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Florida Gators 2013 Recruiting Class

Escambia94

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I would consider this class a big success. There were 33 scholarships available, irrespective of recruiting year, and the Gators pulled in 28. This means the Gators are at 80 scholarship athletes for the first time since maybe 2008 or 2009. This leaves plenty of room for preferred walk-ons and transfers between now and one year from now. The only positions that Coach Muschamp seems concerned about are tight end, kicker, and QB, mostly for experienced depth.
  • The class took care of the void left by Mike Gillislee by taking in two RBs to back up or replace Matt Jones.
  • The defensive secondary is so confident in Matt Elam's replacement--Nick Washington, Keanu Neal, Vernon Hargreaves III--that they have moved Louchiez Purifoy from CB to WR for the spring.
  • The defensive line replaces Shariff Floyd with Jarran Reed, Jay-nard Bostwick, Darious Cummings, Joey Ivie, and Caleb Brantley.
The only key player on offense we have not backfilled is Jordan Reed at tight end, but Trey Burton or others can step up and they do have field experience. On special teams, Caleb Sturgis will be hard to replace. We have kickers, but few with big game experience and big legs like Caleb.
 

Escambia94

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Add Trevon Young. He could play TE, but he is almost big enough to be an OL. He is a raw talent that could shape up well in the NFL mold as a basketball player-turned tight end.

In related news, CB/WR Louchiez Purifoy just got busted for marijuana. He needs to lay off the pot or else he could face a similar fate as CB Janoris Jenkins.
 

DRU2012

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Yeah, that thing with Purifoy is the one (WAY ill-timed) dark cloud--mostly from a predictably-Muschamp-tough-but-fair "gotta-be-punished" POV, meaning that he'll probably lose valuable time in his potential development at WR this spring if he is on "first offense"-weighted punishment/suspension.
(I use "if" only because there are still some questions as to the details and ultimate dispensation of the charge, given the details--which do not quite add up so far: It may be a question merely of gaps-in-information, but it may ALSO be the overzealous, blanket charges of a "publicity-seeking" department--there HAS been some talk of this before now, and the nature of the "missing details" may this time support it--but it remains to be seen whether the reasons why the only player in the car, who was in the back seat of a vehicle he didn't own or was driving, that "a lit marijuana cigarette was seen to be thrown out of, and the odor of marijuana detected when stopped", was either "one of" or "the ONLY" person charged, eventually leads to the charge remaining when these questions begin to be posed, and hopefully answered, in the days ahead: Unless he "copped to the possession charge" HIMSELF, voluntarily, as "a stand-up guy"--in which case look for PTI and community service for a first offender--otherwise, there appear a number of strong reasons why there'll be no ultimate prosecution--and that he'll BEAT it, if there IS.)
 
E I want to say you rankings are really spot on man. I was surprised at how well I agreed with you! What I liked about your ratings where that they were based upon merit and not personal preference (You even showed Jaylen some love LMAOOOO)

Good Job man.
 

Escambia94

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I just added information on the 2006 and 2007 recruiting classes. I encourage everyone to look through those old classes and look at the names. What you will see is that for every name you remember, there are often four or five other names you cannot remember. There are just over 40 Gators in the NFL now, and most of the ones making names for themselves are pre-Urban Meyer or are from the 2006 and 2007 classes. Also note that the good classes have multiple star athletes competing for the same position. Competition at each position breeds excellence. In 2006, there were two QBs. The one not named Tim Tebow elected to switch to receiver, but never panned out. In 2007, the Gators took five kids that played QB in high school. Five! The best QB in that class won a Heisman...for another team.
 

Escambia94

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E I want to say you rankings are really spot on man. I was surprised at how well I agreed with you! What I liked about your ratings where that they were based upon merit and not personal preference (You even showed Jaylen some love LMAOOOO)

Good Job man.

I like Jaylen Watkins. I am not sure if I mentioned it here, but I used to work with his uncle. I had to show his uncle what Jaylen's Twitter feed looked like. On a side note, if you compare Jaylen's Twitter to Sammy Watkins Twitter you will notice something--Sammy is having a much better career by focusing more on football and less on having fun.
 

Escambia94

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For now there is little information on the past classes, but I will go back and update those threads with info on the ones that transferred out and the ones that went into the NFL and CFL.
 
Esacmbia I am poking fun, you always said you were just a little hard on him because of your dealings with his uncle. But despite it all you were right about his play, he really needs to grow up on the field, he has the potential but work ethic just is questionable.
 

DRU2012

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You've been out-in-front on a lot of these, E----Young just the latest: That one happened last-min. and pretty quickly, too--he WAS gonna go play basketball at a Div.II school 'til Muschamp got personally involved, got him in the last couple days and basically convinced him one-to-one to choose football and UF--it all really happened in the last 2 days--WHILE NSD was in progress!...Great work, all around, including your being so on top of it...And btw, this is a good eg. of why and HOW I've come to TRUST our Head Coach in so many ways when it comes to--among other things--personnel/recruiting decisions, the team he envisions and intends to build, and the way in which he is getting it done. Emblematic of all that has been not just the strength and thoroughness, w/respect to "what we needed and where we needed it", but the way it has gone, as you yourself put it, "so smoothly"--ie. little drama and hardly any shocks or let-downs among all the highly-sought talent we corralled along-the-way to building what at least APPEARS to be an OUTSTANDING class--cautionary reflection notwithstanding on not just ours, but EVERY major program's history of actual-success vs "expected-success" among both individuals and whole classes in the past.
 

DRU2012

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This whole business with member #30 of this class, the punter, Townsend, added the day AFTER NSD, is easy to let go by without much comment--but in fact this is both an important pick-up and a big WIN for us--and the back-story is pretty satisfying as well: In short, he is one of the higher-rated punters in the country this year, was thought to be a completely solid member of Meyer's tOSU-2013-class, then that all changed the day before NSD when (get this) word got out that Saban had "opened things up", started talking to him, and, it was thought, when his letter-of-intent was not sent on NSD, had Alabama in position as the possible "surprise last-minute grab" from Meyer's closing-streak--only it turned out that Muschamp TOO had become personally involved and (in what has been reported by more than one impressed parent), once he did, though enthusiastic and passionately sincere, "was nothing but positive and, unlike others, never badmouthed other programs, lied or exaggerated, just was clear and adamant as to his and the Florida program's intentions" (as I say, this has been a common line-of-comment from parents and recruits regarding our Head Coach when he gets involved)...Sooooo: while Meyer was prying loose one of our last-minute fence-sitters at WR (which, if Purifoy hasn't blown his opportunity at a chance to dazzle us all THERE, we now look to be nicely stocked at in ANY event), Muschamp was picking his pocket for a talented player at an important position (for which they now have no depth at whatsoever, btw)--and doing so right under the nose of his former mentor/current-main-competitor/future-"bitch", Nick Saban (OK--that last part is probably more along-lines-of "whistling past the graveyard"--but it felt good to say it, and ya gotta admit, kinda funny). Meyer was so sure of this one that he hadn't been paying much attention there, DESPITE the fact of their having no one but a fair former-walk-on there; Saban was attempting to shore up his own team's lack-of-depth at a position he admittedly hasn't had to use that much, and though the kid he's got is pretty good at kicking it high and placing it where he is asked within his admittedly-mediocre range, STILL doesn't have a guy who can go for distance as well. We've been spoiled there the last few years, of course, and now appear to have not only depth, but this new kid Townsend has the potential, with time and developing consistency, to give us something like that kind of weapon at punter once again.
 

Escambia94

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Punter Johnny Townsend is from Orlando. If we had lost a punter from only a stone's throw from Gainesville then something is wrong. The Gators did a fine job of balancing recruiting the state of Florida and the rest of the country, but they need to make sure tOSU, Louisville, and Alabama start having problems winning kids from historical Gator hotbeds. Urban Meyer knows he will lose to the SEC in future playoffs unless he can pry some recruits away from the SEC. He recruited more out of state this year than in any year past. Contrary to popular belief, he did not beat Will Muschamp in any recruiting battles. He got WR James Clark because the Gators already had five receivers--two of them better than Clark. It was a wise move for Clark to go elsewhere, and I would rather see him on a second rate B1G team than a real football team in the SEC that we would face every year. Meyer actually took advantage of Georgia losing its recruiting coordinator. Georgia had one of its worst recruiting classes. Meyer has more kids from Georgia this year than in any previous year, and the same number of Florida kids as in years past.
 

DRU2012

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Good points all around...Of course, when it comes to "recruiting in our own backyard", the problems that arise include but go beyond the ones that you mention, E-. We won't get everyone we want--in fact, with so MUCH talent in-state we CAN'T: we have to balance going after the very best with making damn sure we fill our "positions-of-need", and that's just the START of the subtleties of the year-round struggle. It is in THESE areas that Meyer is whipping his "Big ?"-counterparts--to the point NOW that he feels he is far enough out-in-front to begin admonishing (read "taunting", or at least "lecturing from on high"--confident to-the-point-of arrogance, if you think about it, that's how it's BOUND to be taken by the other conference-coaches) them to "do better", advising them that "it's an all-year job nowadays"...He has a point, though--and it is amazing (in a negative, almost bewildering way) that this even needed to be SAID to his colleagues, which to a certain extent, it DOES!
Since it is a given, with so much talent down here, that some good ones will annually be "lost" to programs in other major conferences, including the higher-profile schools up north, it is in ours and EVERYONE'S interest that they be "spread around" up there--the Michigans, MSUs, even Illinois, Purdues, PSUs and so on HAVE to start doing things in the Twenty-First century as the SEC teams have done it since decades back in the mid-TWENTIETH. They're gonna have to recruit hard everywhere, all year long...They fell behind as-a-conference with this "gentlemen's agreement" among themselves for all those years: NOW they're getting buried by a guy who learned to do things the SEC-Way--and if they don't watch it, they'll be stuck in that hole for years to come--and the rest of us (ie. at least two SEC-teams, plus the one team they try to put forward from elsewhere) eventually find ourselves annually facing in the coming "4-Team Play-Off" a tOSU team that's stocked with pretty fair talent, having sliced thru' the rest of that conference each year ON-the-field in games as easily as they are now beating them OFF-the-field in recruiting.
Beating the representative of "the Big Slow Ten" each year in a BSC game was fun while it lasted, but once this imbalance I speak of began to develop up there, it became more and more in EVERYONE'S best interests for the rest of that Conference to begin getting better, faster (as in "Big AND Fast") players from the pool available down our way, a pool that, with the limits in numbers-of-scholarships everyone now faces and the still-growing huge NUMBERS of skilled players becoming available each year, we can't POSSIBLY exhaust on our own--and therefore, as I say, it is by now in OUR best interest as well as THEIRS that ALL of them recruit more determinedly and effectively in the future.
With our Head Coach and the staff of talented, hard-working true-believers continuing to do what we can already SEE they do as-well-as ANYONE, any staff OUT THERE, we'll continue to get MORE than "our share", I am pretty damn confident of that. However, there are these other forces at work out there, swirling action-and-reaction that involve the interplay of forces whose ultimate consequences are difficult to fully envision. WE CAN gather GLIMPSES of specific areas-of-future-concern, though, and it seems clear that the current trend might well concentrate too many of "the ones that WILL get away" in one place.
 

Escambia94

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I hope that Urban Meyer does transition the Suck-eyes from a big and slow team to a small and fast team. If the Gators ran into the Suck-eyes in a playoff game, the Gators would manhandle the Meyer offensive line in a similar manner as Bama did to his Gators in the '09 SEC CG (yuck, bad memories). I think the Gators or Tide will be so different by the time we have a playoff that Meyer will not know how to counter the new-look SEC. I am willing to bet that he will dominate the B1G with the new-look Suck-eyes and his newly imported Florida talent, but the Gators and even the Noles will still get the right Florida kids away from Meyer's carpetbagger hands.
 

DRU2012

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Yeah, that's pretty well MY read, too--and I figure at the rate things are developing in that direction, the future you describe will likely come now regardless...I'd just like to see the talent spread around some. It's more about my selfishness here, a long term vision of "likely outcomes", among which ideally, as I say, no one program gets too much of our (and by "our" I mean first us, then the rest of the SEC plus FSU's "cut" from the "PICK" of the talent coming out each year from the State of Florida) very worthwhile "crumbs" and comes to dominate the teams around them too much, for too long, as a result. I just don't want to have to suffer TOO much more of the already rising droning drivel about "that brilliant recruiter and coach, Urban Meyer, and his unbeatable Ohio State team"...I mean, yeah, he'll get his come-uppance at the hands of whichever SEC-team DOES come out of the pack of really good ones now developing to compete with Saban's Tide--quite possibly, eventually even LIKELY, by OUR hands--but that won't make the annual several-MONTHS-of the same old bandwagon-buzz leading UP to those play-offs any less irritating!
(OK, that "Dream Beat-Down" WILL be all-the-MORE dramatic AND satisfyingly SWEET with typical media extended over-hype for them/frustration and underestimation for our team preceding it, but an annual months-long version I can do WITHOUT.)
 

DRU2012

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...I should note, though, just in case it got skimmed over above, that it is really "satisfying-in-advance" to realize that we WILL be the "bullies", not the "bullied", when we finally DO meet that team in a game-that-matters...We are already well on our way to being THERE! (ie. in "The Game", and becoming that "bullying team")
 

Escambia94

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Don't get me wrong. I think Meyer is an innovator at integrating the best features of the spread and option into his spread-option, but that the SEC has figured out how to counter that style of offense. The 3-4 defense can nullify the spread-option. Once the B1G figures that out, carpetbagger Meyer will be another has-been in the B1G.

Meanwhile, Muschamp will be filling up the NFL with NFL-ready athletes. I think his Gators are well on their way to a few good years, with Alabama and LSU being the primary challenge.
 

Escambia94

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Enough talk about carpetbaggers and yankees. Here is my analysis of the incoming class. Hopefully we can check back on this thread in three or four years and see that this was the beginning of something good.

  • Quarterback. B. It is always good to bring in a new QB with each class. As good as Jeff Driskel is, he needs help reading defenses and may need a push from younger QBs Max Staver and Sklyer Mornhinweg.
    • Max Staver QB, 6-5/235 27 3*.
  • Wide receiver. A+. The Gators currently do not have a WR that will make an NFL roster, and that is a travesty. Other than the probation years in the late 1980s, there has not been a period when the Gators did not have an NFL-ready receiver on its roster. Ahmad Fulwood, Marqui Hawkins, Chris Thompson, Alvin Bailey, and Demarcus Robinson will all be fighting one another for playing time while Andre Debose looks at what could have been. Quinton Dunbar might be the only veteran who can be pushed into NFL readiness with the crop behind him. I foresee Robinson and Bailey making immediate impacts, but any of these guys are an improvement over most of our veterans.
      • Ahmad Fulwood WR 6-4/189 9 4* ESPN150 #44, #6 WR, Scout300 #81.
      • Marqui Hawkins WR 6-2/190 45 3*.
      • Chris Thompson WR 6-0/170 NR 2*.
      • Alvin Bailey WR 6-4 275 NR 3*.
      • Demarcus Robinson WR 6-2/200 4* EE.
  • Tight end. B+.With the departure of Jordan Reed and lack of experience in this position, the Gators may have no choice but to press Trevon in as a starter to accelerate Trey and Clay Burton's development. Trevon has only been playing football for a couple years, but is a quick learner. As a basketball player, he may be the surprise catch of the class at tight end.
    • Trevon Young TE/DE/ATH 6-4 275 (JUCO transfer from Eckerd College).
  • Running back. A. Adam is coming off knee injury in his high school senior year. The Gator coaching staff has been very accommodating of Adam by taking a chance on his knee, which says a lot about the kid's character. Adam is short and stout and should have no problems grinding out short yardage as a change of pace. Together with Hunter Joyer, Trevon Young, and Trey Burton, look for Adam Lane in a jumbo package. Everyone knows that Kelvin has big shoes to fill--All-SEC Mike Gillislee's and father/Gator Great Fred Taylor's. With sophomore Matt Jones coming into his own late in the 2012 season, Kelvin will be fighting for carries. Then again, his father, Fred, knows all about fighting for carries with Elijah Williams. Gator history is filled with battles at running back that usually ended up being good for both running back, e.g. Neal Anderson/John L. Williams, Fred Taylor/Elijah Williams.
    • Adam Lane RB 5-8/216 25 3*.
    • Kelvin Taylor RB 5-11/215 9 4*, ESPN150 #22, #1 RB, Scout300 #58 EE.
  • Offensive line. A. In the past two classes, the Gators only signed four offensive linemen (Tommy Jordan '11--no longer playing, Trip Thurman '11--benched due to legal issues, DJ Humphries '12, and Jessamen Dunker '12--probably benched due to legal issues). DJ Humphries looks to be the leader of this group, but look for Dillard to compete with the transfers Tyler Moore, Trenton Brown and Max Garcia. Dillard and Octavious Jackson are the smallest ones, so they may actually redshirt to gain bulk, or may not gain playing time until later in the season. Roderick Jackson has the size to start immediately.
      • Cameron Dillard OL 6-3/285 19 3*.
      • Octavius Jackson OL 6-4 285 NR 3*.
      • Trenton Brown OT (JUCO transfer) 6-8/350 EE-summer
      • Roderick Johnson OT 6-6/315 4*.
      • Tyler Moore OT 6-6 300 NR EE (transfer from Nebraska).
  • Defensive end. B. It is a good thing that Joey Ivie is an EE. He may need the extra time to bulk up for Florida's demanding SDE or WDE positions. Too bad Elijah Daniel could not make the grade to get into Florida. Instead, he is stuck at that junior college called Auburn. Joey Ivie and Antonio Riles might not get playing time unless they gain bulk.
      • Joey Ivie DE 6-4/ 265 EE.
      • Antonio Riles DE 6-4/262 3*.
  • Buck. A-. Jordan Sherit will get some time to learn the Buck position behind Ronald Powell '10 and Dante Fowler '12. Jordan may also be competing against DE/LB hybrids Bryan Cox Jr '12 and Alex McAlister '12.
    • Jordan Sherit BUCK 6-5/234 4*.
  • Defensive tackle. A. With the departure of Shariff Floyd and Omar Hunter, look for Brantley and Cummings to get immediate starts alongside sophomore Damien Jacobs. The interior of the defensive line may struggle early in the season until Caleb Brantley and Darious Cummings learn their roles. Bostwick and Reed are identical in size and are both need to bulk up to make an impact, but could work their ways into the lineup.
    • Caleb Brantley DT 6-3/302 8 4*, ESPN150 #18, #4 DT.
    • Darious Cummings DT 6-2 305 4* (transfer from East Mississippi, FSU) EE.
    • Jay-nard Bostwick DT 6-4/291 4*
    • Jarran Reed DT 6-4/291 3*
  • Linebacker. A. With the departure of Jon Bostic and Jelani Jankins, McMillian and fellow EE Alex Anzalone look to be the early impact players in the linebacking corps. Matt Rolin could make an immediate impact if he can gain some bulk.
    • Daniel McMillian LB 6-3/220 4 4*, ESPN150 #38, #2 LB, Scout300 #44 EE.
    • Matt Rolin OLB 4* 6-4/209 EE.
    • Jarrad Davis OLB 6-1/210 3*.
    • Alex Anzalone LB 6-3/234 4* EE
  • Defensive back. A. It will be hard to replace All American Matt Elam, but alongside Marcel Harris and Keanu Neal, Nick Washington looks to make an immediate impact at safety. Marcel Harris is actually closer to being a center fielder, hard hitter like Matt Elam, but Nick Washington looks a lot like Reggie Friggin' Nelson. Keanu Neal is a natural athlete that rounds out this group. VH3 is the best catch of the class. The Gators have the makings of a strong no-fly zone.
    • Nick Washington S 6-0 180 10 4*, ESPN150 #58, #4 DB.
    • Keanu Neal S 6-1/201 21 4*, ESPN150 #64, #7 DB.
    • Marcell Harris S 6-1 203.
    • Vernon Hargreaves CB 5-11/185 5*.
  • Kicker. B. The Gators will sorely miss Caleb Sturgis. Let us hope that our own Johnny Football delivers the Gators some dependable field goals in close games. Danny Krysalka could also be a good backup kicker.
    • Johnny Townsend PK/P 6-2 200 2*
    • Danny Krysalka PK/P 6-1, 190 (preferred walk-on)
 

DRU2012

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When you put together "what we got" with "what we got left" after seniors and top-juniors left, the main hurdles overall heading into 2013 look to be first, getting thru' that first month of the season without dropping a game we shouldn't have while this team's newcomers "catch-up" to this level-of-play and gel with the rest, becoming a team, and second, STAYING HEALTHY. We have some LUCK coming our way in this regard, I figure (or at least I'm HOPING!), given how things have gone AGAINST us in that regard last couple of years.
 

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