UF Recruiting News & Notes, 9/12

– With this being Florida's first bye week of the fall, it should come as no surprise that the UF staff has begun to hit the recruiting trail in earnest.

Will Muschamp and TROB here at Gulliver vs Chaminade. #khairiclark
— Geoff Vogt (@GeoffVogt16) September 12, 2013

Muschamp and Gators DB coach Travaris Robinson were assuredly at the game to check in on DT commit Khairi Clark, among others.

Clark, for his part, seemed to appreciate the gesture:

It felt real good to have Coach Will Muschamp and Coach Travaris Robinson at my game today watching me play #florida #gators #gatorboy 🐊🐊🐊
— Khairi Clark (@KhairiClark) September 12, 2013

Muschamp later made his way to Central vs. Coral Reef, where he watched a pair of Florida commitments – 2014 RB Dalvin Cook along with 2015 WR Da'Vante Phillips:

#UF #Gators coach Will Muschamp greeting Miami Central coaches as they head inside for halftime at Traz Powell. pic.twitter.com/HKpfK4GCk5
— David Furones (@DavidFurones90) September 13, 2013

Cook, it should be noted, finished with 162 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries in a 49-0 win for Miami Central.

Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin was also out and about on Thursday night:

#Gators DC D.J. Durkin is out here watching 5* LB Raekwon McMillan tonight.
— Keith Niebuhr (@Niebuhr247) September 12, 2013

The Gators have been working hard on McMillan, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound bowling ball from Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County. However, UF has yet to actually break his top three schools, which presently include Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State.

– Big defensive line prospect Cory Thomas out of McCalla, Ala. also has some big news from the Florida perspective ($), according to Paul Jones of 247.

"I have already set up one of my official visits, too, and that is to Florida when they play Florida State on Nov. 30th," Thomas told Jones.

Mississippi State was believed to be the leader coming out of the summer, but it appears the Bulldogs are falling back to the pack a little bit. Getting Thomas on campus for an unofficial visit as well (such as the Tennessee game next weekend), would be vital to Florida's chances of making a move for the 6-foot-6, 270-pounder.

– Thomas isn't the only big name to make a date on an official visit to Florida, as five-star Lorenzo Carter has also set his official visit for the Tennessee game.

Lorenzo Carter has set his #Florida official visit for the #Vols game next weekend. #Gators assumed leader but I've hunched #UGA for a bit
— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) September 11, 2013

This is certainly an interesting ploy by the Muschamp & Co. Florida had the momentum in the summer, but Carter has since backed off public comments proclaiming UF as his leader. If the Florida staff feels they can get him back on campus at least one more time – and preferably for another game – then I don't see the problem with lining up the first official visit. But this could be a critical time for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound pass-rusher, who is generally considered as one of the consensus top-three prospects on the board for Florida in the Class of 2014. He doesn't make-or-break this class, but Carter is a very critical recruit to the UF efforts, as he brings incredible athleticism and length to the position. He would be a phenomenal addition to the UF defensive end corps. The Gators are battling Alabama and Georgia for the five-star prospect.

– I posted earlier this week about how vital the Tampa-area was shaping up to be for the future, because of the presence a trio of talented 2015 prospects in LB Jaye Miner (Wiregrass Ranch), QB James Pensyl (Land O'Lakes) and RB T.J. Simmons (Lakeland Christian.) All three have had impressive starts to the season. Well, a few other names in the 2015 class have popped up in the same region.

QB Christian Alexander, a teammate of Simmons at Lakeland Christian, may prove to be the other big name at quarterback for 2015, along with Pensyl. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound prospect has thrown for 300 yards and three touchdowns against one interception through two games (58.8% comp.) Through just over two years of varsity competition, Alexander has thrown for 3,887 yards on 407 attempts (55.8% completion percentage). He's also tossed 49 touchdowns against just 16 interceptions. It should be noted that former star UF quarterback Wayne Peace coaches both Alexander and Simmons at Lakeland Christian.

Over at Tarpon Springs, RB Michael Ford (5-10, 205) has quickly emerged with a hot start to the season, rushing for 355 yards on 37 carries (9.6 avg.) and six touchdowns through just two games. Ford joins an already talented group of backs emerging in-state of next year, including the aforementioned Simmons, James Allen (Citra North Marion), Karan Higdon (Sarasota), Jacques Patrick (Orlando Timber Creek) and Jordan Scarlett (Ft. Lauderdale University School.)

Finally, although he projects as a receiver at the next level, Deon Cain of Tampa Bay Tech has gotten off to a hot start from the QB position. Cain has completed 30-of-47 passes (63.9% comp.) for 379 yards and six touchdowns against a single interception. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cain has also contributed 185 yards on 22 carries as the Titans have gotten off to a 1-1 start.

– And while this actually applies to the 2016 class, keep an eye on Tampa Blake sophomore pass-rusher Shavar Manuel. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder has already recorded five sacks through two games. He will likely prove to be the next big-time defensive lineman to be recruited out of the Tampa area.

About Will Muschamp ...

The predictable calls for Muschamp's head have started flying this week. The most demonstrative coming in the form of a column from Neil Shulman of Alligator Army.

While his piece is full of emotion and not entirely rational, I can't help but acknowledge the fact that after 28 games, Muschamps' record sits at 19-9. Ron Zook, after 28 games as Florida head coach, was 17-11.

Looking back, it's hard to argue that Florida didn't make the right decision by moving on from Zook after a harrowing loss to Mississippi State on Oct. 23, 2004. The Bulldogs were were 1-5 at the time and had dropped a 27-13 contest to UAB at home just two weeks earlier. This followed crushing losses at Tennessee, where a questionable late personal foul call against Dallas Baker directly allowed Tennessee the opportunity to move into field goal range to win the game. And, of course, there was the "Leak slide" at home, three weeks later that would also lead to setting up LSU for a game-winning score. The Mississippi State debacle what just the latest in a run of "oh-so-close" losses for Zook which eventually cost him his job.

But consider this:

– As many Floridians remember, 2004 was the "Year of the Hurricane," where the state was battered by four named storms (Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Jeanne.) Frances forced the postponement of the opening game against Middle Tennessee State to ... you guessed it, the bye that was scheduled for the week before Mississippi State. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but if the Gators get the week off, perhaps they pull off what was a very winnable contest on the road. But let's not forget that Starkville had proved to be a house of horrors for Steve Spurrier as well. He was 0-2 at Davis-Wade Stadium. In fact, Mississippi State was the only SEC road victory he lacked on his resume as head coach for the Gators.

– Then, there was the single yard – one measly yard! – that cost Florida the chance to run out the clock against LSU. A win would have given Zook his second straight victory over Lord Saban, by the way.

– And of course, we cant forget the Dallas Baker penalty (Which ramped up the "LACK OF DISCIPLINE!!!" chatter around Zook's regime ... sound familiar?) Although Baker was guilty of a foolish mistake, how the side judge elected to call Baker for a personal foul, after he clearly saw Jonathan Wade instigate the skirmish is still beyond explanation.

If anything, Zook was guilty of bad luck. Sometimes all it takes is one questionable call, one yard and one rescheduled game because of a Hurricane to cost a coach his job. Again, I don't think Gators fans are upset with the results, but you can still make a pretty strong case that Zook was never afforded the opportunity to succeed at UF. Of course, Florida coaches have to operate under a razor-thin margin of error. That comes with the territory, as a result of the incredible success Steve Spurrier, and then Urban Meyer achieved in Gainesville. If anyone knows that, it's Will Muschamp.

But back to this notion of the team being "undisciplined." Penalties seemed to be the biggest exception Shulman took with Muschamp to make this point. But Florida has had a penalty issue really dating back to Spurrier's first days as head coach in Gainesville. To wit, here are the penalty statistics for key years since the 1996 championship season:


1996: 10.4 for 91.3 yards (First National Title)
2001: 9.2 for 65.5 yards (Maybe Spur-dog's best team?)
2004: 8.8 for 70.3 yards (The year Zook was fired)
2006: 8.3 for 63.4 yards (Meyer's first championship)
2008: 7.3 for 59.9 yards (The second BCS title)
2009: 6.8 for 52.5 yards (Tim and the gang's final ride)

In 2012, the Gators averaged 8.1 penalties per game for 69.2 yards. Through two games this season (still much too small of a sample size), they have accrued an average of 10 penalties for 70 yards per game. Meyer actually did do a solid job of slowly getting the penalty numbers down. But under Muschamp, they haven't risen all that dramatically either. And they certainly aren't at the levels the Gators seemed to experience throughout their greatest successes in the 90's.

So, what it really comes down to, is trying to tilt the numbers to fit the narrative. Muschamp doesn't win in a way that is as stylish and as fun to watch as the Spurrier years, or even the pinnacle of offensive success under Meyer in 2007 and '08. If Muschamp is going to win with field position, special teams and defense (which should be noted, are three things Meyer strongly preached when he got to UF in 2004), then he will have to win. And win big. But Muschamp knows that. All I'm saying is, let's let the season play out before we start speculating about the future. Give the Florida staff a chance before throwing them under the bus. Because continuously cycling through coaches isn't always the answer either. And if you need an example as to why that's not the preferred route, look no further than the gold standard in college football today: Alabama.

Class of 1995: Another star-studded affair

This is the fifth installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1995.

Steve Spurrier put the finishing touches on a top-three recruiting class two days after National Signing Day (February 1, 1995) when Reggie McGrew signed with the Gators at Lafayette High School in nearby Mayo, rounding out a 24-man haul for Florida in the Class of 1995:

Ernie Badeaux, Line (6-5, 258), River Ridge, La. (John Curtis)
Tim Beauchamp, Line (6-2, 235), New Smyrna Beach
Cheston Blackshear, Line (6-3, 278), Jacksonville (Ed White)
Pat Browning, Line (6-3, 290), Tampa (Jesuit)
Scott Bryan, Line (6-4, 270), Longwood (Lake Mary)
Zuri Buchanan, Back (6-0, 215), DeSoto, Tex. (DeSoto)
Cooper Carlisle, Line (6-6, 265), McComb, Miss. (McComb)
Reggie Davis, Back (6-0, 175), Bradenton (Southeast)
Damian Hill, Back (6-1, 175), Dallas, Tex. (Carter)
Ryan Kalich, Line (6-3, 276), Houston, Tex. (Spring Woods)
Jevon Kearse, Back (6-5, 220), North Ft. Myers
Keith Kelsey, Back (6-1, 220), Newberry
Erron Kinney, Back (6-6, 256), Ashland, Va. (Patrick Henry)
Demetrius Lewis, Back (6-0, 195), Decatur, Ga. (Southwest Dekalb)
Eugene McCaslin, Back (6-1, 205), Tampa (Chamberlain)
Reggie McGrew, Line (6-2, 279), Mayo (Lafayette)
Anthony Mitchell, Line (6-5, 235), Louisville, Miss. (Louisville)
Dock Pollard, Back (5-8, 170), Bradenton (Manatee)
Jamie Richardson, Back (5-11, 175), Tallahassee (Godby)
Johnny Rutledge, Back (6-2, 225), Belle Glade (Glades Central)
Bobby Sablehaus, Quarterback (6-6, 225), Owings Mills, Md. (McDonogh)
Greg See, Line (6-5, 251), Denon, Pa. (Archbishop Carroll)
Robby Stevenson, Kicker (6-1, 177), Bradenton (Manatee)
Corey Yarborough, Line (6-2, 266), Glen St. Mary (Baker County)

– The Gators landed 12 of the state's top 50 prospects, good for second among the Big Three. Florida State (14) led all teams, while Miami only finished with two. Auburn led all out-of-state programs with four top-50 signees from Florida.

– 15 of the Gators' 24 players (62.5%) in the Class of 1995 hailed from the state of Florida.

– UF landed a pair of USA Today first team All-Americans in Badeaux and Stevenson. Most services regarded Sabelhaus (the #2 QB, behind USA Today Offensive Player of the Year Dan Kendra) as the top recruit in Florida's class.

– Buchanan was the only group from this class who failed to qualify, but he would enroll at Florida as a part of the Class of 1996.

Biggest Hits: Jevon Kearse and Reggie McGrew had celebrated careers in Orange & Blue and would eventually go on to be first-round picks in the NFL Draft as well. Five players from this group (Blackshear, Carlisle, Kearse, McGrew, Rutledge) would go on to win All-SEC honors.

Biggest Misses: There were several, highlighting the Jekell and Hyde nature of this class. But perhaps none was as big as that of Sabelhaus. Touted as the potential successor to Danny Wuerffel, Sabelhaus was gone within 18 months. A disastrous performance in the 1996 spring game proving to be the final nail in the coffin of Sabelhaus' brief UF career.

Badeaux's signing was highly celebrated, but the talented defensive lineman proved to be a handful off the field and was finally dismissed from the team in August of 1997 following a rash of incidents.

Jamie Richardson showed signs of promise early in his tenure at Florida, but was also dismissed following an incident at the Florida Theater in Gainesville back in January of 1998, resulting in Richardson's second battery arrest within a 14-month period.

Acclaimed as a Parade All-American, with 28 career interceptions at the prep level, Damian Hill was the big corner every major college program craves. He arrived at Florida with considerable fanfare, and the early reports indicated he would live up to the considerable expectations. But his time in Gainesville would prove to be short lived. Hill was ensnared in a textbook-selling scandal which also nailed fellow '95 signee Dock Pollard. Throwing additional academic issues into the mix, Hill was gone from Florida after the spring semester in 1996.

The ones who got away: Despite Florida's best efforts, several top prospects elected to sign elsewhere. The biggest name would prove to be Belle, W.Va. receiver Randy Moss, who elected to go with Notre Dame over Florida and Tennessee.

The other big-time receiver the Gators lost out on was Bradenton Southeast athlete Peter Warrick (6-1, 175), who elected not to follow several teammates (including '95 UF signee Reggie Davis) to Gainesville, and instead would head to Florida State.

The state's top quarterback, Ocala Vanguard passer Daunte Culpepper (6-4, 214), wound up at UCF after academic issues caused the Big Three to back off his recruitment. By the time Culpepper had put himself in a position to qualify, he decided to stick with the Knights, who had supported him through his academic issues.

With a need at the defensive tackle position, missing out on Belle Glade Glades Central lineman Robert Newkirk (6-4, 280) – a one-time UF commitment – to Michigan State was a tough pill to swallow for the Gators. Thankfully for Florida, the late commitment of Badeaux and the addition of Reggie McGrew 48 hours after the faxes had started coming in on National Signing Day filled their quota on the defensive front. Newkirk went on to play three seasons in the NFL.

Tampa Jefferson athlete Keith Newman (6-3, 225), a guy who could have played tight end, defensive end or linebacker at UF, elected to go with Mack Brown and North Carolina instead. Newman went on to play seven productive seasons at the pro level.

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Max Emfinger had the Gators ranked as the top recruiting class in the country as Florida reeled in what was generally considered to be the third best class in the country behind Notre Dame and Florida State.

The Gators had dealt with some issues recruiting the linebacker position in the prior two cycles – especially when going up with the Seminoles – but made up for those losses in 1995 with a haul that included Kearse, Kelsey and Rutledge.

Benjamin Knox decommits: What is Florida's next move?

In case you missed it last night, the Gators are now short one member of their 2014 recruiting class, as DeLand offensive tackle Benjamin Knox has withdrawn his commitment to UF:

Former #Gators three-star commit Benjamin Knox just told me with UF out of the mix, Louisville and USF are two schools under consideration.
— Landon Watnick (@LandonWatnick) September 11, 2013

This was not an unexpected development, as Florida and Knox seemed to be drifting apart for a few months. The move puts UF at 14 commitments for the Class of 2014, with three players projected to end up on the offensive line presently in the fold (Dontae Angus, Nolan Kelleher and Travaris Dorsey.)

Based on the numbers, Florida needs to add 2-3 more prospects to this class up front. The only problem here is, the Gators really don't have a ton of guys remaining on the board. Or, at least, that how it would appear to look from the outside. The top target is obviously David Sharpe (6-6, 290, Jacksonville Providence) and while the Gators are a strong contender there, Clemson and Georgia have made a real push with the big man in recent weeks as well.

Damien Mama (6-4, 370, Bellflower, Calif./St. Bosco Prep) and Jordan Sims (6-4, 340, Birmingham, Ala./Homewood) also claim offers, but I don't think anyone is particularly confident in the Gators' chances of landing either prospect at the moment. Miami commitment Trevor Darling (6-5, 330, Miami Central ) keeps getting thrown around as a possibility, but there's been no evidence to support the notion he's anything but solid in his commitment to the 'Canes.

In any case, regardless of what Sharpe, Mama, and Sims do, some other prospects will emerge on the radar between now and National Signing Day along the offensive line. Here's a list of six guys to keep an eye on over the coming months:

1. Jordan Prestwood (6-5, 310, Plant City/Arizona Western C.C.) – There should be some obvious concerns here, as Prestwood has already left two big-time programs (Florida State and Notre Dame) for various reasons. On the plus side, he is on pace to enroll in December, and would have three years of eligibility remaining. A big-time recruit coming out of high school, he may be the most likely candidate for UF if they elect to hit the JUCO ranks in 2014.

2. Montel McBride, (6-4, 350, Plant City) – With the recent pledge of Cameron Robinson, Alabama now has six offensive line commitments, and seems to be busting at the seems a bit at the position. McBride may be ripe for the taking, but UF has shown no indication to date they are interested in the two-way player, who is a product of Plant City High School, like Prestwood. I think that could change, depending on his senior film. McBride would be an excellent fit at guard at the next level, but he is going to have to drop some weight, as Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis clearly prefers his players to be mobile at the position.

3. Denzel Ward (6-8, 305, Chicago, Ill./Simeon) – Florida was heavily involved in the recruitment of Ward at one point. If David Sharpe decides to head elsewhere, it would come as no surprise if the Gators turn up the heat once again for the current Purdue commitment.

4. Delroy Baker (6-6, 270, Ocala/West Port) – Although the Gators offered Baker over the summer, they didn't seem to really push for the local product, who eventually committed to Indiana. With an impressive senior season, UF may re-evaluate their stance on Baker, who would presumably jump at the chance to stay closer to home.

5. Marcus Applefield (6-6, 280, Weeki Wachee) – Applefield plays at a new program, only in its third year of existence, and will prove to be the school's first player to sign with a FBS program. Applefield has great size and potential as an offensive tackle. He visited for Florida's first game against Toledo in August. Rutgers is thought to be the present front-runner for Applefield, but the opportunity to stay closer to home and attend Florida or Florida State is believed to greatly appeal to him.

6. Avery Gennesy (6-5, 305, Southaven, Miss./East Mississippi C.C.) – The Gators would be getting in late on the recruitment of Gennesy, but they do have ties to East Mississippi Community College, having signed a player out of the program each of the past two years (Damien Jacobs in 2012, Darious Cummings in 2013.)

Class of 1994: Loaded to the brim with NFL Talent

This is the fourth installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1994.

Although only one national publication had the Gators ranked among the nation's top ten (Max Emfinger, who slotted Florida in eighth), Steve Spurrier announced an 18-man recruiting class on February 2, 1994 that would prove to be one of the most talented groups ever hauled in by the University of Florida:

Reidel Anthony, Back (5-11, 165), Belle Glade (Glades Central)
Teako Brown, Back (5-11, 185), Miami (Carol City)
Ed Chester, Line (6-4, 270), Spring Hill (Springstead)
Antonio Cochran, Line (6-4, 235), Montezuma, Ga. (Macon County)
Willie Cohens, Line (6-3, 216), Starke (Bradford)
Mo Collins, Line, Charlotte, N.C (6-5, 265), Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte)
Tony George, Back (6-0, 180), Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods)
Jacquez Green, Back (5-9, 170), Fort Valley, Ga. (Peach County)
Ike Hilliard, Back (6-0, 175), Patterson, La. (Patterson)
Mike Jackson, Line (6-5, 235), Wrightsville, Ga. (Johnson County)
Terry Jackson, Back (6-0, 200), Gainesville (P.K. Yonge)
Nafis Karim, Back (5-11, 165), Marietta, Ga. (Pope)
Travis McGriff, Back (5-11, 175), Gainesville (P.K. Yonge)
Mike Peterson, Back (6-1, 205), Alachua (Santa Fe)
Jamie Richardson, Back (5-11, 165), Tallhassee (Godby)
Dossy Robbins, Back (6-1, 235), Marathon
Deac Story, Line (6-4, 275), Winter Park
Fred Taylor, Back (6-1, 215), Belle Glades (Glades Central)

– Unlike Spurrier's prior classes, this one had a much stronger out-of-state feel to it. Only 11-of-18 players signed by Florida in 1994 hailed from inside the Sunshine State (61.1%).

– The Gators landed eight of the consensus top-50 prospects from inside the state borders in 1994, trailing FSU (9) by one. Miami finished with five. Auburn and Mississippi State led out-of-state programs with three signees each.

– Eventual UF Director of Player Personnel Jon Haskins makes an appearance in the top-50 rankings in 1994, as the 6-3, 228-pound linebacker out of Sarasota Riverview elected to sign with Stanford.

– Two of Florida's '94 signees failed to qualify. Antonio Cochran would later enroll at Georgia in 1997 after going the JUCO route (he started off at Okaloosa-Walton in Niceville before moving on to Middle Georgia College.) Jamie Richardson would eventually get to Florida after deferring his enrollment for a year.

Biggest Hits: Where to start. Ten members of this class went on to play in the NFL (Anthony, Collins, George, Green, Hilliard, T. Jackson, McGriff, Peterson,Taylor and Antonio Cochran, despite the fact he never ended up playing for Florida.) Ed Chester would have made 11, but his career would come to a grinding halt when LSU decided to take out his knees on a fateful night at the Swamp back in 1998. Teako Brown and Willie Cohens were also valued contributors during their time at Florida, despite the fact they never moved on to the next level.

Biggest Misses: Dossy Robbins was touted as the state's No. 1 fullback prospect, a player who even earned comparisons to Jerome Bettis from his high school coach for his combination of size and strength. Alas, Robbins never lettered at Florida. A suspected heart condition ended Mike Jackson's career after he collapsed during a workout in October of 1995.

The ones who got away: Merritt Island defensive lineman Antonio Ham (6-5, 235), went back-and-forth between Florida and Miami before deciding to sign with the Hurricanes on National Singing Day. Lake Worth defensive back Deon Humphrey (6-3, 218) – who converted to linebacker at Florida State – also passed on the Gators despite a spirited recruiting effort from UF. Both Ham and Humphrey would go on to play in the NFL.

Academic issues prevented Sarasota Riverview defensive back Amp Campbell (6-2, 175) from signing with UF. He had a solid, if unspectacular, career at Michigan State. Florida made a run at Ft. Lauderdale Dillard defensive lineman Charles Dorsey (6-2, 255), who elected to stick to school tradition and sign with Auburn. Dorsey was one of seven players from the high school to sign with Auburn over a four-year period.

Although the Gators heavily wooed Peyton Manning (6-5, 202, New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman), the future No. 1 overall pick wound up selecting Tennessee over a short list that included Florida, Ole Miss (where father Archie and brother Eli played) and Michigan. The Gators missed out on another highly-rated Louisiana prospect to Tennessee that year in Marrero offensive lineman Jarvis Reado (6-5, 284).

One guy who got away from Florida on Signing Day, but would eventually come back into the fold was Tallahassee Lincoln offensive lineman Zach Piller (6-5, 265). Piller transferred to UF after spending a year at Georgia Tech.

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Tennessee signed a consensus top-two class (along with Florida State), a 22-man group that included the above-mentioned Manning and Reado, along with DE Johnathan Brown, DT Ron Green, PK Jeff Hall, DB Terry Fair and WR Marcus Nash.

The Seminoles' class included Humphrey, along with USA Today Defensive Player of the Year Lamont Green, who failed to live up to the hype while suiting up for the 'Noles. Other significant contributors included CB Samari Rolle and DT Orpheus Roye in a group that was somewhat underwhelming considering it was considered by some services to be the nation's top class.

In terms of pure talent, there is little doubt that this is the greatest class Florida has ever signed, pound-for-pound. If you throw in Zach Piller (who signed with GT but ended up at UF a year later), 11 of the 19 players that either signed or played for Florida would up in the NFL. Three of them were first-round draft picks (Anthony, Collins and Taylor). Despite some misses for the Gators on the trail in 1994, particularly on the offensive line and at linebacker, their evaluations turned out to be spot on. Or they just got a little lucky. Either way, it worked out for Spurrier and staff.

Jeff Driskel: A Convenient Scapegoat? (Part II)

After watching all the venom spewed at Jeff Driskel this weekend, I wanted to take a step back from things and try to take a more rational approach to his current reign as leader of the Florida offense (now at 14 games and counting). Yesterday, we took a quick glance at Driskel's performance last Saturday in a loss against Miami. Now, I want to take the long view. And try to put his situation in perspective against quarterbacks from other programs.

One thing that got me thinking. A Facebook post from a friend of mine (a big UCF fan) who said this over the weekend: "Guess UF got the wrong kid out of Oviedo!!! Bortles hasn't thrown an INT in months, not minutes."

First, let me explain: Bortles and Driskel are from the same town (ish) of Oviedo, just north of UCF on the southern end of Osceola County. Bortles attended the well-established program at Oviedo High School, which has been an occasional power in central Florida prep circles over the years. Now is definitely an "up" cycle for the program.

Driskel, meanwhile, attended the newly-opened Hagerty High School, south of "old" Oviedo, which is in the middle of a housing boom that has sprung up just north of UCF (which is actually in Orange County) in recent years. Driskel's freshman year at Hagerty coincided with the school's first year of varsity football in 2007.

Now, back to the claim of Florida getting the wrong quarterback out of Oviedo. It's certainly not an unreasonable assertion right now, in light of the numbers. Bortles has played extremely well for Central Florida and undoubtedly had a stronger showing at quarterback early in his second season as the unquestioned starter for the Knights. I also can't help but think he's had a better set of circumstances in which to grow into (and blossom) in the role of signal-caller at the college level.

First, consider this. Bortles played for a stronger, more firmly-established high school team. It wouldn't be difficult to argue his prep experiences better prepared Bortles for what he would experience as he moved on to UCF. Driskel, meanwhile, played for a brand new program that was lacking both in talent and cohesion. Playing for a young program at Hagerty High School, Driskel did not have excellent skill talent around him. After taking over as the starting quarterback early in his freshman year, the offense was built largely around his considerable abilities as a runner.

Secondly, Bortles had a much smoother transition into the role of starter. He was eased into the position over three years, redshirting as a freshman, splitting time with Jeff Godfrey in his second year, and then taking over as the full-time starter as a sophomore in 2012. On that plan, Driskel would only be assuming the reigns full-time this fall, his third season on campus. Instead, he was thrown into the fire early, seeing his first major action at home in a blowout loss to Alabama after starter John Brantley went down. Injuries would eventually end Driskel's freshman season early following his next appearance, another loss on the road at Auburn. Driskel was not afforded the same process of easing into the role as a guy like Bortles. Or in a sense, even Johnny Football at A&M or Jameis Winston at Florida State. Both of those guys got a full redshirt year to prepare before being tossed into the fire.

Okay, so you're going to come back with "Cal's Jared Goff and Texas Tech's Baker Mayfield aren't doing too shabby so far this year. Why is Driskel still struggling to put up big numbers?"

The nation's #1 & #2 QBs in total offense, #Cal's Jared Goff & #TexasTech's Baker Mayfield are both true freshmen.
— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) September 9, 2013

It's true, Goff and Mayfield are lighting it up and making the transition from high school to college look easy. But, remember this. It's still early in the season, for one. Two, Mayfield played in essentially a very similar system in high school to the Air Raid derivative he's now running for Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech. As for Goff, he was hand-picked by Dykes to run the show at Cal because of his size and pinpoint accuracy. That he's doing so well as a true frosh is surprising, but maybe it shouldn't be. There are now plenty of prep quarterbacks out there who run offenses just as intricate as what some college guys are tasked with.

Still, that doesn't mean every prospect coming out of the high school ranks is ready to come in and roll out on the field as a ready-made starter. And that leads to my third and final point to consider: circumstances. Driskel was a project coming from Hagerty H.S. A young man with good size, a big arm and quick feet. He needed time to pick up the nuances of playing the quarterback position. He also needed to be surrounded with good talent at the skill positions and along the offensive line. That is finally starting to happen, and it's why I do expect him to put up good numbers this year. That was hardly the case in 2011 and 2012. Going through a transition from Charlie Weis to Brent Pease certainly didn't help matters any for a young guy still getting a feel for playing quarterback at the college level. Coaching stability is something that Bortles has had the benefit of, unlike Driskel.

Sometimes, it's all about finding the right fit and going to a system that suits your individual talents. That's why Goff and Mayfield are doing so well at a precocious age (at least for a college quarterback.) They're in the right place, at the right time, with a good fit for their talents. Likewise, Bortles came in to UCF alongside Jeff Godfrey. Despite Godfrey's splashy freshman season, his shortcomings as a quarterback were exposed in year two, as Bortles was starting to come around and show he was the future of the position. Although Bortles was overlooked a bit in recruiting circles, I doubt he's too upset with how things have turned out. He's in a great fit at UCF, with coaching stability and good skill and offensive line talent around him.

Driskel hasn't been blessed with the same luxuries for which some of his contemporaries have blossomed with. I'm just saying this – it's something to keep in mind before throwing a physically gifted young quarterback under the bus. Florida's starting quarterback may just prove everyone wrong, yet.

UF Recruiting Roundup, 9/9

The Gators certainly suffered a bit of a setback for the Gators on the recruiting trail, with a 21-16 loss to the 'Canes on Saturday. And this is why:

– According to the Miami Herald, more than 100 recruits, and over 350 high school coaches attended the Florida-Miami game on Saturday. The UM coaching staff certainly put a lot on the line, in terms of this being a statement game. It paid off in spades. And a lot of big-time prospects were there to witness the win for the 'Canes.

– Among the major names in attendance who have not given a college pledge: St. Thomas Aquinas defensive lineman Anthony Moten (a former Florida commitment) and wide receiver Travis Rudolph (who at one time was believed to have Florida at the top of his list of schools.) If the Gators hoped to make an impression on both of those guys, they probably fell a bit flat.

– The outcome of the contest might have a bigger impact among the junior class, for whom there were a bunch of highly-regarded uncommited prospects: A pair of defenders from Trinity Christian in Jacksonville – LB Jeff Holland and DB Kevin Toliver – perhaps the top two prospects in the state for 2015. Coconut Creek Monarch DB Shawn Burgess-Becker, Miramar CB Tyrek Cole, Miami Killian DB Jaquan Johnson and a pair of athletes out of the Westminster Academy (RB Tim Irvin and TE Devonaire Clarington.)

– I wrote last week that the outcome of Saturday's game would have little outcome on the decisions of prospects, whether they were there in person or watching on TV. And I stand by that. For Miami, the benefit is this. They've been down for a couple of years now, and in the grand scheme of things, it's been several years since they have been a factor on the national scene in college football. The win against Florida doesn't bring them all the way back, but it helps. And the victory certainly doesn't hurt as a little selling point for Al Golden and his staff on the recruiting trail as well.

– As expected, things aren't quite settled with Florida WR commit Ermon Lane just yet. Reports have the top-rated athlete out of Homestead planning to make an official visit to Miami before National Signing Day. He will likely make a few official visit before making things official. But in any case, Lane tried to soothe the fears of Florida fans following the post-game developments.

Gator Nation To The Death Of Me !! 🐊🐊
— Support #⃣5⃣Jwalk (@_MoneyLane) September 9, 2013

We'll see if he holds to this train of thought or not over the coming months.

– Jacksonville Providence offensive lineman David Sharpe had some interesting comments to make after taking an unofficial visit to Athens for the Georgia-South Carolina game according to 247Sports ($). He's close to making a decision, but he doesn't know when it will happen. No leader, according to Sharpe.

“No team is out front right now,” Sharpe told Rusty Mansell. "I am just not really sure right now.”

I'm of the belief that Clemson has made a big move here. I wouldn't rule Georgia out, either. Dad is in their corner, and could wind up as a sort of compromise pick. I still think Florida is in the driver's seat, but that lead has really shrunk, if it's not gone outright. Will Muschamp and Tim Davis need to get Sharpe back on campus in two weeks for Tennessee, then put together an impressive showing to get the good vibes back. In any case, Sharpe has certainly become the most critical recruit remaining on the board for the Class of 2014.

– Finally, Big County Preps has a report on how the Tampa area will continue to be a hot spot for Florida on the recruiting trail. A trio of 2015 prospects, QB James Pensyl (6-5, 210, Land O'Lakes), RB T.J. Simmons (6-0, 190, Lakeland Christian) and LB Jaye Miner (6-3, 195, Wiregrass Ranch) are all off to a hot start for this season. Pennsyl is averaging nearly 300 yards a game passing, while Simmons is putting up over 200 yards per game on the ground and Miner has recorded nearly 40 tackles through two contests. All three players are very much on the radar for the Gators in looking ahead to next year.

Jeff Driskel: A Convenient Scapegoat?

After watching all the venom spewed at Jeff Driskel this weekend, I wanted to take a step back from things and try to take a more rational approach to his performance in a 21-16 loss at Miami.

His stat line was decent. 22-of-33 (66.7%) for 291 yards (a career-high), one touchdown against two interceptions. Granted some of those numbers were padded a bit by Florida's hurry-up offense against a Miami prevent defense which all but conceded a score late in the fourth quarter. Still, Driskel took some huge shots (nine hits, by my count) in this game and hung in there to make some big plays.

For the purposes of this analysis, however, let's focus more on the "mistakes." Driskel made three poor decisions throwing the football, that I saw.

– The interception to Miami safety Rayshawn Jenkins into coverage near the goal line in the second quarter. This play took three points off the board for Florida. It was simply an inexcusable decision by Driskel, especially considering a similar experience that cost the Gators points late in the first half against Georgia last year.

– An incomplete pass over the middle to Quinton Dunbar who was blanketed by three defenders on third-and-nine to end the second drive of the game. Trey Burton appeared to have a step on his man in the flat and was a better option on the play. (6:24, first quarter)

– Another incomplete pass to Dunbar down the right sideline on a third-and-three with just over 12 minutes to go in the game. Dunbar was double-covered, while Burton was running a flat-route in which he appeared to be open and in position to get the first down.

Of his additional eight incompletions, there were the following:

– A missed pass to Quinton Dunbar on the sideline on Florida's second drive. Miami's Tracy Howard was in coverage. A dangerous throw, but Driskel put it where only Dunbar had a chance to get it, and the receiver nearly made the play. (6:08)

– The missed opportunity to a wide-open Dunbar in the end zone on a well-timed play-action call early in the second quarter. This incompletion subsequently led to the Jenkins interception a play later. It's easy to wonder whether Driskel was pressing a bit on the next play because of the overthrow of Dunbar, and forced things a bit as a result. (14:16)

– Later in the second quarter, Driskel threw behind an open Dunbar on a crossing route. (11:48)

– Good play-action design out of a run-heavy formation where Driskel couldn't find an open man and threw it out of bounds late in the first half. (2:17)

– An incomplete pass to Clay Burton late in the third quarter. It was a third-and-four situation where the defender (Perryman) batted the ball away. Credit Perryman, in large part, for Miami's win. He was an animal on Saturday. (0:57)

– Clay Burton dropped a pass on a crossing route on the first offensive play of the fourth quarter (after an 18-yard run by Jones was wiped out because of a holding penalty.) (13:52)

– The interception to Burton. Clearly some timing issues on this play. But from my vantage point, Burton ran a flat route and simply didn't have his head around to catch the football. He ran the same route on a third-and-short the Gators didn't convert on earlier in the fourth quarter as well. (EDIT: Let me add, that's my interpretation ... and obviously we'll know more about what happened on this play soon enough)

– Missed pass to freshman Demarcus Robinson (his only target of the game) on a crossing route which took place on the second touchdown drive. The receiver vacated the middle on the play and moved into the flat. Driskel was hit on the play and threw it low and behind Robinson. Essentially the equivalent of a throw away, as Robinson was unlikely to get loose for much of a gain. (4:42)

That's really it. Three bad decisions and two poor throws. There was the sack/fumble in which Max Garcia (filling in for D.J. Humphries) got beat. You can argue Driskel held on to the ball too long, fine. And then the second sack at the end of the game, which really didn't mean much at that point.

So, seven bad plays you can put on Driskel. In 35 called pass plays. Most coaches will take that from their quarterbacks. Was it a great day by Florida quarterbacking standards? No. But it certainly wasn't the downfall of Florida against an opportunistic Miami bunch.

I like to remind UF fans in times like these, that even the all-time greats weren't infallible. Danny Wuerffel threw a critical interception in the waning stages of the 1994 Auburn debacle at home, which set up the Tigers to go on a game-winning touchdown drive. Fast-forward to 4:39 to see a truly awful decision by one of Florida's best ever.

It happens. We remember Wuerffel for all the good now, because there was a lot of it. But even he went through some growing pains. Unfortunately Jeff Driskel is too, and because he didn't get a redshirt year (like Wuerffel did), he's still experiencing these in his junior year, as opposed to his redshirt sophomore campaign as a result.

In any case, Driskel is catching some heat right now. And that comes with the territory with the position. But it wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. At least, not from my vantage point. Now we have to see if #6, and the team as a whole, can rebound from a stinging defeat against an in-state rival to regroup and make a run at earning an invitation to Atlanta.

Class of 1992: The Foundation for a National Championship

This is the third installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1992.

After falling behind the Seminoles and the Hurricanes in the recruiting wars, the Gators made a loud statement when Steve Spurrier announced a 25-man signing class on Feb. 6, 1992. A group that was considered the consensus-No. 1 group in the country included the following:

David Barnard, Line (6-3, 280), Miami (Miami Senior)

Jim Bates, Jr., Back (6-2, 215), Sevierville, Tenn. (Sevier County)

Johnie Church, Back (6-3, 218), Fort Myers (Cypress Lake)

Cameron Davis, Line (6-4, 230), Lauderhill (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Tony Davis, Back (5-11, 190), Chipley

Dexter Daniels, Back (6-2, 225), Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta)

Bart Edmiston, Kicker (5-10, 170), Pensacola (Washington)

Jerome Evans, Back (6-2, 222), Arcadia (DeSoto County)

McDonald Ferguson, Line, (6-2, 245), Miami (North Miami)

Reggie Green, Line (6-7, 297), Bradenton (Southeast)

Demetric Jackson, Back (6-1, 180), Lake City (Columbia)

Eric Kresser, Quarterback (6-3, 200), Palm Beach Gardens

Antone Lott, Back, (5-10, 180), Jacksonville (Raines)

Jeff Mitchell, Line (6-4, 240), Clearwater (Countryside)

Dwayne Mobley, Back (6-0, 215), Brooksville (Hernando)

Shawn Nunn, Back (6-3, 230), Ocala (Vanguard)

Jason Odom, Line (6-6, 283), Bartow

Nick Quintana, Line (6-4, 290), Miami (Senior)

Shea Showers, Back (5-11, 170), Alachua (Santa Fe)

Kenny Times, Back (6-1, 218), Winter Park (Lake Howell)

Andre Washington, Back (6-1, 215), Jacksonville (Ribault/Georgia/Florida C.C.)

Shawn Wilson, Back (6-1, 180), Virginia Beach (Bayside)

Lawrence Wright, Back (6-2, 195), Miami (North Miami/Valley Forge)

Danny Wuerffel, Quarterback (6-3, 193), Fort Walton Beach

Donnie Young, Line (6-3, 260), Venice

– Allen Wallace declared this group the top-ranked recruiting class in the country, while Max Emfinger named the Gators “co-champions” with LSU.

– Dexter Daniels earned 1991 USA Today Defensive Player of the Year honors. To date, Daniels remains the only player to win that award and sign with Florida.

– 22 of the 25 members of this signing class were from inside the state of Florida (88%)

– Times did not qualify in 1992 and had to defer his enrollment to the following year.

– Florida closed out with 14 of the state's consensus top-50 recruits, while FSU came in a close second with 13. Miami landed eight. It was a dominant year inside the state borders for the Big Three. Clemson and Michigan were the only out-of-state programs to land more than one top-50 prospect from Florida, but both were only able to grab two.

Biggest Hits: Making a list of who didn't pan out in this class is considerably easier. Wuerffel was the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner. Bates, Daniels, Green, Lott, Odom, Wright and Young all picked up All-SEC honors during their stay in Gainesville as well. In total, this class produced a total of six NFL Draft picks.

It should be noted that Reggie Green had a fine career in Gainesville, despite dealing with knee issues that prevented him from a likely 10-year career at the pro level.

Biggest Misses: Quintana flunked out of UF after the fall semester of '92, and did not return to the squad. A highly-decorated player coming in, a knee injury kept Wilson from contributing at UF.

Andre Washington, who had previously pulled an eleventh-hour switcheroo in 1990 and elected to sign with Georgia instead to Florida, ended up signing with UF as a part of the 1992 class. He left Georgia after his freshman season and transferred to Florida Community College in Jacksonville. However, the long-awaited debut of Washington never took place at UF, as he failed to earn his A.A. Degree and was not able to enroll at Florida.

Tony Davis was never able to make a significant presence in the offensive backfield. After threatening to leave midway through his freshman season, he would eventually be expelled from school in the fall of 1994.

The ones who got away: Even with as good as Florida's offensive line haul was in 1992, the Gators nearly made it that-much-better with the presence of future NFL Hall-of-Famer Jonathan Ogden. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound behemoth from St. Albans School in Washington D.C. was also a highly-regarded shot-putter at the prep level. His short list included the Gators and Notre Dame, but Ogden eventually signed with UCLA.

Aside from that one, there weren't many misses. Although Dexter Daniels had a solid career in Gainesville, he was actually overshadowed in the long run by prep rival Randall Godfrey, who played at Lowndes High School in Valdosta and ended up at Georgia. Godfrey went on to play 12 years in the NFL.

Florida State signed a very good class as well. Although not quite on the level of Florida's, it was rated as a consensus top-five group, led by WR/KR Tamerick Vanover and OL Marcus Long, both named first team All-America by the USA Today. QB Danny Kannell, OL Todd Fordham, P Sean Liss, LB Todd Rebol, DT Connell Spain as well as the Crockett brothers – FB Zack and LB Henri – were major contributors for the 'Noles as well.

SEC recruiting co-champ LSU's crop included highly-regarded TE David LaFleur and WR Eddie Kennison, a pair of first-round NFL draft picks. Two-time All-SEC DE Gabe Northern was also a part of the 1992 class for the Tigers. Otherwise, it was a mostly forgettable group.

Tom Lemming, speaking on National Signing Day in 1992, would do an excellent job looking into the crystal ball many years into the future with this quote:

The SEC is so far ahead of everybody else in the nation,” Lemming said at the time. “It's phenomenal.”

Wise words, to be sure.