Winning now: Looking to the JUCO ranks

If you spend a few minutes looking over the Florida football roster, it's abundantly clear they are built to win, and possibly win big in 2014. A large junior class (currently at 22, but likely to lose a couple of guys to the NFL after this season) supports this notion. The Gators are deep and talented at a number of positions: UF will likely return two quarterbacks with at least 10 games of starting experience in Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy next year, several talented and proven running backs including Matt Jones and Mack Brown, a large number of offensive and defensive linemen are slated to return, proven linebackers in Antonio Morrison and Michael Taylo will be back, along with a host of gifted young players at both wide receiver and in the secondary.

However, there are shaping up to be some holes on the depth chart as well. The Gators could realistically dip into the JUCO ranks at a number of positions in an effort to shore up some spots on the roster. Let me be clear, I'm not advocating for a widespread addition of talent from the junior college ranks. However, there are five spots where Florida could bring in a transfer and it would make a lot of sense from the perspective that those players would come in handy since UF has a chance to potentially win it all next season.

1. Cornerback: If both Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson head off to the NFL next year, there will be a major hole on the depth chart at cornerback. Florida is targeting a wide range of corners from the high school ranks, and will likely end up signing 4-5 players from the prep ranks that end up on the back end for the Class of 2014. But in this scenario, there would be just two true cornerbacks on the roster returning in sophomore Vernon Hargreaves and redshirt freshman Nick Washington. Sure, senior Cody Riggs (playing safety this year) and junior Brian Poole (who has mostly been used as a nickelback) have experience at the position as well. I'm not sure either guy can be relied on to hold down a corner position for the entire season, however. The right guy from the JUCO ranks (former five-star recruit Tee Shepard, now at Holmes C.C. in Mississippi, perhaps?) could make a lot of sense for the Gators in 2015.

2. Wide Receiver: The Gators have seen a rejuvenation in the wide receiving corps this fall. A lot of this success is likely owed to new wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, who has his unit playing beautifully. Of the top three receivers on the team, two of them (Trey Burton and Solomon Patton) will be gone after the season. While the Gators have a couple of talented young players waiting in the wings (Ahmad Fulwood and Demarcus Robinson), it wouldn't be a bad idea to add a talented JUCO player to the mix as well, just to give a little additional depth

3. Defensive Line: Considering the huge, gaping hole at defensive tackle between Darious Cummings and Leon Orr and the three highly-touted freshmen tackles signed this past February (Bostwick, Brantley and Riles), signing a junior college defensive lineman would make a lot of sense. Even if, say, Jonathan Bullard made the transition to more of a defensive tackle next fall, then grabbing a JUCO end would make a lot of sense. It appears to be a strong year for prospects on the defensive front. Florida has already made a run at DaVonte Lambert (Tennessee) and Abu Lamin (South Carolina). It's clear that it's an idea both Will Muschamp and Brad Lawing are open to – if they can the right guy, that is.

4. Offensive Line: The numbers really shouldn't figure to be an issue looking ahead to next year. The left side of the line (Humphries at tackle, Garcia at guard) is strong and should remain intact heading into 2014. There are a number of options who should be able to fill the other three positions (Brown, Green, Moore and Silberman jump to the forefront) and a couple of young guys should make the next step and jump into the mix for a starting job and/or considerable playing time (namely Octavious Jackson and Trip Thurman). However, throwing another transfer lineman into the mix who could push the others are the roster for a starting spot wouldn't be the worst outcome in the world.

5. Tight End: If you consider the complete lack of production at this spot, it makes a lot of sense. However, the fact of the matter is there just aren't a lot of realistic options out there for the 2014 class. Jean Sifrin (6-7, 255, El Camino College) is a native of Miami and claims some major offers (Oklahoma being the biggest). Braedon Bowman (6-4, 225, Scottsdale C.C.) is putting together a big-time campaign this fall, but I'm not sure he's exactly an SEC-caliber player. There's also Ricky Parks, the former highly-touted recruit from Auburn, who is at Northeast Mississippi C.C., but it's not clear yet when he will have the credits in order to transfer to a four-year school. All things considered, Florida appears to be focused primarily towards going the high school route in signing two tight ends for 2014, and that's appears to be the right idea as of now.

Again, the point isn't that Florida needs to take JUCO players at all of these spots. But it would make sense for UF to take a junior college transfer at any one of these positions. My hunch is that UF will eventually land 2-3 in this class, and it's hard to believe they won't come from the above-listed spots on the roster.

More targets will emerge for UF, others

In trying to build up and break down the remaining recruiting board for the Florida Gators for the Class of 2014, one thing needs to be made clear: other prospects will emerge. Some of them will have been former targets of UF that have reconsidered their commitments. Other players will have come off the radar entirely to become priorities for the Florida coaching staff. Just look at last year's class, for instance. Seven prospects committed after Oct. 1, 2012 that weren't considered possibilities for Florida on that date:

LB Alex Anzalone
DT Darious Cummings
LB Jarrad Davis
DT Jarran Reed
LB Matt Rolin
P Johnny Townsend
OL Trevon Young

Of course, Anzalone and Rolin had been offered much earlier in the process, but had committed elsewhere (Anzalone to Ohio State, then Notre Dame; Rolin to South Carolina). Cummings and Reed (who ultimately wasn't able to enroll at Florida this fall) were JUCO targets who emerged on the radar as the season wore on, which has been the emerging trend for how UF typically pursues prospects out of the junior college ranks. Davis became a possibility for the Gators as Auburn's season crumbled and Gene Chizik was run out of town. Townsend and Young emerged on the board right around National Signing Day for UF.

More names will emerge, that much is clear. Like Eric Lauderdale on Monday, the Gators are far from done in terms of evaluating players and extending offers. Some will of those tenders will go to names that will not surprise hard-core UF recruitniks. Others, like Lauderdale, may be names that surprise us a bit.

Just a little some to keep in mind as we project the recruiting board for Florida moving forward. It is an organic creature that will continue to change and develop all the way until National Signing Day.

The Gators target a Tennessee commitment

Florida extended an offer to Saddleback College (Mission Viejo, Calif.) wide receiver Eric Lauderdale on Monday afternoon.

#Florida Offered 🐊
— Eric Lauderdale (@e_lauderdale) September 30, 2013

Lauderdale is originally from Fayetteville, Ga., which is about 40 minutes southwest of downtown Atlanta. Saddleback College has him listed on the 2013 roster at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. He's presently committed to play for Tennessee next year, which he made sure to reaffirm after announcing the offer from UF.

Still #VolNation though
— Eric Lauderdale (@e_lauderdale) September 30, 2013

However, it should be noted that Florida has had some success in recent years of prying away JUCO players who were already committed to Tennessee. The Gators landed defensive tackle Edwin Herbert out of the City College of San Francisco in 2009 (Oops!) and then Damien Jacobs from East Mississippi Community College in 2012. Herbert was a non-contributor at Florida and only lasted in Gainesville for a year, while Jacobs has been a valued rotational tackle since joining the Gators. With Tennessee's ongoing struggles this season, it's a situation that certainly bears watching.

It's also worth noting that Florida has not signed a receiver from the junior college ranks since Carl Moore out of Sierra Community College in Rocklin, Calif. back in 2008.

As I've maintained, the Gators need to land at least three more skill prospects in addition to the players they've already managed to bring into the fold. And that doesn't even take into account potential attrition at the wide receiver position (of which I suspect there could be some following the season). So that number could very easily rise from three before National Signing Day rolls around.

During his freshman season at Saddleback, Lauderdale made 60 receptions for 916 yards (15.3 avg.) and 7 scores. He has yet to play in a game for Saddleback this season through three contests.

JUCO Report, 9/30

The junior college football season is approximately half over in most regions of the country. With that in mind, here's a listing of 16 defensive linemen who have emerged as potential BCS prospects

Defensive End

Jhaustin Thomas (6-6, 270, Decatur, Ga./Trinity Valley C.C.) – Thomas signed with South Carolina in the 2012 class and has gave a pledge in June to re-join the Gamecocks as a part of the next year. Thomas currently leads all junior college defenders with 8.5 sacks on the season. With his size, he is potentially the most intriguing JUCO prospect on the defensive line for this class. (2013 stats through five games: 27 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 8.5 sacks, 1 PBU)

Whitney Richardson (6-5, 240, Pensacola/Mesa C.C.) – Because of his length and pass-rush ability, Richardson was tracked by a number of schools (including Florida) out of high school. It was well-known he was a sign-and-place guy coming out of the prep ranks, however. Richardson has been off to a slightly slower start this fall than last season at Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he notched eight sacks as a freshman. (2013 stats through five games: 23 tackles, 5 for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 FF)

Others to watch:

Demetrius Hill (6-3, 250, Kankakee, Ill./Fort Scott C.C.) – 35 tackles, 7.0 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 FF)

Kyle Holmes (6-3, 232, Beaumont, Tex./Blinn College) – 24 tackles, 7.0 for loss, 6.5 sacks, 1 PBU)

Anthony Olobia (6-5, 245, Renton, Wash./Arizona Western College) – 27 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks

Dalyou Pierson (6-3, 260, Bakersfield, Calif./Pasadena City College) – 21 tackles, 11.0 for loss, 6.0 sacks

Tui Talia (6-5, 260, Pleasant Hill, Calif./Diablo Valley College) – 31 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 5.0 sacks, 2 PBU 

Brent Williams (6-4, 240, Los Angeles, Calif./El Camino College) – 24 tackles, 7.0 for loss, 6.0 sacks

Defensive Tackle

DaVonte Lambert (6-2, 275, Waynesboro, Ga./Georgia Military College) – Ranked as one of the top junior college prospects in the country for the 2014 class, Lambert has already given a commitment to Tennessee after being hotly pursued by Auburn, Georgia and Florida, among others. (2013 stats through six games: 15 tackles, 5.0 for loss, 3.0 sacks, 3 FF)

Steven Eddings (6-4, 285, Memphis, Tenn./Jones County J.C.) – Eddings has been off to a hot start. Impressive numbers early on. He could be the late-bloomer for this year's JUCO crop, comparative to Lavon Hooks of the 2013 class. (25 tackles, 5.0 for loss, 2.0 sacks, 1 PBU)

Jarran Reed (6-4, 305, Goldsboro, N.C./East Mississippi C.C.) – Signed with Florida earlier this year, but was unable to meet the academic requirements to get into school for the fall semester. Mid-year enrollee. Really hasn't made any statistical leaps since last year through the first half of the season. (2013 stats through five games: 20 tackles, 1.0 sacks)

Others to watch:

Raymond Coen (6-3, 295, Rio Linda, Calif./Sacramento City College) – 23 tackles, 11.0 for loss, 6.0 sacks

Calvin Heurtelou (6-4, 304, Nanuet, N.Y./Scottsdale C.C.) – 28 tackles, 8.0 for loss, 1 FR

Cory Johnson (6-3, 305, Chambersburg, Pa./Asa College) – 18 tackles, 2.0 for loss

Abu Lamin (6-4, 310, Raleigh, N.C./Fort Scott C.C.) – 17 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1 FF

Daniel Ross (6-4, 310, Louisville, Ky./Northeast Mississippi C.C.) – 25 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 1.0 sacks, 1 FF)

JUCO WR JaMichael Willis: Stock Up

For teams needing immediate help at the wide receiver position (I'm looking at you, Brent Pease and Joker Phillips), heading to the JUCO ranks makes a lot of sense. But the player largely considered the No. 1 prospect at the position this year in the junior college ranks – D'haquille Williams of Mississippi Gulf Coast – is technically off the board already and committed to Auburn.

Well, have no fear. Another top playmaker has emerged.

JaMichael Willis of Jones County outdueled Williams in a battle of two of the top offenses in JUCO football, as the Bobcats pulled off a stunning 52-42 upset of Mississippi Gulf Coast on the road in Perkinston, Miss. on Thursday night.

Willis nabbed nine receptions for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the evening. This will only extend his NJCAA-leading totals to 33 receptions for 635 yards (19.42 ypc) and six scores through four games at the conclusion of this weekend's contests. Willis' output on Thursday night nearly matched his total from last year as a freshman at Jones County, where he was credited with 235 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns on 25 receptions.

Listed at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds on the Jones County website, Willis originally hails from Birmingham. In high school, he appeared in the Sept. 27, 2010 edition of Sports Illustrated's "Faces In the Crowd" feature after being on the receiving end of six touchdown passes in a single game. During that season, his junior campaign at Gardendale High School, Willis totaled 62 receptions for 1,109 yards and 15 touchdowns. Not too shabby.



But aside from that, there's not much out there on what Willis did during his senior year of high school. Only a couple of video clips from his time at Jones County Junior College. Perhaps there is more to this story than what meets the eye. But through four games of his sophomore season for the Bobcats, Willis appears to be a big-time FBS receiver prospect for a team that needs a shot in the arm at the position.

Should the Gators look to the JUCO route at corner?

The only real drawback to having a cornerback trio as talented as the one Florida will run out onto the field this fall (Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson and Jaylen Watkins), is that all three players may very well be in the NFL at this time next year. Both Purifoy and Roberson would forfeit their final year of college eligibility in such a scenario. For a roster that is built to make a real run at a national championship in 2014, this of course is not exactly a best-case scenario.

Sure, all-world freshman Vernon Hargreaves would presumably slide into a starting spot as a sophomore for the Gators as a result. Brian Poole, Cody Riggs and another promising freshman in Nick Washington would likely compete for the starting job opposite Hargreaves. But after those four guys, would be a litter of true freshmen (Duke Dawson, J.C. Jackson, Chris Lammons and Quincy Wilson) backing them up.

So, this begs the question. With so much on the line for 2014, should Will Muschamp consider looking to the JUCO ranks to help replenish the corner position for next year?

And the answer is much more simple. If both Purifoy and Roberson are collecting paychecks at this time next year, it's a resounding “yes.”

Obviously, it's early, and there are a number of talented guys who will emerge over the course of the fall. But a few of the names I'm currently tracking include Josh Keys (6-1, 180, Seminary, Miss./Miss. Gulf Coast C.C.), Quintavious Knight* (6-0, 170, Ellenwood, Ga./Georgia Military College), Paris Ratliff (6-0, 170, Chicago, Ill./ASA College) and Keith Reynolds (6-0, 175, Durant, Miss./Northwest Miss. C.C.), among others.

UGA looked to dip into the JUCO talent pool and as a result, recently picked up a pledge from Georgia native Shattle Fenteng, a big (6-foot-2, 185-pound) corner out of Hutchinson C.C. in Kansas. With his size and cover ability, Fenteng is now being touted in some circles as the top defensive back in the JUCO ranks for the Class of 2014. However, the real prize at the position has yet to suit up at his present college. In fact, question marks regarding his status continue to surround his recruitment.

Tee Shepard was a top-50 recruit for Notre Dame out of Fresno last year. Although he enrolled in classes at South Bend in January of 2012, Shepard didn't even make it through spring practice for the Fighting Irish. He returned home to California just a couple of months later to plot out his next move, a process that is still technically ongoing as Shepard tries to determine his eligibility status with the NCAA.

Enrolled at Holmes Community College in Mississippi since the spring semester, Shepard is hoping to be cleared with the NCAA so that he can transfer to a four-year school in January, presumably with four years to complete three years of eligibility. If the NCAA does not grant his request, he is aiming to complete his AA degree requirements by the end of the 2014 spring semester. Admittedly, that plan seems a bit on the optimistic side (as Florida fans can attest to with the case of aborted JUCO transfer Jarran Reed this year).

In any case, if Shepard can get his eligibility status straightened out over the course of the fall, he could prove an attractive option for Florida if both Purifoy and Roberson are gone. His length – Shepard is now listed at 6-foot-1, and nearly 200 pounds – would be a welcome replacement in the event UF is forced to replace three corners following the 2013 season, all at least six-feet tall.

Of course, Shepard has now been away from the game of football for two years – he was ruled ineligible after switching schools as a high school senior in an effort to be able to graduate from high school early. So his play on the field this fall will be closely watched by a number of top programs. But, assuming the talent that made him such a highly-touted recruit has not simply disappeared, Shepard would appear to be a low-risk, high-reward prospect if he can get himself in a position to enroll at a four-year school before next fall.

Naturally, Shepard will be a hotly-pursued prospect. Oklahoma, long thought to be his original transfer destination after leaving Notre Dame, will be a major player. Other BCS schools will surely make a run at him too. However, it is my belief that he is a name the UF coaching staff should clearly keep an eye on moving forward.

Of course, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. As my last post pointed out, there's still an entire year left to go. And if either Purifoy or Roberson return next fall, the need for a JUCO corner declines greatly. So I guess we'll just have to sit back and see how this season plays out before getting too carried away on Florida's need for a JUCO cornerback prospect in the Class of 2014.

* It should be noted that Knight is presently committed to Ole Miss, but as it relates to JUCO prospects, commitment can be wildly volatile. With Florida's recent history of recruiting Georgia Military College, he should be considered as a prospect on the radar if Florida looks to add a transfer.