Gators Recruiting News & Notes, 10/11

It's been sort of a quiet week on the recruiting trail. Not a whole lot of Florida-related notes to write about, or anything of note from the national perspective that grabbed my attention. However, here's a couple of tidbits to chew on as we head towards an excellent slate of games on Saturday:

– Rivals reported earlier this week that Auburn commit Tre Williams (6-2, 225, Mobile, Ala./St. Paul's) will use an official visit to see check out Florida. Is there anything to see here? Maybe, but it's unlikely. Williams name has been continuously been mentioned in connection with UF for months. But nothing has really came of it. Unless Williams makes more than one visit to Gainesville before National Signing Day, this is likely just a trip to have something to compare Auburn with.

Throw in the fact that Nyles Morgan (6-2, 230, Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee) has expressed interest in taking an official visit to Florida as well, and the linebacker board has expanded a bit for the Gators. Raekwon McMillan and Clifton Garrett remain the top two prospects on the board for Florida. But all four players have to be considered long shots for the Gators at this point. So, this begs the question: assuming the Gators miss on all four of these guys, will they elect to take a guy like Dwight Williams (6-1, 205, Gardena, Calif./Junipero Serra)? Or will they make a late run at one of the in-state linebackers instead? There are some impressive looking players from around the Sunshine State. Josh Black, Jakob Johnson, Xavier Preston, Sharieff Rhaheed are among the in-state prospects worthy of an offer, in my view (Johnson could also get a look at defensive end or in a role similar to that of Ronald Powell). It should also be noted that current commitment Justus Reed could also get a look at playing linebacker or a hybrid role not all that dissimilar from current UF player Neiron Ball.

There's still a long ways to go. The need for numbers isn't there after signing four linebackers last year, but I still expect the Gators to add someone to the fold at the position for the Class of 2014. The only question now is, who will it be?

– Five-star WR commit Ermon Lane of Homestead was ejected for reportedly throwing a punch in a 45-0 win over Palmetto on Thursday night.

Ermon Lane talking with #Homestead AD Newsome and HC Coffey after being ejected in the first. pic.twitter.com/vjOMouz2vr
— Chris Green (@cgreensdnl) October 10, 2013

If the ejection is upheld as is, Lane would face a six-week suspension, which is the typical measure handed down by the FHSAA for such an incident. An appeal in the matter is likely, given the circumstances however, as Lane claims he was simply trying to jar the ball loose from an opponent while playing safety on defense. A reasonable argument, I suppose, without having been there to personally witness the incident, myself.

However, if the six-week suspension is upheld, Lane has very possibly played his final game at the high school level.

– The mystery player of Florida's 2014 class to date has been Casper (Wyo.) Natrona County lineman Taven Bryan. This of course, is owed mostly to the fact there have only been a handful of major recruits to come out of Wyoming over the past couple of decades (with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Brett Keisel likely being the only one you've ever heard of). While stats on Bryan are hard to come across (he mostly plays offensive line at the high school level), there are a few notes to pass along in regards to his team.

A good analogy for the natives here, is that Natrona County would be to Wyoming, what Lake City Columbia is to the state of Florida. The Fillies were the winningest program in state history coming into the season, with an all-time record of 550-271-27 (good for a .665 winning percentage). They are the defending 4A state champions and have won or split 16 titles in their illustrious history.

However, Natrona has lost three games so far this season. All by a single point, and all three in overtime (the season-opener saw the Fillies drop a 42-41 decision to Cheyenne East in triple overtime, in fact). After beginning the season 3-3, they now have a tough road ahead following an early-season slump that has seen the program match their loss total over the previous three seasons in just six games this fall.

Bryan, a first-team Class 4A All-State selection as an offensive lineman a year ago (4A is the largest classification in Wyoming prep football), will be Florida's first ever signee from the state of Wyoming, to my knowledge. While he's projected as a player who could end up on either side of the football, he might just be the guy out of this class who ends up as the prospect who projects best at the center position for the Gators moving forward (a spot offensive line coach Tim Davis has said he wants to address in every recruiting class). Or maybe he does, in fact, end up the second coming of Keisel in the Swamp. Time will tell on that one.

– And if you missed it yesterday, Kevin Bronson has possibly emerged as on the board for Florida as a big end or quick tackle prospect for this recruiting class after the Gators came up short on a few names early on in the process of the Class of 2014.

UF Recruiting News & Notes, 10/2

– Despite some conflicting information this afternoon, it appears an official visit to Florida is still on for this weekend according to New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr teammates WR Speedy Noil (5-11, 180) and DL Gerald Willis (6-3, 275). The pair were honored with a jersey ceremony today, officially including them as a part of the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game.

The pair join a list which is also expected to include Florida offensive line commitment Nolan Kelleher (6-5, 300, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and a pair of priority targets in TE Bryce Dixon (6-4, 230, Ventura, Calif.) and DE Lorenzo Featherston (6-7, 220, Greensboro, N.C.) on official visits, along with a host of other players making the trip to the Swamp on their own dime. The reports on Dixon and Featherston come from 247Sports, by the way. Behind the Tennessee game two weeks ago, and the Florida State finale to close out the regular season slate, Arkansas should prove to be the other "big" recruiting visit weekend for the Gators this fall.

– While two Louisiana targets for UF confirmed their visit plans, another has dropped off the board. To no one's surprise, really, Davon Godchaux finally went public with a commitment to the Bayou Bengals on Monday. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive line prospect was considered a long shot for the Gators, but the Florida staff was hoping to get him on campus for an official visit later in the season.

2014 Plaquemines DL Davon Godchaux commits to #LSU with quotes http://t.co/ncMEOvTYqA
— Jimmy D Smith (@JimmyDetail) October 1, 2013

– It appears Georgia made quite a splash with top linebacker prospect Raekwon McMillan this past weekend. The Bulldogs really impressed the five-star prospect out of Hinesville, Ga. during an official visit to Athens, where he watched the home team take down LSU, 45-42, in a nationally televised contest on CBS. UGA appears poised to make a strong run at McMillan down the stretch, while Clemson and Ohio State still top his list of schools.

“My trip to Georgia was a great visit,” McMillan told the AJC on Monday night. “I got there early Saturday morning and left there late on Sunday night. Georgia really gave me a good reason to stay in-state, and really helped their chances with me going to Georgia.”

Of note on this particular visit, McMillan and blue-chip defensive end Lorenzo Carter – also a major target for Florida – were in Athens together this weekend. The two have expressed an interest in playing football together at the next level, making Florida and Georgia their most likely destinations if they want to carry out that particular destiny.

Timing of visits is always an interesting subject. Carter used his first official to Gainesville for the Tennessee game two weeks ago, and McMillan used his first official visit on the UGA trip. McMillan's final visit is slated for Florida (and the FSU game) in November. Perhaps Will Muschamp and his staff are banking on the two wanting to hang out at a game together once again, assuring that they get at least one more shot at Carter on campus during the fall? It's definitely something to consider.

In any case, I will quickly concede that nothing directly from McMillan himself to date has indicated that Florida has a great shot at landing his services. But he has made a few visits to Gainesville this year; UF is the closest campus to his hometown of Hinesville at right around three hours a trip (Georgia is over four hours away, while a ride to Clemson totals nearly five hours); and the Gators do get that critical final official visit from McMillan. I've seen this staff pull in kids with odds seemingly just as long. While I'm not projecting the Gators to get McMillan at this time, I don't believe anyone should write off their chances, either.

– Very much in a similar vein to big offensive tackle David Sharpe, another in-state prospect pegged to end up at Florida early on who has been trending away from the Gators in recent weeks is Cardinal Newman WR Travis Rudolph. News on the Under Armour All-American has been largely mixed for several months now, but it appears one team is really starting to make a move for his services:

Source: #FSU very confident about landing 2014 WR Travis Rudolph.
— Jeff Greer (@jeffgreer) October 1, 2013

With as volatile as Rudolph's recruitment has been to date, there's no reason for Florida to stop recruiting the 6-foot-1, 190-pound prospect out of West Palm Beach. However, there seems to be a bit more of feeling of traction with FSU here. That the move they've made through the summer and with a hot start behind freshman QB Jameis Winston is very much solid. It's easy to see why, then, that the Gators have started to once again kick the tires on Lakeland Kathleen receiver Ja'Von Harrison, who unofficially visited Gainesville for the Tennessee game. Harrison maintains he is solidly committed to Virginia Tech, but he seems to at least be leaving the door slightly cracked for Florida to potentially make a late run at his signature with his actions.

The Big Board, 9/23 Edition

I still don't know exactly what to call this feature. So for now, we'll just call label it "The Big Board."

As for what this list entails, it's really a combination of multiple factors: 1.) The likelihood of the prospect coming to UF. 2.) How high the prospect is on Florida's board. 3. The need for Florida at the given position each prospect plays. AND 4.) What my gut instincts tell me. But in the end, it's a sort of ranking system for the remaining prospects on the board for the Gators.

I've dropped this in a few updates over the last couple of weeks, but this is the first time the big board has earned solo treatment. The biggest movers have been David Sharpe (who started out at No. 2, but has slid all the way down to No. 9 after he failed to make it in for the Tennessee game over the weekend), as well as Javon Harrison (who makes a big leap onto the list at No. 10). Harrison appears to be trending up for UF after the Gators were able to get him on campus for the Florida-Tennessee game. Now, the key is if they can keep him coming back to Gainesville to keep the momentum going.

1. DB Jamal Adams

2. DE Lorenzo Carter 

3. DB Adoree' Jackson
4. WR Travis Rudolph
5. TE Deandre Goolsby

6. DE Cory Thomas
7. DE Lorenzo Featherston

8. OL David Sharpe
9. RB Bo Scarbrough (Alabama)

10. WR Javon Harrison (Virginia Tech)
11. LB Dwight Williams

12. DB Jalen Tabor
13. RB Joe Mixon
14. OL Jordan Sims
15. WR Artavis Scott (Clemson)
16. DT Thomas Holley  

17. OL Damien Mama
18. LB: Raekwon McMillan

19. DE Da'Shawn Hand 

20. LB Clifton Garrett
21 WR Josh Malone
22. DE Dewayne Hendrix
23. DT Gerald Willis
24. WR Speedy Noil
25. DE Richard Yeargin (Notre Dame)

26. DE Jacob Pugh (Florida State)

27. OL Trevor Darling (Miami)
28. DT Davon Godchaux
29. LB Nyles Morgan
30. DE Malik McDowell   

31. RB Leonard Fournette

32. DT Anthony Moten 

33. LB Kenny Young
34. DT Zaycoven Henderson
35. WR Johnnie Dixon

36. DB Marlon Humphrey
37. OL Denzel Ward (Purdue)
38. DT Jarran Reed
39. QB Chase Litton

40. RB Tony James

41. DE Rohan Blackwood (Wisconsin)

42. TE Ravian Pierce

43. RB Cortavious Givens

44. DT Jeremy Patterson

45. TE Montez Sweat

Trending up: Javon Harrison, Cory Thomas
Trending down: David Sharpe

Recruiting News & Notes, 9/15

– First, to update this Thursday night post, which dealt with Florida's recruiting efforts during the Bye week. Here are a few more notes on where the UF coaches visited on Friday:

Head coach Will Muschamp clearly went where he felt needed the most, and that was to check in with top-ranked defensive end Lorenzo Carter as Norcross took on North Gwinnett in a highly-anticipated battle between a pair of five-star prospects in Carter and North Gwinnett junior offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt. The match-up reported lived up to expectations.

Coaches here at Norcross/North Gwinnett. Tony Elliot - #Clemson, Will Muschamp and DJ Durkin - #UF, Todd Grantham and Bryan McClendon - #UGA
— Jake Rowe (@JakeRoweRivals) September 13, 2013

Durkin, if you remember, had checked in with five-star LB Raekwon McMillan the night before in Hinesville, Ga.

Meanwhile, receivers coach Joker Phillips has not given up on the highly-touted receiver duo of Artavis Scott (2014, Clemson commitment) and George Campbell (2015, Michigan commitment) at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, despite the fact both players have already given pledges to other schools.

Joker Phillips, Univ Florida's receivers coach at East Lake v. Dunedin!
— Danny Bennett (@DannyWBennett) September 12, 2013

Running backs coach Brian White was in attendance as Alabama commitment Bo Scarbrough rolled up a four-score, 299-yard performance as the IMG Academy posted a 43-24 victory over Cardinal Newman. Of course, the Gators were also present for Travis Rudolph, who played well in a losing effort.

Florida RBs coach Brian White is here at IMG to watch Bo Scarbrough and Travis Rudolph pic.twitter.com/jIqNHlfIsF
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) September 13, 2013

Louisiana ace Derek Lewis was able to pull double-duty, as he was present for a pair of highly-anticipated tussles in St. Augustine-Edna Karr and John Curtis-St. Thomas Aquinas.

A lot of college coaches here to check out this game. LSU, Florida, Texas...just to name a few http://t.co/U3PoHUZqq7
— Hunter Paniagua (@HunterPaniagua) September 13, 2013

Prospects Lewis got to evaluate in-person included RB Leonard Fournette (St. Augustine), WR Speedy Noil and DL Gerald Willis (Edna Karr), LB Kenny Young (John Curtis) and DL Anthony Moten (St. Thomas Aquinas.) Of course, all of those guys (except for Young) have offers already, so it was more about having a Florida presence at the games than anything else at this point.

Other prospects Florida reportedly checked in with this week include QB commit Will Grier (Davidson, N.C.), CB pledge Chris Lammons (Plantation) and defensive line target Davon Godchaux (Plaquemine, La.)

– Even on a bye week, there's not enough time for the coaching staff to shake hands with every target and commitment remaining on the list. But one player for whom Florida reportedly made no effort to see last week is offensive tackle David Sharpe (Jacksonville Providence.) This one stands out, considering many analysts regard Sharpe as the top remaining prospect on the board. Perhaps we'll find out later this week that a coach did, in fact, stop by the high school. But if nothing else, UF was at least represented at his game by a couple of current players:

#gators Ahmad Fullwood and Nick Washington were at Providence vs Ponte Vedra tonight
— Blake Alderman (@MistaAlderman) September 14, 2013

Considering how well Washington seemed to recruit for Florida last year, maybe it was a good move to send him in lieu of a coach to Sharpe's game.

– Big week upcoming for the Gators, as the Florida-Tennessee is shaping up to be one of two major recruiting weekends for UF (with the final game against Florida State being the other.) Look for a post later in the week previewing some of the big names expected for the SEC opener in the Swamp.