Showing posts with label Class of 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Class of 2015. Show all posts

Thursday, September 12, 2013

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.


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:


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:


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:


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.

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.
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Monday, August 26, 2013

The weekend in review: Recapping the Prospects (Part II)

A follow up to last night's post: with a full weekend of prep football on the ESPN family of networks (and elsewhere), here's a look at some of the prospects who jumped off the screen to me on Sunday afternoon.

ATH Jalen Hurd (6-4, 225, Henderson, Tenn./Beech)
– Some talk Hurd has even moved upwards of 240 pounds (or more). He looks good, although I'm not sure I'm buying that he already weighs that much. In any case, Hurd was incredibly impressive in a thrilling 42-39 win over Station Camp on Sunday. Hurd lived up to expectations on offense (21 carries, 177 yards, 3 TD's), but he was a revelation playing on defense, often as a one-high safety positioned about 15-18 yards off the line of scrimmage. Hurd would likely need a transition to linebacker at the next level, but his future very much seems to be on defense. He could be a difference-maker for the Vols on a unit where they currently lack for talent.


WR Josh Malone (6-2, 191, Gallatin, Tenn./Station Camp)
– Malone was impressive, if not spectacular on Sunday. A 87-yard kickoff return for a TD allowed his surprising speed and explosiveness at his size to shine through. He will need some work – Malone is not a finished product by any means (evidenced by his offensive performance: four receptions, 35 yards). But he can be a big-time receiver on the next level. Obviously, his recruitment is only beginning to heat up.


RB Tre Malone (6-0, 235, Gallatin, Tenn./Station Camp)
– The cousin of Josh, this Malone is a member of the Class of 2015, and should be just as highly-recruited. Malone impressed as a big, bruising, downhill runner who proved extremely tough for the Beech defense to bring down on Sunday (14 carries, 92 yards, 2 TD's). He should prove to be just as highly-recruited as his four-star relative based on his performance this weekend.

WR Ermon Lane (6-2, 196, Homestead)
– Lane had a relatively quiet game on Sunday, getting injured early on and never really making an impact after that (four catches, 42 yards). I was actually as impressed by a couple of tackles he made on defense as anything he did from the wide receiver position. Clearly, Homestead was overmatched against the University School. Lane will likely put up big numbers once the Broncos get into the meat of the schedule, especially if they elect to air it out like they did on Sunday (Broncos QB Maurice Alexander threw 45 times against the University School). In any case, if nothing else, at least Lane showed the level of physicality that will be needed from him on the occasions he's asked to block at the next level.


CB Quincy Wilson (6-1, 196, University School)
– Wilson had the big pick-six to sort of put the game away for University School in a 41-21 win over Homestead. Wilson had a couple of breakdowns in coverage as well, but overall I thought he showed great agility and technique for a big corner. Although a lot of people seem to have questioned his take by Florida, the Gators clearly needed at least one big corner in this class. Wilson helps fill that void.



RB Jordan Scarlett (5-11, 200, University School)
– Scarlett isn't quite there yet. He's got the speed. He's starting to fill out and show the frame (now around 200 pounds). He's certainly close. It's hard not to think that Scarlett is putting himself in an excellent position to end up the top running back in the state of Florida for the Class of 2015, and subsequently, one of the top in the country among the junior class as well. Scarlett ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the kickoff classic victory for the U-School.


QB Torrance Gibson (6-4, 185, American Heritage-Plantation)
– After making a strong impact on the seven-on-seven circuit over the spring and summer, Gibson flashed plus tools on Sunday against Cypress Bay. His 80-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Perez on the first play from scrimmage got things started for the Patriots in a big preseason win over the Chargers. The hype is certainly warranted. Gibson has the size, although he needs to continue adding weight. Impressive speed at 6-4, and he showed off a live arm on Sunday. It's only one preseason classic under his belt at this point, but now you can officially take the “athlete” label off of #6. He's got the look of a big-time dual-threat quarterback prospect.



RB Sony Michel (5-11, 205, American Heritage-Plantation)
– Michel showed why all the hype early in his career was warranted, ripping off a 69-yard touchdown run on the second offensive series of the game for AH-Plantation in a 38-14 kickoff classic win over defending FHSAA Class 8A runner-up Cypress Bay. Two years removed from the ACL injury that wiped out his sophomore season, Michel appears to be back to 100 percent, and ready to run roughshod over South Florida competition once again. The UGA rushing attack continues to get more formidable.


CB Tarvarus McFadden (6-2, 185, American Heritage-Plantation)
– Talented junior athlete had a couple of plays that stood out. A 58-yard kickoff allowed McFadden to flash his speed, but was called back due to a penalty. Cypress Bay also tested McFadden on a fade route in the end zone where McFadden showed good positioning and coverage. He batted the ball away and nearly made an interception. Overall, I was impressed with McFadden's cover ability at that size. Great body control. He's definitely an intriguing prospect among the state's junior class.

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