.

A picture of Les Miles in his office

from earlier this afternoon.

Ranked by numerous recruiting services/lists as the top offensive line prospect in the country, and by 247Sports as the top overall prospect in the country, Robinson was a must-get prospect for Les Miles and LSU.

Ever since Nick Saban arrived as the new sheriff in Baton Rouge back in 2000, the Tigers have been able to close off the borders in talent-rich Louisiana to outside poachers. Florida, Miami, Michigan and Tennessee, among others, were able to come in and win big-time recruiting battles throughout the 90's, but Saban put an end to that. And for the most part, Les Miles has been able to accomplish the same since taking over for Saban after the 2005 season.

But Saban's ties in Louisiana run deep, and he was able to pull off a huge coup in Robinson. Louisiana is traditionally strong in terms of talent, but this year is simply on another level. 10 in-state prospects are considered to be among the nation's top 100 seniors. An additional five more are slotted to be among the nation's top 250. If the Bayou Bengals could just hold serve at home, they would reel in the nation's top class going away, and arguably one of the best of all-time.

That's not happening at the moment, however.

The first defection came from wide receiver Cameron Sims of Ouachita Parish. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder was the only prospect among the state's top 15 who didn't claim an offer from LSU. He announced for Alabama on Aug. 24 and may prove to be the first domino to fall that leads a talented group out of the Pelican State and to Tuscaloosa instead. Robinson, a friend and former teammate of Sims, was not far behind.

Who's next? LSU fans certainly hope it isn't this guy.

Waiting on my dude can Robinson might know where he might land at
— LeonardFournette (@_fournette) September 4, 2013

Leonard Fournette (6-1, 225, New Orleans, La./St. Augustine) is the top-ranked running back in the country, and a player almost universally thought of as the best to come out of the high school ranks at his position since Adrian Peterson. Wouldn't a top-rated running back want to follow the top-ranked offensive lineman to the same school? It makes sense. LSU didn't take a running back at all in 2013 in an effort to secure Fournette. Alabama, meanwhile, is loaded to the gills with Rivals 100 prospects at the position. (This all goes back to the notion it's better to go ahead and use every scholarship in every class instead of worrying what juniors another year down the line are thinking, but that's another post for another day.)

Despite LSU's best efforts, Alabama is now a serious contender for Fournette, who is either ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect in the country by each of the four major recruiting services (ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247.)

It should also be added that Laurence "Hootie" Jones (6-2, 210, Monroe, La./Neville) was also at the commitment ceremony for Robinson. Ranked as a consensus top-25 player in the country, he too could follow Robinson to Alabama, as the big fella has made it clear he's going to actively work to recruit his fellow Louisianans to the Crimson Tide.

Then, if all that weren't enough, two other in-state prospects decided to fire off a couple of tweets to really send LSU fans over the edge:

My real top 3 #FLORIDA #A&M #USC it's gonna be a hard choice 😩
— G.E.E (@geee_90) September 4, 2013

Me and my dude @geee_90 plan on going to the same college #U #A #F
— I am Speedy Noil (@SpeedyNoil) September 4, 2013

Top-100 teammates Gerald Willis (DT, 6-3, 275) and Speedy Noil (WR, 5-11, 180) of Edna Karr in New Orleans now claim a "top three" of Florida, Texas A&M and USC. We'll see how much legitimacy there is to those tweets in the coming weeks. However, the Gators will have a crack at these guys on Sept. 21 when Florida plays host to Tennessee in the SEC opener for both squads. The two also plan to officially visit College Station for the big showdown Alabama contest on Sept. 14. The door appears to be at least cracked in terms of a pair of fellow SEC powers getting in the mix for two prospects long thought to be headed to LSU.

None of these verbal commitments are binding and there is still five months to go until National Signing Day. Is it time for Les Miles to hit the panic button? Well, maybe not quite yet, but that moment is fast approaching. The Tigers have to regroup and find a way to get back in it with Robinson, and stem the momentum from heading the other way with Fournette, Jones and others. Otherwise, the most talented in-state crop of Louisiana players in at least a generation will be finding ways to beat the Tigers for the next few seasons, instead of suiting up to win championships for them in Baton Rouge.

Why Luther Campbell is an idiot

Luther Campbell (a.k.a. Luke Skywalker) is still famous nearly 25 years after he burst onto the rap scene as a part of the group 2 Live Crew. He's not making music these days, but Campbell is still active in Miami as a businessman, football coach, one-time mayoral candidate and as a columnist for the Miami New-Times.

Luther Campbell with Miami's favorite son, Nevin Shapiro.

Predictably, the notorious Miami fan (yes, he reportedly threw down "bounties" for big plays and injuring opposing players, an NCAA violation I might add) offered his commentary heading into a noon showdown between Florida and Miami at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday. Campbell decided to focus the majority of his vitriol towards UF in regards to its history as a "bastion of southern racism." Interestingly enough, Campbell forgot to check the records for "his school's" role in denying equal opportunity to African-Americans.

– In 1940, Miami cancelled a scheduled contest with UCLA because of the presence of four African-Americans on the Bruins' roster. In a twist of fate, one of the UCLA players that caused Miami to rescind their offer to play was Jackie Robinson, the man who would later break baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

– In 1946, Penn State elected to eliminate a scheduled contest at Miami due to the same policy that forced UCLA to withdraw from the 'Canes 1940 slate of games. Halfback Wally Tripplett was one of two African-American players on the 1946 roster for the Nittany Lions. Selected 182nd overall by the Detroit Lions in 1949, he would go on to be the first African-American player to be drafted by and play in the NFL.

– Campbell points out that the University of Florida did not admit African-American students until 1962. Well, he's wrong. George Starke was the first African-American admitted to the College of Law on Sept. 15, 1958. Despite receiving police protection, Starke withdrew from the school shortly after beginning classes. W. George Allen became the first person of African-American descent to graduate from the College of Law in 1962. At the same time, the first seven UF undergraduates are admitted to UF. Campbell also conventionally forgets to leave out that the University of Miami only began the process of admitting African-American students a year earlier than that, with the Board of Trustees voting to de-segregate on January 31, 1961. This after the school was able to avoid compliance with the Brown v. Board of Education ruling for several years, due to the University of Miami being a private institution.

– Another allegation made by Campbell points out that former UF quarterback Derrick Crudup, Sr., was denied the opportunity to play quarterback at Florida because of his race. Crudup, who enrolled at UF in 1983, later transferred to Oklahoma (where he also didn't play quarterback.) Years later, his son, also a highly-touted signal-caller out of South Florida (Senior starred at Boca Raton, Derrick Crudup, Jr. played at Deerfield Beach). The younger Crudup wound up at Miami where he would himself MAKE CLAIMS OF RACISM after losing a battle for the starting job in 2003 to Brock Berlin. Shocking, right? The elder Crudup was to be passed over for the position by Wayne Peace and Kerwin Bell, two of the best quarterbacks in Florida history. Junior lost out to Brock Berlin. At least the son had a legitimate argument.

– Then of course, there was the Ryan Clement-Ryan Collins racism imbroglio that Campbell HIMSELF started in 1995. Collins, an African-American quarterback who shared the starting job with Frank Costa in 1993, was demoted to second-string in 1994 and lost the job to Clement in 1995 after getting hurt in an early-season loss to Virginia Tech, never made claims of racism against the Miami staff. But after Campbell's comments, he did seem to give off a sense of having never gotten a fair shake at the job during spring practice in 1995.

"He's one of my biggest fans, I guess," Collins said of Campbell in the above-linked article by Randall Mell of what was at the time, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. "For once, somebody's supporting me. That's unusual."

– Finally, there's the assertion that Charlie Strong was passed over for the Florida head coaching job because of his race. This one is a little trickier to navigate. Florida had two opportunities to hire Strong as the head coach. The first in 2001, when Steve Spurrier stepped down. The second, in 2004, after Ron Zook was fired. Strong served as interim coach for Florida in the Peach Bowl, where they were trounced by Miami. At neither point was Strong considered a "hot" head coaching candidate.

That would come later, when his defenses under Urban Meyer were among the best in the country and helped lead the Gators to two national championships. Timing is everything. Had Strong remained on Meyer's staff in 2010, it's entirely possible he would be the head coach at Florida right now. There are lots of theories about that abortion of a season. Some believed it was an audition of sorts for Steve Addazio. But that obviously didn't work out, and he's now at Boston College. I doubt ol' Charlie has too many regrets with the way things turned out for him at Louisville. And, yes, that does include the good old-fashioned butt-whipping he handed the Gators back in January at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

In any case, Strong's career is forever entwined with Florida. He served four stints as a coach at UF, as a graduate assistant from 1983-84 under Charley Pell (the same racist who didn't allow Derrick Crudup, Sr. to take the QB job, mind you), 1988-89 as an outside linebackers coach for Galen Hall, 1991-94 as a defensive line coach for Steve Spurrier, and finally as the defensive coordinator from 2002-09 under Ron Zook and Urban Meyer. UF fans will always have a soft spot for the guy.

**********

It should be noted that Miami was one of the first programs in the South to integrate their football program, when wide receiver Ray Bellamy joined the varsity football side in 1968 as a sophomore (freshmen weren't allowed to play in those days.) Nat Northington at Kentucky, who began his varsity career for the Wildcats a year earlier, was the only player in the so-called "Deep South" to help integrate a squad before Bellamy.

The University of Miami does have a great track record of helping to advance race relations since the mid-60's in many aspects. But the University of Florida has made considerable progress in those areas as well. To try and argue otherwise is foolish, and Campbell's commentary proves to be nothing more than that. Foolish.

A breakdown of Florida's class to date

Today, we'll do a quick look at what Florida has put together so far in the Class of 2014. 15 commitments to date with the season just underway. I prefer to take the long view, and breakdown prospects by four categories: Quarterback, Skill, Line and Specialists. This is the way Steve Spurrier and Ron Zook used to do it when announcing their recruiting classes on National Signing Day. And it makes sense. These guys still have growing and developing to do. While there's nothing wrong with projecting a prospect to a certain position at the next level, the fact is, we still have no idea where their development will take them once they get on a college campus. 

Quarterback

Will Grier (6-2½, 181, Davidson, N.C.)

– Although Florida's greatest successes at the quarterback position have historically come with the offspring of preachers, taking a coach's son isn't the worst idea either. Grier is an ultra-productive signal-caller who also brings plus-athleticism to the position. Only concern here is the frame. I don't see him getting much past 210-215 pounds at the college level. But that didn't hinder a guy like Robert Griffin III, so who knows? In any case, Grier appears to be the future at the quarterback position once Jeff Driskel moves on. 

Skill

Dalvin Cook (5-11, 196, Miami, Fla.)

Duke Dawson (5-11, 197, Cross City, Fla.)

J.C. Jackson (5-10, 180, Immokalee, Fla.)

Chris Lammons (5-9½, 171, Plantation, Fla.)

Ermon Lane (6-2, 196, Homestead, Fla.)

C'yontai Lewis (6-5, 212, Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Quincy Wilson (6-1, 196, Miramar, Fla.)

– Cook is the perfect blend of size, athleticism and versatility. His recruitment may very well give Florida a few headaches over the next few months. But if UF can hold on to him (and there's no reason to believe they won't at the moment), he's one of the gems of the class. At this point, taking another running back is more of a luxury than a necessity.

– In Jackson and Lammons, the Gators have landed a pair of shifty offensive playmakers who are projected to the defensive side of the ball in college. Personally, I could see either player – or even both players – on offense at the college level. Neither may light up a stopwatch with a 4.4 40, but they both seem to make plays where it counts: between the white lines.

– Another pair of players, Dawson and Wilson, play corner at the high school level. Both are bigger, more physical players at the position. There are questions of whether or not either player can remain at corner in college. In a defensive scheme other than Florida's, I might agree with that notion. For the Gators, I think both guys can play corner, although either may get a look at nickel and/or safety. With Florida losing potentially three 6-foot corners, these two will bring a much-needed infusion of size to the secondary.

– While Ermon Lane and C'yontai Lewis play different positions, they both potentially bring length and an added vertical dimension to the Florida offense. Lane is a key recruit, as the Gators need to build on a strong receiver class in 2013 by continuing to add talent at the position. Florida needs to add a receiving threat at the tight end position, and Lewis could do just that. He's raw and he needs to add quite a bit of weight. But there's no question he brings a different skill-set to the table than Burton, Thompson and Westbrook.  

Line

Dontae Angus (6-6, 330, Philadelphia, Pa.)

Taven Bryan (6-5, 250, Casper, Wyo.)

Khairi Clark (6-1½, 326, Hollywood, Fla.)

Travaris Dorsey (6-2½, 314, Jacksonville, Fla.)

Nolan Kelleher (6-5, 300, Mount Pleasant, S.C.)

Benjamin Knox (6-5, 260, DeLand, Fla.)

Justus Reed (6-2, 220, Clearwater, Fla.)

–  Of this group, Clark and Kelleher are the cornerstones. Clark will need to continue to re-shape his body, but he is a true nose tackle who can potentially play the one-technique, or move head up on the center and be a two-gap zero-technique. Big get. Kelleher is an excellent pulling guard at the prep level. Great feet. He could play inside as a guard, center or perhaps even at right tackle for Florida. Very versatile player.

– Angus, Bryan, Knox make up the "project" element of the line class. Angus is fairly new to organized football, and while his junior film wasn't overly impressive (and it's barely watchable, I might add), he does have the size and an explosive first step that cannot be taught. I don't think it's a given he ends up on offense, but I tend to think he would be a better fit at guard than at defensive tackle against SEC competition. I like Bryan's athleticism and frame. The only question with him is the level of competition he faces in Wyoming. Bryan is arguably the top recruit to come out of the state since Brett Keisel in 1997. Before that, you would have to go back to former Nebraska linebacker Troy Dumas in 1991. So, yes, Wyoming does occasionally produce a Florida-caliber football player. I tend to like Bryan as a potential offensive tackle, but it's not a stretch to think he could stick at defensive end, either. Knox is the shakiest commitment of this class. He has the length and athleticism to develop into a nice tackle at the next level, but there's a lot of work in front of him. You get the sense that he and Florida are drifting further and further apart, but until the Gators can lock in some other talented linemen, there's no reason to cut him loose at this point.

– As for Dorsey and Reed, they represent an unsexy, yet vital portion of the class. Dorsey is a traditional road-grader who should compete for time at either guard or center. Reed is a talented, yet undersized pass-rusher. Think of players like Lerentee McCray and Neiron Ball when making a comparison for Reed. He could see time at the BUCK position. He could also be converted to a SAM linebacker. More importantly, he can get after the quarterback. In any case, Reed should be able to carve out some sort of role in the future for the Florida defense.

Specialists

None

– Barring a complete collapse by Austin Hardin this season, it seems highly unlikely the Gators will pursue a special teams player to bring in on scholarship for the Class of 2014.

John Brantley, and why he's (kinda sorta) to blame for Texas not offering Jameis Winston

There's been considerable discussion in the media since Monday night when Florida State redshirt quarterback Jameis Winston, fresh off perhaps the most impressive debut by a quarterback in college football history, dropped the bomb in post-game interviews that he had originally wanted to attend Texas. Had Mack Brown and the Longhorns offered the gifted two-sport athlete out of Hueytown, Ala., he would likely be suiting up for both Mack Brown and Augie Garrido in Austin right now, as opposed to being a weapon for Jimbo Fisher and Mike Martin's squads in Tallahassee.

Jameis Winston wanted to go to Texas but was never offered: "Dang, I'm good enough for Alabama & Auburn but not good enough for Texas"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) September 3, 2013

Jameis Winston: "I'm an OU fan but I always wanted to go to Texas. If I'd gotten offer from Texas I'd be going to Texas right now"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) September 3, 2013

It should be pointed out, however, that there is probably a bit of revisionist history here. It's easy for an athlete to say "well, I wanted to go to ________ University, but they didn't offer/show much interest in me," after the fact. Had Texas offered and recruited Winston, perhaps they would have landed him, maybe they wouldn't have. There's so many things that can go right or wrong when a team pursues a player, that we don't know if a team could or would have signed a given prospect unless they actually go after him. That clearly didn't happen in this instance. It becomes a hypothetical situation for which we will never know the answer to.

Of course, this revelation plays right into the "Mack Brown is losing touch" storyline that sportswriters have been harping on in recent years. Winston is just the latest dynamic, dual-threat quarterback that the Longhorns missed on. Before him, Texas decided to recruit Heisman Trophy-winning signal-callers Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel to play safety. Oops.

But the "miss" of Winston by the University of Texas staff can likely be tied to a pair of players who left the Longhorns at the altar several years before, and caused Mack Brown to alter his approach to the way he recruited top-shelf quarterback prospects moving forward.

Texas missed on a pair of highly-rated gunslingers in quick succession back in the mid-aughts. Ryan Perriloux (2005) and John Brantley (2007) were top-50 prospects from Louisiana and Florida, respectively. Both got caught up in the (sometimes) high-pressure tactics Mack Brown employs on in-state prospects to great success. Each player made an early commitment to the Longhorns. However, Perriloux was in a region known as a traditional LSU stronghold for recruiting. Likewise for Brantley, who was also a well-known UF legacy. Both ended up flipping relatively late in the process, despite LSU going through a transition from Nick Saban to Les Miles, and Urban Meyer already having a top QB prospect committed to the Gators in future No. 1-overall draft pick Cam Newton. Obviously, those losses on the recruiting trail stung Mack Brown – a man not used to losing much for prospects he really wanted – right to his core.

In an effort to prevent that from happening in the future, Texas started instituting a new policy on out-of-state recruits. With few exceptions, those players didn't get offers until they made a visit to Austin on their own dime. Winston would have fallen under that policy, since he hails from Alabama, and the Crimson Tide has done an excellent job locking down the state for players they really wanted in recent years.

On one hand, that idea does make sense, as it is a great way to test the interest of a prospect. But once again, it can also limit the size of the net the program casts on potential prospects. The philosophy gives less margin for error. Plus, top high school players often employ the same tactic. They won't visit a school using their money until the program extends an offer. The potential stalemate likely killed any chance the Longhorns had of recruiting Winston.

It should also be noted that Bryan Harsin, who had been recently hired from Boise State to become the new offensive coordinator at Texas, hand-picked Connor Brewer out of Arizona to be his quarterback in the Class of 2012. Brewer committed on Feb. 7, 2011 and enrolled the following January at UT. With Harsin now the head coach at Arkansas State, Brewer has since transferred back home to play at the University of Arizona.

Recruiting is ultimately a crapshoot. Mack Brown really shouldn't be blamed for failing to sign any of the three QB's individually. And it should be noted that the oversight of Winston is much different than Griffin and Manziel. The latter two were Texas natives playing at a time when the Longhorns had their pick of almost any player in a state (which is no longer the case, with the recent emergence of A&M.) Winston hails from Alabama – not exactly a recruiting hotbed over the years for the UT. There's also an element of luck involved in the game of recruiting. But as Ernest Hemingway once said, "you make your own luck." With Texas now on the decline, and a trio of potential star UT quarterbacks playing or having played somewhere other than Austin over the past five years, the whispers around Brown's future will only continue to get louder.

UF Recruiting Roundup

Hope everybody is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. Here's a trio of Florida-related recruiting notes for your perusal:

– Florida State lost a commitment in Orlando Timber Creek wide receiver Javonte Seabury this weekend.  Seabury (5-9, 170) is an ultra-quick option as a slot option, return man and/or potential defensive back at the next level. He has not been all that productive at the prep level to date, but his level of speed obviously cannot be coached. Seabury turned around gave another pledge to FIU, within 24 hours of dropping FSU, although his recruitment may not be completely over. Time will tell.

How does this affect Florida? Well, his brother is teammate and highly-regarded 2015 RB prospect Jacques Patrick. The big back is one of the early targets that has emerged for UF on the board at the position along with Lakeland Christian speedster T.J. Simmons, University School star Jordan Scarlett, James Allen out of Citra North Marion and Kieran Higdon of Sarasota Riverview. Many observers figured that with Seabury poised to go to Florida State, that the Seminoles figured to be the odds-on favorite to land Patrick as well. Now that the recruitment of both players no longer appear tied to one another, the race for Patrick is wide-open once again. It's still early, and the Gators still appear to be evaluating their 2015 options, but Patrick figures to be a name floating around near the top of the board as it stands.

– Nothing particularly new here, but Top-100 safety Jamal Adams (Lewisville, Tex./Hebron) once again reaffirmed his intention to make a decision by the end of the season:

I will officially make my College decision in November 😁
— Jamal Adams (@ThaJudgeKO) September 2, 2013

As noted last week, the move of Valdez Showers to offense has gives the Florida defense one less body to work with at the safety position. Adams is still a bit of a luxury item in this recruiting cycle for UF, but one for whom there might be a bit more urgency to land at this point. The Gators still appear to be in good shape here, as they tussle with Ole Miss, Texas and A&M for the signature of Adams.

– Five-star OL David Sharpe (Jacksonville/Providence) visited Clemson this past weekend for a classic between the Tigers and border rival Georgia, a Saturday night showdown on ABC. Now Sharpe will see UGA once again, as he heads to Athens this weekend to watch the 'Dawgs host South Carolina in one of this weekend's key matchups.

Georgia and Sc Next week maybe?? :)
— David Sharpe (@SHARPECITYY) September 2, 2013

The Gators have positioned themselves well early for Sharpe, but we're only about halfway through the race to land his signature. As of now, I think Clemson and Georgia have primed themselves to be the other major contenders. Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and USC are in the mix as well, although to a lesser extent from where I'm standing.

Although Florida has already received several visits from Sharpe since the beginning of the year, they need to get him on campus as much as possible this fall, in light of the fact he's said he doesn't plan to use an official visit to UF since he's so familiar with the campus already. After going to Clemson and UGA in back-to-back weeks, I expect the Gators to make a real push to get Sharpe on campus for the SEC opener against Tennessee on Sept. 21 to keep pace with the two teams that presently seem to have the most momentum going for them with the 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive tackle prospect.