Gators, Maryland go down to the wire to sign WR Stefon Diggs

[travisduncan]

Update: Stefon Diggs announced Friday night he will play at the University of Maryland.

Update: "The Decision" will come from a local eatery in College Park, Maryland.

Stefon Diggs (Olney, MD Our Lady of Good Counsel) is rated as the No. 2 wide receiver in the Class of 2012 by Rivals and the 13th overall talent by ESPN.

Diggs will make his official announcement on Friday evening. As of Thursday night the Washington Post is reporting that he will stay state and sign with Maryland. Urban Meyer and Ohio State were thought to be the third school as a finalist. Auburn has also been mentioned.

ESPN and other outlets have previously indicated that Gators were the leading candidate to land Diggs as the 24th member of the 2012 Class, contrary to the WaPo Report.

Comcast SportsNet was originally thought to broadcast Digg's announcement Friday but as of Thursday the station says they have no plans of that nature.

After hauling in the line-of-scrimmage-centric class of 2012, Diggs would be the perfect grand finale to let Gator Nation know that Muschamp and Co. hasn't lost too much sight about the vertical passing came. It's hard to know exactly what players like Andre Debose, Quinton Dumbar, Deonte Thompson and Frankie Hammond Jr. could do given the last two seasons with John Brantley under quarterback and the inexperience Jeff Driskel or Jacboy Brissett filling in for the senior this past season.

There is talent at the wide receiver position there but Diggs would be a game changer, in the mode of Percy Harvin.

Diggs could possibly take plays out of the back field but would be an ideal slot receiver.

Diggs official visit to the Gators in January went very well, he tweeted, "I love it. Love the environment and just the thought of being a gator."

After meeting new offensive coordinator Brent Pease Diggs said, via ESPN "He has a well-thought-out plan and scheme. He would be a great guy to work with. Florida's offense is in good hands with him."

But Diggs seemed to enjoy just about every recruiting visits he took and his recruitment hype has been buoyed by the delay and his personal Twitter account.

About Auburn he said, "I feel comfortable here."

He was at Ohio State just for a single night as he had to fly back to Maryland the next morning to take the SAT, but posted photos of him trying on the Ohio State gear in the Buckeyes locker room.

But alas Friday night should not only be an announcement but also a letter of intent to follow and we should know for sure of the Stefon Diggs show will be a part of Gator Nation for the next four to five years.

 

[DRU2012]

I'm thinking he's a little jerk, at this point--the two "finalists" for his true nature make perfect sense once you see this kid in clear terms: either he caves in to that stroking of his ego with dazzling promises from Urban Meyer, or he "plays it safe"--ie. makes sure he IS the "big fish in the small pond", the BMOC--and "stays home" (as if THAT has anything to do with it) and goes with Md. after all.
I'm SICK of hearing this "wants to be closer to home" BS from players and their apologists--there's this business with Shaw now sticking with the same story in having left us for USC(west)--this one's supposed to have some truth to it, say some, but two things bother me here: first of all, I remember being 18: and "being at home" was NOT a major consideration--for me or any OTHER red-blooded American male at that point in our lives...look, I know it takes all kinds, and I made certain extreme choices for risk and adventure that went further than most my age, but it takes at least SOME of that to make a competitive athlete successful at the highest level --so pardon me if I really wonder about THAT excuse.
Second point is a simple one: Lane Kiffen, or Will Muschamp? These two are so different, their personalities, approach and philosophies so clearly distinct from each other, that in this way it really comes down to another example of our Head Coach shedding guys who just aren't ready to do things "the Florida Way"--that's why he's gone, and this choice on Shaw's part is the final, damning proof.
I'm done worrying about ANYONE who doesn't want to be a part of what is going to be a hard fought but gloriously fun ride in the years ahead.

 

[DRU2012]

Word in tonight (Friday, Feb.1o) from a "huge, raucous celebration-party in College Park" (sounds real "spontaneous", don't it?) that Stefon Diggs has chosen "to remain at home with Maryland"--as I said, "big fish in small pond"; maybe "small mind in big hole" will turn out the more accurate summation--and by now it should come as no surprise to anyone that this was all a big, phony charade to maximize this little fool's ideas about "hitting the bigtime and attracting as much attention to himself as possible.
Some things are just not worth the trouble, no matter what the currency--and this is one loud-mouthed kid, whose growing bubble of obvious downside will NEVER be worth his yet-unproven-at-this-level and shrinking upside, at least as a Gator, and quite possibly for ANY team, unless and until he grows up, learns self-discipline and humility, and perseveres in the face of adversity--possibly for the first time in his life. Regardless, do NOT worry or be disappointed in us not getting him. We're better off with the guys we've got, working together, than with that one expecting everything to be handed to him, and alternately blaming others and/or sulking on the bench and whining in the locker room when things don't immediately go his way. How do I know about all this? Because we just got through getting rid of a string of these kind of guys--and unless I miss my bet, Diggs may well be one of the worst examples.

 

[travisduncan]

Word in tonight (Friday, Feb.1o) from a "huge, raucous celebration-party in College Park" (sounds real "spontaneous", don't it?) that Stefon Diggs has chosen "to remain at home with Maryland"--as I said, "big fish in small pond"; maybe "small mind in big hole" will turn out the more accurate summation--and by now it should come as no surprise to anyone that this was all a big, phony charade to maximize this little fool's ideas about "hitting the bigtime and attracting as much attention to himself as possible.
Some things are just not worth the trouble, no matter what the currency--and this is one loud-mouthed kid, whose growing bubble of obvious downside will NEVER be worth his yet-unproven-at-this-level and shrinking upside, at least as a Gator, and quite possibly for ANY team, unless and until he grows up, learns self-discipline and humility, and perseveres in the face of adversity--possibly for the first time in his life. Regardless, do NOT worry or be disappointed in us not getting him. We're better off with the guys we've got, working together, than with that one expecting everything to be handed to him, and alternately blaming others and/or sulking on the bench and whining in the locker room when things don't immediately go his way. How do I know about all this? Because we just got through getting rid of a string of these kind of guys--and unless I miss my bet, Diggs may well be one of the worst examples.

I agree to a certain extent, but it's hard to know how much of the hype was actually Diggs' doing or just his family or people around him. He may have enjoyed every second of it, but it seems his mom and others gave an awful lot of interviews and encouraged him to not make an announcement until a week after NSD. But I agree it's not worth the time for Gator fans to worry about recruits which simply elected to stay home or chose a better situation. Also the current group of receivers still have scholarship years and time to prove their value.

 

[DRU2012]

I may have over-stated things, his culpability at least (I do that sometimes, at "first blush", when I feel strongly--as I will do when it comes to all-things-Gator)--but even THAT supposedly "mitigating factor" (ie. his family's influence and plans) is just one more "warning flag" of potential problems up-the-line, if you think about it. Anyway, I'm done with him, and I hope all but the hater-Gators (who constantly search for reasons to be more and more frustrated and disappointed with Champ and our program's supposed headlong decline--man, it's like they're watching a whole different team, in a whole 'nother reality) are similarly already moving on.