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.

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.

Recruiting News & Thoughts, D-Line edition

Today, a major focus on the direction Brad Lawing may consider going in the coming weeks, as Florida looks to headline their defensive line class with five-star Lorenzo Carter out of Norcross, Ga. But the real question is, even if UF can land the highly-prized recruit, who will they surround him with? Read on for some possibilities ...

– The failure of former UF signee Jarran Reed (Roseboro, N.C.) to get on campus this fall really didn't have a major bearing on Florida's defensive line rotation for the 2013 season (assuming the group remains fairly healthy.) Where it did hurt was in looking ahead to 2014. Reed could have gotten his feet wet with the Gators this year, seeing spot duty along the defensive front in a reserve role. When Dominique Easley and Damien Jacobs move on after this season, Reed could have stepped up and provided the Gators with another experienced group heading into next year, alongside Darious Cummings and Leon Orr. However, that plan was scuttled when the 6-foot-4, 305-pound tackle was unable to accumulate the required credits to graduate with his AA degree, and he is now playing for a second season at East Mississippi Community College this fall.

However, the need for a JUCO defensive tackle probably still remains for the Gators in 2014. While Orr and Cummings will provide Brad Lawing with a pair of seniors to roll out next fall, behind them will be a wealth of inexperienced (albeit talented) players in Jay-nard Bostwick, Caleb Brantley, Antonio Riles and current commitment Khairi Clark. Florida has already made a run at a pair of JUCO tackles in Davante Lambert (committed to Tennessee) and Abu Lamin (South Carolina.) With the way the board is shaping up, there aren't a ton of top high school prospects looking at Florida as it stands. Dipping into the JUCO ranks again might be a smart move. And right now, Reed looks to be as good of an option as any. I'll be curious to see if Florida doesn't end up re-signing Reed after all, once December rolls around.

Three other names I'm keeping an eye on at the defensive tackle position from the JUCO ranks in Mississippi: Steven Eddings (6-4, 285, Memphis, Tenn.) of Jones County C.C., Daniel Ross (6-4, 310, Louisville, Ky.) of Northeast Mississippi C.C. and Sherman Boyd (6-2, 315, Forrest, Miss.) out of Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C.

– One defensive lineman I'm surprised Florida hasn't made a move on yet is Fayetteville (N.C.) E.E. Smith star Arthur Williams. The 6-foot-5, 290-pounder could play on either side of the line, but he's really intriguing as a bigger option at the defensive tackle position. Blessed with a great first step and athleticism for his size, Williams is an Army brat who has lived all over the South, so distance probably won't be a major factor for him. 150 tackles and seven sacks over two previous varsity seasons isn't too shabby either.

Auburn, Florida State and Miami are the major factors here right now. Auburn hasn't offered. I have to wonder if academics may be an issue here. Or if Williams has just coasted under-the-radar so long that everyone is simply late to the party. In either case, this is a kid that should be getting more love than he has to this point.

– Florida isn't considered a major threat for Da'Shawn Hand, as Michigan is presumed to be the clear leader over Alabama and UF among his top three schools. However, Hand does plan to take an official visit to Florida. Originally scheduled for Arkansas weekend on Oct. 5, a scheduling conflict has moved that visit to a later date in the fall.

Nothing set in stone but potential visits for Da'Shawn Hand could be Bama vs Tennessee and then Florida vs Vandy, still deciding Nov. 14
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) September 17, 2013

It is worth noting that Hand would elected to head to Gainesville the weekend of what figures to be a major tilt between Alabama and LSU, very possibly with National Championship implications on the line. Reportedly due to the majors all three schools offer, Alabama is slipping with Hand. Florida is the only school that can really offer the 6-foot-4, 260-pound blue-chipper the combination of academics and athletics he's looking for, aside from Michigan of course. The Gators on going to have to throw up a hail mary with Hand on his visit, since he would be making his final decision just a few days later. But getting a kid on campus is half the battle, so we'll follow this story with considerable interest over the coming weeks.