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.

Ten Florida receivers who have shined this fall

We're just past the midway point of the high school season for Florida. Most teams now have six games in the books, and some players in the passing game have really started to break away from the pack. Here's eight ten receivers (well, actually, nine receivers and a tight end) who have emerged this fall. Some were already well-known coming into the season. Some of the others? Well, they weren't quite as well known before this fall.

Now, keep in mind, I'm not advocating that these are the eight best wide receiver prospects in Florida. There have been a number of top prospects (Ermon Lane, Ja'Von Harrison, Corey Holmes and Artavis Scott among them) whose numbers haven't matched those of the players in this post for one reason or another. However, the below-listed prospects have raised their level of play this fall, without a doubt.

Ryan Sousa (6-0, 177, Lake Nona) – The prolific senior out of the Orlando area continues to put up big numbers. Sousa had over 2,400 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and his numbers continue to trend up for Lake Nona. Through six games this fall, Sousa has grabbed 59 receptions for 901 yards (15.3 ypc) and 10 scores. FSU commitment.



Natrelle Jamerson (6-0, 175, Ocala Vanguard) – Jamerson has been a part of a prolific offensive attack for the Knights this fall. Through six games, Jamerson has 39 receptions for 785 yards (20.1 ypc) and eight scores. Tight end Elkanah Dillon has also been very effective for the Vanguard passing game this season, as the Knights are 3-3 on the season.



Mike Boone (5-9, 175, Glen St. Mary Baker County) – Following a 46-7 victory against Paxon on Friday night, the FIU pledge had nabbed 48 receptions for 841 yards (17.5 ypc) and 11 scores through seven games for 5-2 Baker County.



Jordan Franks (6-4, 210, Crawfordville Wakulla) – The senior tight end has thrived with brother Feleipe throwing him passes this fall. Franks had notched 40 receptions for 742 yards (18.6 ypc) and seven scores for the 6-1 War Eagles, before a 28-7 victory over Starke Bradford on Friday night.



Anthony "Shug" Rhynes (5-11, 190, Tampa Middleton) – Rhynes' performance has been overshadowed by the fact he competes on a 1-5 team. Still, the senior receiver had 23 receptions for 811 yards and seven scores following into a 26-21 victory for Middleton on Friday night against Blake, the Tigers' first victory of the season. Rhynes had a 70-yard pass reception for a score in the game.

Travis Rudolph (6-1, 188, West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman) – The Under Armour All-American has put together good numbers on the ground and as a receiver over the past three seasons. But nothing like he's done so far this fall. Through seven games, Rudolph already has career highs of 36 receptions, 762 yards (21.2 ypc) and 11 touchdowns for the 4-2 Crusaders. Rudolph has certainly emerged as one of the top prospects in the state of Florida at the wide receiver position, if not the best.



J.C. Jackson (5-10, 185, Immokalee) – After another big game for the Florida commitment on Friday night in a win over Naples, Jackson now has 18 receptions for 615 yards (34.2 ypc) and 9 scores for Immokalee, despite the fact he's only played in five games for the Indians, who are now 5-2 on the season. Jackson now has two games of 200+ receiving yards in the last three weeks for Immokalee.



Stephen Denmark (6-3, 200, Tallahassee Rickards) – Denmark has been a standout on a surprising 6-0 Rickards squad. He has 23 receptions for 632 yards (27.5 ypc) and eight scores for the season. He also added an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against FAMU High on Thursday, demonstrating why his stock should continue to rise over the course of this season and heading into the weeks leading up to National Signing Day.

Garrett Johnson (5-10, 168, Winter Garden West Orange) – The explosive slot receiver has been incredibly productive once against for West Orange this fall, nabbing 38 receptions for 607 yards (16.0 ypc) and nine touchdowns for the 6-1 Warriors before a 56-7 win over Cypress Creek on Friday night. Johnson had a 63-yard reception for a touchdown and also returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in that contest as well. Johnson is committed to Kentucky.



Ny'Qwan Murray (5-11, 170, Orlando Oak Ridge) – The central Florida speedster recently picked up his first FBS offer from Cincinnati. Murray had 41 receptions for 788 yards (19.2 ypc) and 10 scores before a 23-20 win over Ocoee to move their record to 4-3 on the year. Murray had a 99-yard TD reception against East Ridge earlier this season, which is linked below.