Post-Carolina Recruiting Thoughts

For those of you who have followed this blog over the last couple of months, I apologize for my absence over the last few weeks. There have been a lot of changes on the home front (many of them good) that have caused me to take a step back from this little pet project of mine. But now that I'm settled in a bit, I'm looking to churn out a few posts per week as we start to move towards this offseason, which figures to be coming a lot sooner than most Gators fans anticipated at the beginning of the fall.

– To be frank, there haven't been many recruiting developments over the last few weeks. The only big one of note was the slightly positive surprise of Derby (Kan.) tight end Deandre Goolsby. For anyone who has followed this blog at all, you're well-versed in how much I've been harping on the need for good tight ends in this class. Florida now has two good ones in Goolsby and Alabama native C'yontai Lewis. The Gators should also be keeping close tabs on Crawfordville Wakulla prospect Jordan Franks and Ocala Vanguard star Elkannah Dillon down the stretch as well, based on the campaigns they put together during the 2013 season.

In terms of Goolsby, the Gators are getting, in my estimation, a player who can step in and have an impact immediately. Now, I'm not predicting a 1,000-yard receiving season or anything of that sort. But this is a guy who should be able to come in, and battle for an opportunity to get on the field as a freshman. At a position where the players on the roster have really shown no ability to make an impact in the passing game as receivers, Goolsby will certainly be a welcome breath of fresh air next fall.

– But while things have been relatively quiet for the Gators on the recruiting trail in recent weeks, Thursday could be the day that changes course for UF. Highly-regarded OT prospect David Sharpe, who at one time appeared to be heading towards a decision at the Army All-American Bowl, has now decided to move up his timetable on announcing a college choice:

Thursday is the day
— David Sharpe (@SHARPECITYY) November 17, 2013

While Sharpe's only official visit has been to Tennessee so far, the signs are pointing quite favorably towards UF landing good news on Thursday. This would obviously be good news if the "buzz" proves to be true. Again, for anyone who has followed this blog, Sharpe has been a player discussed on numerous occasions and is obviously an incredible talent with major upside as an offensive tackle. If the Gators do, in fact, land him later this week, it's a big move in the right direction for a Florida unit that has struggled all throughout the course of the season.

– All that aside, a lot of Florida's recruiting success down the stretch will hinge on whether or not the Gators can hold together a strong nucleus that they've put together on the recruiting trail to date, with 15 commitments from a talented group. Prospects like Will Grier, Quincy Wilson and Ermon Lane seem to continue to give out positive vibes. However, players like Duke Dawson, J.C. Jackson and Dalvin Cook have certainly left the door open to end up somewhere other than Gainesville. With Florida poised to end a streak of 22 consecutive years in which the season was ended with a bowl game, Will Muschamp and his staff (or I guess I should say, what remains of his staff after the year), can get to work on holding together a class which still could possibly finish among the top 5-10 groups in the country come Feb. 1, 2014.

Now that it's very much clear that Will Muschamp return at the helm for at least his fourth season in Gainesville next fall, the spotlight falls directly on the offseason, and what changes Boom decides to make on his staff (along with the crop of players he brings in for next fall, obviously). Muschamp's future in Gainesville will essentially come down to the 3-4 hires (possibly more) he makes to fill out his staff this offseason. We will be keeping a close eye on the names as they emerge on the board as the Gators look to get things turned around following what will almost certainly prove to be the most disappointing UF football season in over 30 years.

Post-LSU recruiting thoughts

To start, a recap of the week that was. Some of the posts you might have missed:

– Eight prep receivers from the state of Florida who have shined so far this fall.

– Where is Delray Beach Village Academy defensive lineman Kevin Bronson on the radar for the Gators?

– The Gators have had a strong run of success at the tight end position since 2000. Where does it stack up against other programs in college football?

– Jacksonville Ribault linebacker Jakob Johnson, a German transplant, is now sitting on four offers after Wisconsin extended a tender to him last week.

– Which positions could Florida look to for immediate relief after this season from the JUCO ranks?

– Some late-week Gators-related news and notes.

And now, on to the new stuff ...

– Chewing on Florida's 17-6 loss in Baton Rouge for a couple of days can leave one with the sensation of a mouthful of gristle. This explains why the typical day-after recruiting post comes on Monday instead of Sunday. It's hard to discern at this point whether the offensive struggles are an issue of coaching or an issue of personnel. And that's obviously a dangerous place to be in if you're the coach of the Florida Gators. We'll have to see where the rest of this season goes, but I'm hard-pressed not to think there won't be some coaching turnover on the offensive side of the ball after this season. But that's really not the point of this post, so that topic will have to be saved for another day.

Going into the season, if you asked me to concede one game for Florida this season, the LSU contest in Baton Rouge was the very obvious pick. I'm sure some are disappointed by the manner in which Florida lost on Saturday. Yes, there's some things that have to be corrected on offense (especially up front on the line). We'll see how Florida rebounds from this one, and it will only take a few days to get their response. No rest for the weary (now down another starter in RB Matt Jones) as a tougher-than-originally-expected trip to Missouri looms on the schedule this weekend.

– Florida was originally able to sell Immokalee receiver J.C. Jackson on the idea of dropping his pledge to FSU in favor of a commitment to UF by focusing on the defensive angle, as he preferred playing cornerback to receiver, which is the position Florida State recruited him for. He may want to re-think that stance.

Immokalee defeated Naples 33-27. Immokalee WR JC Jackson had 5 catches for 231 yards and 3 TDs. #npfnf
— David Dorsey (@DavidADorsey) October 12, 2013

On the season, Jackson now has 621 yards receiving and nine scores on just 18 receptions. He's averaging 34.5 yards per catch. These numbers are obviously pretty good.

I always liked the idea of taking J.C. Jackson to go along with Adoree' Jackson and Chris Lammons, because it seemed natural that one of those guys would probably end up on offense as a slot guy. But Florida still has a lot of work to do to make that happen. Lammons is committed, but hasn't completely shut the door. Jackson visited LSU this past weekend and came away singing the praises of the Bayou Bengals after their win over Florida. Now, Jackson is flirting pretty heavily with Miami, and it will certainly be interesting to see what comes of that. The Gators don't need to sign all three of those guys, certainly. But getting at least two would be nice.

The number of skill players (RB, WR and DB types) in this class likely needs to be right around 10 to offset the losses UF will experience after this season, especially in the secondary. The Jacksons, as well as guys like Lammons and some of the other top targets on the board are keys to making sure the Gators restock
with the proper amount of speed and athleticism.

Florida could also use a guy who can take the top off the defense and give them a vertical threat down the field in the passing game. J.C. Jackson may turn out to be exactly that guy.

– At this point, a total overhaul at the tight end position needs to be considered. All four of the scholarship players at that position currently for Florida, have eligibility remaining after this season. That number needs to be cut in half. Deandre Goolsby, who visited Arkansas this past weekend, has to be considered a major priority at this point. If he decides to stick closer to home for college, then the Gators will need to go back to the drawing board and consider other options. With the type of season Jordan Franks is putting together at Crawfordville Wakulla, a scholarship offer for his services no longer seems like such a far-fetched option.

– Danielle Hunter showed on Saturday why Florida needs to add some height to the defensive line. Two batted balls on screen passes, one of which was set up to go for a long way to Valdez Showers if it's completed. Hunter is listed at 6-6 by the LSU sports information department. Florida has one 6-6 end in Alex McAllister on the roster, but he's not currently a factor in the defensive line rotation. This is why "the Lorenzos" (6-5 Carter and 6-7 Featherston) are such a priority for the Gators on the recruiting trail in the Class of 2014. Expect Brad Lawing to continue trying to add length and size to the defensive line moving forward, as well.

– I know Florida has an upperclassmen-laden depth chart along the offensive line, with most of those guys returning for next season. But if the LSU game is an example of the best effort this group can muster, Florida has got to consider looking to the JUCO ranks for talent (once again) in order to find a player or two who can come in and compete for playing time right off the bat. There is simply no excuse for the lack of production in the running game for a team built to win by being physical and pounding opposing defenses with a physical ground attack.

UF Recruiting News & Notes, 9/26

A quick rundown on the most pressing news items from the recruiting trail for the Gators this week:

– The Gators' most critical official visitor last weekend for the Tennessee game just happened to be 6-foot-5, 235-pound rush end Lorenzo Carter, considered a consensus five-star recruit. Florida continues to make a real push for the highly-touted athlete out of the metro-Atlanta area:

"It went beyond my expectations," Carter told Rivals.com of the visit he and his parents made for the Florida-Tennessee game. "I love the way they do their defensive scheme. Their defense is just so energized. I loved it. They have some young players, so they'll be there when I'm there. I think that would just be great to add on and get a chance to play for a dominating defense in college."

Florida has had the momentum with Carter since he made an unofficial visit to Gainesville in the summer, but they will have to find a way to keep that going over the coming months, as the staff burned their official visit on the blue-chipper quite early. Getting at least one more return visit (if not more) will be a major key for UF moving forward in the pursuit of Carter.

– For a guy who isn't even committed to Florida, Jamal Adams has done an awfully good job singing the praises of UF to other recruits. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety out of Carrollton, Tex. made his official visit to Gainesville a weekend after going to Texas A&M for the Aggies' showdown with Alabama. It appears the Gators are still on track with the national top-100 player:

So much great food this weekend 😍
— Jamal Adams (@ThaJudgeKO) September 23, 2013

Adams even spent some time trying to get highly-touted linebacker Clifton Garrett to picture the possibility of the two playing in the Swamp together one day:

pic.twitter.com/Sg1JnvTDMV
— Clifton Garrett CG3 (@CG340) September 22, 2013

Adams is still expected to take visits to Ohio State, Ole Miss and Texas before making a projected November decision. But this one appears all but done for the time being.

– The Gators have tried to gain traction for the aforementioned Garrett. In fact, Garrett is one of only two linebackers (Peach State five-star Raekwon McMillan being the other), for whom the Gators are making a major push for in the Class of 2014. By all accounts, Garrett had an enjoyable time in Gainesville last weekend. However, LSU is still the runaway favorite for the 6-foot-2, 228-pound prospect out of Plainfield, Ill. Barring a major change, expect Garrett to play out his college days in Baton Rouge.

– Tight end Deandre Goolsby (6-4, 230, Derby, Kan.) was the fourth official visitor for Florida over the weekend. As this blog has previously noted, tight end is becoming a major position of need for the Gators in the Class of 2014. Goolsby hasn't done many interviews, so it's hard to tell exactly what he's thinking. Goolsby has already made an official visit to Oklahoma, and will head to Columbus this coming weekend. His other two official visits will likely be Kansas State (Goolsby is a KSU legacy) and Arkansas, although neither has been scheduled for the time being.

With Goolsby having family ties to the Wildcats, Kansas State figures to be a major factor. I also suspect Oklahoma is a very real threat as well. In the end, Florida seems to have positioned itself well. What it will come down to the for the Gators is very simple. Will distance play a major role in Goolsby's decision? If so, then Florida will likely have to look elsewhere for a second tight end in the 2014 cycle.

– Not that any recruitnik-types were pegging Dwyer WR Johnnie Dixon to Florida at this point. But in case anyone was holding out hope that the 5-foot-11, 190-pound athlete could still ultimately end up in Gainesville, it's time to move on.

Asked good Dwyer source if #Canes are obvious for Johnnie Dixon: "I don't know. #Bama #NCState and #OhioState are for real."
— Jeff Greer (@jeffgreer) September 26, 2013

Miami is considered the favorite here, but Alabama and Ohio State are making a push as well. And don't rule out N.C. State, where Dixon's former teammate Jacoby Brissett is in line to push for the starting quarterback job next fall.

Some random Gators recruiting/team thoughts

I received a question the other day from someone on Twitter as it relates to Derby (Kan.) tight end prospect Deandre Goolsby, and why Florida would continue to recruit him with a commitment in hand from talented pledge C'yontai Lewis. Why risk losing Lewis for Goolsby?

The answer is simple. Goolsby is one of the more talented prospects left on the board, and a commitment from him makes the Gators better as a team. Furthermore, with Lewis living right in the heart of Crimson Tide country, there has to be a little bit of concern with what a potential Alabama offer down the road would mean for where he signs on the dotted line.

 Aside from all of that, there's three other points I want to make in regards to Florida's current tight end quandry:

– This is arguably the worst position on the roster right now. Clay Burton and Tevin Westbrook came to UF as defensive ends, and both have since moved over to offense. They have a combined career offensive output of two receptions for 12 yards. Kent Taylor arrived at UF as a highly-touted recruit. But he's looked more like a bust so far. I actually have some hope for Colin Thompson's future, as a foot injury knocked him out last year and forced him to redshirt. But consider what he is. A great blocker, solid receiver. He will never put up elite numbers (which for a SEC tight end, I consider a benchmark of 45/600/7) for the position. He's solid #2 guy. The type Alabama has made a living on in recent years. This group has to get better.

– It shouldn't be this bad. A.C. Leonard should still be in Gainesville. He could have put up Aaron Hernandez-like numbers (yes, I hate to mention the name, but he is the standard for which all other future tight ends will be measured by at UF) but it wasn't in the cards. And does anyone think Gerald Christian couldn't help out right now? Sure, he wasn't quite the naturally-gifted pass-catcher Leonard was. But he was a versatile and talented player. Christian could contribute at fullback, H-Back, and probably put up a line of 35/450/5 in the passing game. Those guys are missed

– Look at the example Stanford has set. Since Harbaugh arrived on campus in 2007, to be followed by David Shaw, the Cardinal have recruited tight ends like it's going out of style. And I don't blame them. If a program can recruit 15 guys in a given year who can play, are 6-5 (or taller) and in the 220-250 pounds range, I'll take it every time. Those types of prospects are so versatile. On defense, they can play DE, DT, occasionally OLB. On offense they can play H-Back, fullback, tight end, and the bigger ones can grow into offensive linemen who can fill any of the roles up front. Will Muschamp loves to talk about how the SEC is a line-of-scrimmage league. Well, those guys can always fill a number of roles in and right around the line-of-scrimmage.

The Cardinal signed three more last year – Eric Cotton, Austin Hooper and Greg Taboada (a prospect out of Atlanta I personally hoped Florida would get involved with) – and they could very well sign three more this year. Who knows? I look back to the Class of 2012 for UF. The Gators landed two highly-touted guys at the position in Taylor and Thompson, but could have easily added at least one other in-state option. Sean Culkin was begging for a UF offer. Sean Price was a player who was very much attainable for the Gators. I'm curious to watch those two guys over the next 2-3 years to see if they make Florida regret not trying to bring them in.

In any case, I got a little long-winded there. But for all these reasons, UF should continue recruiting tight ends like Goolsby and others for 2014. Sure, it is a bit of a down year for the position currently, but names will keep emerging. Just look at how the NFL has resorted to finding talent at the position – they won't hesitate to look to the hardwood, if need be. Hopefully the Gators will continue to be creative on the recruiting trail as well.

Deandre Goolsby

Another big-time prospect cut his list down this week. On Sunday, Deandre Goolsby (6-4, 225, Derby, Kan./Derby) announced his top five with an Instagram picture he uploaded to Twitter.

🙈Take a peek 👀 #Top5 pic.twitter.com/p95MSeuHCf
— DeAndre Goolsby (@thebasedone30) August 25, 2013

Unlike some prospects at this time of year, this list probably shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt. Goolsby has visited all of his favorites, and seems to have a pretty good handle on the recruiting process. His first official visit is set to Oklahoma for September 7, as the Sooners play host to West Virginia.

Two of the programs on his list – Kansas State and Ohio State – have yet to take a tight end in this class. Arkansas (Jack Kraus), Florida (C'yontai Lewis) and Oklahoma (Carson Meier) all have a commit pegged to play the position in their respective groups.

 The Razorbacks are currently pegged as the favorite according to the 247Sports' Crystal Ball feature. Arkansas also reportedly leads for Plantation (Fla.) tight end Ravian Pierce, the top tight end prospect in Florida, in what has to be considered a down year at the position here in the Sunshine State. Bret Bielema comes from Wisconsin, where the Badgers obviously had a great deal of success with the tight end position (Travis Beckham, Owen Daniels, Garrett Graham, Lance Kendricks) during his stay in Madison. I'm sure this fact is not lost on Goolsby.

From the Florida perspective, the Gators have to improve on the tight end position. It is arguably the weakest position group heading into the 2013 season, although there are a pair of promising young players in Kent Taylor and Colin Thompson for which there are high expectations for the future. Even with C'yontai Lewis in the fold already, I expect the Gators to continue looking at their options. Generally speaking, this isn't the strongest crop at the tight end position in recent years. Goolsby represents one of the best available options left on the board. Considering he did make a summer visit to Gainesville, he figures to be one of the top priorities at tight end moving forward for UF.

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