Florida Gators 2016 Recruiting Class

[Escambia94]

The Florida Gators finished #13 in recruiting in 2016-- Coach Mac's first year as head coach of the Florida Gators.

As of 12/5/2015, this class has room for 26 recruits against the 2016 recruiting cycle, has 26 commitments, and is ranked #9 in the country/ #4 in the SEC. As of 1/10/2016 after the Army All-American game commitments Florida has moved up to #7 in the country/ #3 in the SEC. After NSD the class settled in at about #10 in the nation, #4 in the SEC, with some recruiting services ranking is at #14. UF grabbed fewer quality recruits from the state of Florida (12) than Miami (16), but barely more than FSU (11). FSU and Miami have a slight edge in grabbing 5* and 4* athletes. UCF, USF, FIU and FAU are grabbing a dozen 3* athletes each year. Auburn had a spike in Florida athletes with Muschamp, but even with the Flipper going to South Carolina I expect Auburn to grab 4-5 Florida kids each year. Ohio State and Notre Dame each grab 4-5 Florida kids per year, primarily linemen.

This class has 10 four-star, 12 three-star, and a two-star athletes.

Commitments:

1. WR Rick Wells 6-1 185 Raines High School, Jacksonville FL. 3* 1.26.2015 Commitment. Suspended 1 game in 2016 (disorderly conduct in dorms, pellet gun). Suspended 2017 season (credit card fraud). Reinstated 2018 season. Graduated 2019.
2. WR Vosean Joseph 6-2 210 Norland High School, Miami FL. 3* 2.18.2015 Commitment. 2019 NFL Draft, 5th round, Buffalo Bills.
3. S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson 6-0 197 Cocoa High School, Cocoa Beach FL. 4* 3.14.2015 Commitment. EE. Outback Bowl 2017 MVP. 2019 NFL Draft, round 4, New Orleans Saints.
4. CB Christopher McWilliams 6-0 170 Southwest Miami Senior High School, Miami FL. 3* 5.3.2015 Commitment. Medical redshirt 2019.
5. OT Stone Forsythe 6-6 315 West Orange High School, Winter Garden FL. 3* 5.7.2015 Commitment. EE. 2021 NFL Draft, round 6, Seattle Seahawks.
6. RB Mark Thompson 6-2 230 of Dodge City Community College, Dodge City KS. 4* 5.13.2015 Commitment. EE. 2018 NFL Draft, UDFA, Baltimore Ravens.
7. RB Lamical Perine 5-11 211 of Theodore High School, Theodore AL. 3* 5.29.2015 Commitment. 2020 NFL Draft, 4th round, New York Jets.
8. WR Joshua Hammond 6-0 180 of Hallandale High School, Hallandale FL. 4* 6.4.2015 Commitment. EE. 2020 NFL Draft, UDFA, Jacksonville Jaguars.
9. DB Quincy Lenton 6-0 195 of Meridan High School, Meridian MS. 3* 7.24.2015 Commitment. Graduate transfer to Youngstown State in 2020.
10. C/OL Brett Heggie 6-4 290 of Mount Dora High School, Mount Dora FL. 3* 7.24.2015 Commitment. 2021 UDFA.
11. OLB Jeremiah Moon 6-4 205 of Hoover High School, Birmingham AL. 4* 7.25.2015 Commitment.
12. QB Kyle Trask 6-6 212 of Manvel High School, Manvel TX. 2* 7.26.2015 Commitment. EE. 2021 NFL Draft, round 2, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
13. S Jeawon Taylor 6-2 192 Park Crossing High School, Montgomery AL. 4* 8.5.2015 Commitment. 2019 graduate. 2020 NFL Draft UDFA.
14. WR Freddie Swain 6-1 174 North Marion High School, Citra FL. 4* 10.9.2015 Commitment. EE. 2020 NFL Draft, round 6, Seattle Seahawks.
15. DB/ATH McArthur Burnett 6-1 180 Pahokee High School, Pahokee FL. 4* 10.3.2015 Commitment. EE. 2018 Graduate. Transferred to USF in 2018.
16. DE Antonneous Clayton 6-4 220 Dooly County High School, Vienna GA. 4* 10.28.2015 Commitment. Transferred to Georgia Tech in 2018 (family medical).
17. DE Jachai Polite 6-4 230 Mainland High School, Daytona Beach FL. 3* 11.11.2015 Commitment. 2019 NFL Draft, 3rd round, New York Jets.
18. CB/S Antonio Nelson 6-3 190 Carver High School, Montgomery AL. 3* 11.23.2015 Commitment. Failed to academically qualify. Transferred to Coahoma CC.
19. WR Dre Massey 6-0 185 Holmes Community College, Goodman MS. 3* 11.29.2015 Commitment. EE. 2019 NFL Draft. Undrafted. Arrested in 2019.
20. OL Jawaan Taylor 6-5 350 Cocoa High School, Cocoa FL. 3* 11.29.2015 Commitment. 2019 NFL Draft, round 2, Jacksonville Jaguars.
21. QB Feleipe Franks 6-6 220 Wakulla High School, Crawfordville FL. 4* 11.29.2015 Commitment. EE. Injured in 2019. Graduated 2019. Transferred to Arkansas at end of 2019. 2021 NFL Draft, UDFA, Atlanta Falcons.
22. DE Jordan Smith 6-6 220 of Lithonia High School, Lithonia GA. 4* 12.13.2015 Commitment. EE. Suspended 9/1/2017 (credit card fraud). Transfer 1/22/2018.
23. K Eddy Pineiro 6-1 180 of ASA College, Miami FL. 3* 12.15.2015 Commitment. EE. 2nd team All-American 2017. 2018 Graduate. 2018 NFL Draft, UDFA. Signed with Oakland Raiders.
24. OLB David Reese 6-1 238 Farmington High School, Farmington MI. 4* 12.18.2015 Commitment. EE. 2020 NFL Draft, UDFA, Carolina Panthers.
25. DB Joseph Putu 6-2 195 Providence, R.I. Mount Pleasant JUCO. 2.4.2016 signee. 2019 NFL draft. UDFA.

Transfers:

1. QB Austin Appleby 6-5 239 Hoover High School, North Canton, OH 3-star. 2015 Graduate of Purdue. 2016 graduate transfer to Florida. 2017 NFL Draft UDFA Dallas Cowboys.

Targets:

• RB Mark Thompson 4*, EE
• QB Feleipe Franks 4* (flipped from LSU), EE
• DT Shavar Manuel 4* (flipped to FSU)
• CB Chauncey Gardner 4*
• OLB Lyndell Wilson 5* (Alabama)
• WR Nate Craig-Myers 4* (Auburn)
• CB Kristian Fulton 4* (LSU)
• WR Tyrie Cleveland 4* (flipped from Houston)
• WR Binjamen Victor 4* (Ohio State)
• WDE Terrell Hall 4* (Alabama)
• WDE Brian Burns 4* (FSU)

High Choice

• K Eddy Pineiro 3*
• QB Kyle Trask 3*
• WR Joshua Hammond 4*
• WR Dre Massey 3*
• WR Freddie Swain 4*
• ATH/APB McArthur Burnett 3*
• OT Stone Forsythe 3*
• CB Jayvaughn Myers 4* (de-committed, signed with Auburn)
• RB Lamical Perine 3*
• OLB Jeremiah Moon 4*
• WDE Antonneous Clayton 4*
• OLB Vosean Joseph 3*
• CB Trayvon Mullen 4* (Clemson)
• OT Landon Dickerson 4* (FSU)
• WR Sam Bruce 4* (Miami)
• QB Dwayne Haskins 4* (Maryland)
• ATH Marquez Callaway 4*
• OT Malcolm Pridgeon 4*
• OT Jauan Williams 4*
• OT Scott Lashley 4*
• OG John Simpson 4*
• WR Tre Nixon 4*
• TE Jacob Mathis 4*
• WDE Jordan Smith 4*
• TE Nick Eubanks 3* (Michigan)
• S Jeawon Taylor 3*
• ILB David Reese 3*
• OT Marcus Tatum 3* (Tennessee)
• WR Rick Wells 3*
• S Quincy Lenton 3*
• OL Brett Heggie 3*
• CB Devron Davis 3* (Colorado State)
• SDE Jachai Polite 3*
• CB Antonio Nelson 3* (signed with Florida, but did not academically qualify)
• CB Aaron Robinson 3* (Alabama)
• CB Christopher McWilliams 3*
• WR Eli Stove 4* (Auburn)

De-commitments:

1. OL Branton Autry 6-4 320 of Coffeyville Junior College, Coffeyville KS. 4*
   5.27.2015 Commitment. 10.22.2015 commitment withdrawn. Baylor.
2. RB/ATH Tyrek Tisdale 6-0 200 Oak Ridge High School, Orlando FL. 3* 3.27.2015 Commitment. 10.6.2015 commitment withdrawn. Maryland.
3. ATH/WR Tyler Byrd 5-11 185 of Naples High School, Naples FL. 6.20.2013 Commitment. 2.3.2015 commitment withdrawn. Tennessee.
4. ATH Tre Jackson 5-10 160 of University Lab, Baton Rouge LA. 7.26.2013 Commitment. 2.2.2015 commitment withdrawn. Tulane.
5. DB/S Spencer Perry 6-3 202 IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL. 3* 3.20.2015 Commitment. 6.25.2015 commitment withdrawn. Notre Dame.
6. DE Eric Mitchell 6-3 225 Central High School, Miami FL. 3* 2.18.2015 Commitment. 12.17.2015 commitment withdrawn. UCF.
7. WR Isaiah Johnson 7-3 204 Dwyer High School, Palm Beach Gardens FL. 3* 3.20.2015 Commitment. 12.13.2015 commitment withdrawn. Washington State.
8. CB Jayvaughn Myers 6-1 180 of Pasco County High School, Dade City FL. 4*
   8.3.2015 Commitment. 11.30.2015 commitment withdrawn. Auburn.
9. DE JaQuan Bailey 6-3 235 William M. Raines Hugh School, Jacksonville FL. 3* 3.14.2015 Commitment. 12.15.2015 commitment withdrawn. Iowa State.
10. DT Shaver Manuel 6-3 300 IMG Academy , Bradenton, FL. 4* 1.5.2016 Commitment (U.S. Army All American Game). Flipped to FSU two weeks before NSD, did not academically qualify for Florida.
11. WR Aaron Robinson 6-1 185 of Deerfield Beach High School, Deerfield Beach FL. 3*
    6.5.2015 Commitment. Flipped to Auburn on NSD.

 

[Escambia94]

30 days out from the start of the 2015-2016 season and the Gators already have 20 commitments! This time last year the Gators only had three commitments and ended up as the #21 class! This time two years ago the Gators had eight commitments and ended up as the #9 class. Three years ago the Gators had 17 commitments and ended up as the #2 class. Four years ago the Gators had 15 recruits and ended up as the #3 class. Five years ago the Gators had 12 recuits and ended up as the #11 class.

 

[DRU2012]

Pretty sure we'll be good, DAMN good, "eventually". Might be good idea to hold that thought close, not lose sight of the "big picture" and everything going on around and behind-the-scenes in the weeks and months immediately ahead. Not sure it'll be that bad (not "sure" of ANYTHING about this season, from where we're standing now), only that it'll likely be a bumpy road no matter what.
Lots of philosophical cliches spring to mind...I'm inclined to go with good ol' Freddy Nietzche: "What does not kill me makes me stronger". Talent and depth look to be coming in (and we all know in college football, more than ever, that's huge--when they get it right). Meanwhile we begin building towards "What We'll Be", here and now.

 

[Escambia94]

Even though the Gators lost last night, the coaches grabbed three new recruits:

1. WR Dre Massey 6-0 185 Holmes Comminity College, Goodman MS. 3*
   11.29.2015 Commitment.
2. OL Jawaan Taylor 6-5 350 Cocoa High School, Cocoa FL. 3*
   11.29.2015 Commitment.
3. QB Feleipe Franks 6-6 220 Wakulla High School, Crawfordville FL. 4*
   11.29.2015 Commitment.

 

[DRU2012]

@Escambia94, et al
Y'all have no doubt heard the news at this point: Young Eason recently took a UF visit, and post-Richt the highly-prized bred-to-be-QB now reportedly has the Gators as his only other possible ultimate destination besides UGA. He's still "officially" committed to the Dogs, but by all signs and reports the visit went EXTREMELY well, both "camps" very pleased, excited, etc, his prep coach back in Wash thinks he should and will choose the Gators, and so on--all of which means not a whole lot "unless and until"...
Point is, WE REALLY NEED THIS KID.
Yes, " Master of the Obvious" once more. I mean, fine, I'll be the first to admit a certain "auto-trepidation" when it comes to "highly-touted, can't-miss prep QBs" after our last few tries (FEELS like "few DOZEN", right?), but this one feels different. Check out the bloodlines, history and actual highlights of his play at that last level, available variously online. Yeah, like to see Mac and Co. bring in at least a coupla of "rough-hewn darkhorses" as well--but this kid might well be that main fast-track piece we need to put in sudden play on the offensive side of the board, to really DO something with whatever else we add to what we already are starting to have--which imho is a lot more than Treon was or ever will be capable of showing or using. More potential upside than Grier, even--in the long run, perhaps a LOT more. I am tempted to say a lot more, too, but already getting WAY ahead of myself here: First step, still fragile and elusive, is GETTING him here. But we're in the serious running now, at least, by all accounts.

 

[Escambia94]

@Escambia94, et al
Y'all have no doubt heard the news at this point: Young Eason recently took a UF visit, and post-Richt the highly-prized bred-to-be-QB now reportedly has the Gators as his only other possible ultimate destination besides UGA. He's still "officially" committed to the Dogs, but by all signs and reports the visit went EXTREMELY well, both "camps" very pleased, excited, etc, his prep coach back in Wash thinks he should and will choose the Gators, and so on--all of which means not a whole lot "unless and until"...
Point is, WE REALLY NEED THIS KID.
Yes, " Master of the Obvious" once more. I mean, fine, I'll be the first to admit a certain "auto-trepidation" when it comes to "highly-touted, can't-miss prep QBs" after our last few tries (FEELS like "few DOZEN", right?), but this one feels different. Check out the bloodlines, history and actual highlights of his play at that last level, available variously online. Yeah, like to see Mac and Co. bring in at least a coupla of "rough-hewn darkhorses" as well--but this kid might well be that main fast-track piece we need to put in sudden play on the offensive side of the board, to really DO something with whatever else we add to what we already are starting to have--which imho is a lot more than Treon was or ever will be capable of showing or using. More potential upside than Grier, even--in the long run, perhaps a LOT more. I am tempted to say a lot more, too, but already getting WAY ahead of myself here: First step, still fragile and elusive, is GETTING him here. But we're in the serious running now, at least, by all accounts.

Eason would be a nice grab, but with Franks and Trask coming in next year with Del Rio ready to go, we do not need Eason. Of course we have missed at QBs in the past--a smart QB recruit will commit to the school, but look for the coach that will get him to the NFL. Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeier have reputations as QB whisperers, unlike Will Muschamp and any other OC. Charlie Weis was able to grab Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett, but Brent Pease really whiffed by taking Skyler Mornhinweg over Paxton Lynch (Memphis, probably the best QB in the 2016 NFL Draft). Also, it is not just about the QBs. Brent Pease whiffed on Stephon Diggs, Nelson Agholor, Josh Harvey Clemons, Richard Benjamin, and Laquon Treadwell. Kurt Roper was known as a QB whisperer, but he failed to surround the QB with good WRs and RBs. He whiffed on Leonard Fournette, Sony Michel, Speedy Noil, Adoree Jackson, as well as the big three that flipped to FSU. McElwain and Nussmeier have grabbed a potential two-sport athlete at QB with Feleipe Franks, and have lined up a few good WRs and RBs to help out on offense, and they have done this while maintaining balanced recruiting at special teams and defense.

Summary:

 

[DRU2012]

Eason would be a nice grab, but with Franks and Trask coming in next year with Del Rio ready to go, we do not need Eason. Of course we have missed at QBs in the past--a smart QB recruit will commit to the school, but look for the coach that will get him to the NFL. Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeier have reputations as QB whisperers, unlike Will Muschamp and any other OC. Charlie Weis was able to grab Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett, but Brent Pease really whiffed by taking Skyler Mornhinweg over Paxton Lynch (Memphis, probably the best QB in the 2016 NFL Draft). Also, it is not just about the QBs. Brent Pease whiffed on Stephon Diggs, Nelson Agholor, Josh Harvey Clemons, Richard Benjamin, and Laquon Treadwell. Kurt Roper was known as a QB whisperer, but he failed to surround the QB with good WRs and RBs. He whiffed on Leonard Fournette, Sony Michel, Speedy Noil, Adoree Jackson, as well as the big three that flipped to FSU. McElwain and Nussmeier have grabbed a potential two-sport athlete at QB with Feleipe Franks, and have lined up a few good WRs and RBs to help out on offense, and they have done this while maintaining balanced recruiting at special teams and defense.

Summary:

God, man--I hope you're right in your (usually cogent) analysis. As is just coming out, Eason's sticking with his UGA commit, and now Grier announced he's leaving. And why? Because apparently the coaches' search and efforts to build alternatives we'd have needed in ANY case, never mind Grier himself having put us in dire need RIGHT NOW, convinced him he "isn't in the team's future plans"??? Pretty gutless move, after everything, you ask me. Mac stood by him, clearly team NEEDED him to stay focused, committed and sharp coming back, no matter what.
(Say this much: We DON'T give him free pass to another SEC school, like we inadvertently did with Cam for eg...Another promising QB turns out to be a whining head case who screws himself and the team and program who nonetheless supported and counted on him, and he runs out on them when what? They DARE try to find some options, depth and future possibilities--in case of injury, not to mention young fools pulling boneheaded moves entirely on their own...I can't even begin to express my feelings on this one: Sure, it's a cold, hard world now, every man must consider his own interests in a realistic and somewhat pragmatic, long term manner. But this smacks of a complete surrender to the idea that any ideas about honor and loyalty, courage and redemption, are for chumps. I don't care to have that concept of reality rubbed in my face on any kind of close-up, weekly basis, thankyou very much. Enough with the Newtons, Muschamps etc of this world. Let Grier go away and have his smiling "rebirth" somewhere else, somewhere far away.)
(...And btw, actually seeing how badly our prev Coach, OCs and "recruiting coordinators" missed so badly so often last few years, having it simply laid out in a few short lists really hit the point hard and accurately: Gotta hope, BELIEVE, that Mac & Co. will get it right, ARE getting it right this time. Even so, with all new guys and Treon now the guy 'til someone develops far enough, fast enough to bump him outta there, well, who's betting on anything more than a .500 season in 2016? We play just enough weak teams for even a Treon-led offense to (hopefully) manage that. We got a supposedly "top kicker in nation" coming in, so with our D should be able to nip those mediocrities on our schedule. Great. Fills me with pride and excitement.)

 

[Escambia94]

@DRU2012 Coach Mac and the staff elected to pull his scholarship as an additional punishment. I think the message was clear, "You, Will Grier, screwed the team by your decision, so you will have to work your way back onto the team without a scholarship next year." The Grier family probably would prefer to move Will back home to North Carolina, but Will still has to sit out one year for transferring AND serve out the rest of the suspension. Nobody will see him start a game until mid-2017. If he had stayed at Florida without a scholarship, he could have earned that scholarship back by the middle of 2016, assuming he could afford to pay for classes in the spring, summer, and fall of 2016.

 

[miltongator]

God, man--I hope you're right in your (usually cogent) analysis. As is just coming out, Eason's sticking with his UGA commit, and now Grier announced he's leaving. And why? Because apparently the coaches' search and efforts to build alternatives we'd have needed in ANY case, never mind Grier himself having put us in dire need RIGHT NOW, convinced him he "isn't in the team's future plans"??? Pretty gutless move, after everything, you ask me. Mac stood by him, clearly team NEEDED him to stay focused, committed and sharp coming back, no matter what.
(Say this much: We DON'T give him free pass to another SEC school, like we inadvertently did with Cam for eg...Another promising QB turns out to be a whining head case who screws himself and the team and program who nonetheless supported and counted on him, and he runs out on them when what? They DARE try to find some options, depth and future possibilities--in case of injury, not to mention young fools pulling boneheaded moves entirely on their own...I can't even begin to express my feelings on this one: Sure, it's a cold, hard world now, every man must consider his own interests in a realistic and somewhat pragmatic, long term manner. But this smacks of a complete surrender to the idea that any ideas about honor and loyalty, courage and redemption, are for chumps. I don't care to have that concept of reality rubbed in my face on any kind of close-up, weekly basis, thankyou very much. Enough with the Newtons, Muschamps etc of this world. Let Grier go away and have his smiling "rebirth" somewhere else, somewhere far away.)
(...And btw, actually seeing how badly our prev Coach, OCs and "recruiting coordinators" missed so badly so often last few years, having it simply laid out in a few short lists really hit the point hard and accurately: Gotta hope, BELIEVE, that Mac & Co. will get it right, ARE getting it right this time. Even so, with all new guys and Treon now the guy 'til someone develops far enough, fast enough to bump him outta there, well, who's betting on anything more than a .500 season in 2016? We play just enough weak teams for even a Treon-led offense to (hopefully) manage that. We got a supposedly "top kicker in nation" coming in, so with our D should be able to nip those mediocrities on our schedule. Great. Fills me with pride and excitement.)

The "top kicker" who has never kicked a field goal. That could end up being a huge mistake. We'll have to wait and see. Don't know how a guy becomes the top kicker with no record to base it on. Oh well, there are much smarter folks than I who work these things out.

 

[DRU2012]

@DRU2012 Coach Mac and the staff elected to pull his scholarship as an additional punishment. I think the message was clear, "You, Will Grier, screwed the team by your decision, so you will have to work your way back onto the team without a scholarship next year." The Grier family probably would prefer to move Will back home to North Carolina, but Will still has to sit out one year for transferring AND serve out the rest of the suspension. Nobody will see him start a game until mid-2017. If he had stayed at Florida without a scholarship, he could have earned that scholarship back by the middle of 2016, assuming he could afford to pay for classes in the spring, summer, and fall of 2016.

Thanks for clarification. Still "gutless"--only or more and (slightly) different reasons...
More on how and why I even NEED such "clarification" below...

 

[DRU2012]

The "top kicker" who has never kicked a field goal. That could end up being a huge mistake. We'll have to wait and see. Don't know how a guy becomes the top kicker with no record to base it on. Oh well, there are much smarter folks than I who work these things out.

@DRU2012 Coach Mac and the staff elected to pull his scholarship as an additional punishment. I think the message was clear, "You, Will Grier, screwed the team by your decision, so you will have to work your way back onto the team without a scholarship next year." The Grier family probably would prefer to move Will back home to North Carolina, but Will still has to sit out one year for transferring AND serve out the rest of the suspension. Nobody will see him start a game until mid-2017. If he had stayed at Florida without a scholarship, he could have earned that scholarship back by the middle of 2016, assuming he could afford to pay for classes in the spring, summer, and fall of 2016.

Truth is I've fallen a bit behind as to the context and latest developments as a result of a general malaise, an overwhelming wave of "sick of ALL this sh*t"-itus that has descended on me. Think I may have mentioned it once or twice last few comments, last few days, no?
What "new news" that has penetrated of late has been of the "can it get any worse?" and "ya gotta be kidding me!" variety, and while I'm glad to have the missing pieces filled in (AND thank you for supplying them--as I hoped would be the case: I'm just not UP to gathering details elsewhere and deducing between a the a lines on my own right now, if I can help it), the best I can manage right at the moment is to hunker down, look to the future--the one that seems to hold any hope and meaningful promise: Far as I can see, that means National Signing Day and thereafter, and the chance this Coach and his staff have to begin remaking the whole Team and Program. As for the media's version(s) of what's happening and what it supposedly all means, well, I tend nowadays to disregard as much of thatas I can, try to disentangle the few "meaningful facts" from all the rest--and if sometimes that has me, in careless impatience, "throwing the baby out with the bathwater", missing important points that help to explain what's really happening, bare with me: My anger and cynical skepticism may be imperfect filters, but in the long run they help to keep me sane.

 

[DRU2012]

The "top kicker" who has never kicked a field goal. That could end up being a huge mistake. We'll have to wait and see. Don't know how a guy becomes the top kicker with no record to base it on. Oh well, there are much smarter folks than I who work these things out.

(laughing) I actually did a little digging after reading your comment--and of course found oout what you meant. Yeah, that could be a "slight drawback"...(lol) On the other hand, I've long asked the somewhat rhetorical question (especially often the course of our problems since LAST season with Hardin), "Why not go to Australia and offer some super-talented kid playing that Aussie version of "football" where they kick a larger, heavier oblong ball off the turf while on the dead run, and put it thru those inner uprights something like 5 ft wide? "Go to college! See the world! Be a Gator!" Or something like that.

 

[Escambia94]

I think everyone is forgetting that Austin Hardin was the #1 kicker out of high school 2013. Kyle Christy was a #1 punter. Caleb Sturgis was a middle-rated kicker. Chas Henry was primarily looked at as a QB before he switched to punter, where he was a low to middle rated player.

So what if Pineiro has not kicked a field goal in a game? Florida has assessed its kickers and punters backwards now since 2006! Might as well try something new.

 

[DRU2012]

(More I return to the above comment, more I both laugh, AND more and more begin to take it seriously! Why not? Way things are starting to chain-react into a TORRENT of seeming recruiting success, I'm getting this feeling that both the talent and the LUCK are finally turning our way once more.)

 

[DRU2012]

...and speaking of that "torrent of recruiting success", MY lord, things have appeared to turn around, more and more SNOWBALLED in a hurry last few weeks. It's NOT just at QB either (though we've gotten things looking a WHOLE lot better there!):
All the choices and future potential embodied there now already--plus we even have an experienced "field general"/"game mgr"-type as a grad-transfer coming in as well, as ordered (seems that way, don't it?)...But the class is actually well-balanced, and still a few weeks left for our hot-handed, clearly talented, dedicated, determined and prepared staff to continue to ride the wave in an active surge (12/13 offense/defense already...or is it the other way round? You get the idea, anyway)...Still see 2016 as more "transitional" on our way to real bigtime success in the years to come--but can see it's gonna be a fun ride straight off getting there after all.

 

[Escambia94]

Yes. Coach Mac wants a mature, field general (or, what the media calls a "game manager"). Rather than pressuring a 5-star, super-stud QB to win the game on the merits of his arm, Coach Mac wants to spread the pressure around to all the players and let the QB make smart decisions on where to put the ball in order to win the game--in the running back's gut, in front of the X-receiver, at the tight end's head, or in the Z-receiver's chest.

 

[DRU2012]

Yes. Coach Mac wants a mature, field general (or, what the media calls a "game manager"). Rather than pressuring a 5-star, super-stud QB to win the game on the merits of his arm, Coach Mac wants to spread the pressure around to all the players and let the QB make smart decisions on where to put the ball in order to win the game--in the running back's gut, in front of the X-receiver, at the tight end's head, or in the Z-receiver's chest.

"Like", and agree: A strong, across-the-board BALANCED team is clearly the aim--and we seem to have a real shot at making more headway there quicker than I dared hope, even days ago. The pundits and media-appraisers seem to agree, having jumped us from mid-pack up to the "6th ranked class" just in the last coupla weeks. Not that I put TOO much stock in all that--too many "top classes" last 5 or 6 years (eg. Meyer's last couple, plus the few Muschamp&Co.-efforts that weren't panned from the start).
But as I noted above, seems we're well on way to getting quality AND quantity all OVER the field--to a degree and in places (including QB) I didn't let myself even really hope for. This staff is building for longterm success on a stable footing, as you imply E-, not necessarily counting on a dazzling prodigy at signal-caller to achieve it in any given season or "coupla peak years". Now, if and when we "happen" to get one of those in some happy future, presumably he'll have a team in place around him to really soar new heights.
That'll be fun, too...but meanwhile, I'm starting to get pretty interested in upcoming NSD and spring practice--and yeah, more hopeful bout this upcoming 2016 "transitional season" after all. Especially if things shape up as they appear to be doing.

 

[Escambia94]

Overall what Coach Mac and the staff need to improve upon is the star rating of key players on the offensive and defensive line. Honestly, I am tired of getting 4 and 5 star QBs who transfer because they are guarded by 1, 2, and 3 star linemen who are letting opposing 4 star linemen blast the QB and stuff the RBs. Coach Mac will get us there, but it will take another year because Mac is not going to pull a Nick Saban: oversign with 30+, gray shirt the ones who can get alternative methods to pay for school, yank scholarships of the ones who do not make the cut. The Florida UAA would never allow that any way, even if Jeremy Foley retired.

At Florida, coaches have to win the hard way without skirting NCAA rules, because the UAA and the compliance department are hyper sensitive to Florida's history with NCAA sanctions in the 1980s. This also means coaches get a little more time to build the program. Coach Mac has done will in one year, but he needs one more year to recruit a class that is 100% his. Some of the recruits coming in this year started verbally committing to Florida under Muschamp. I would say this next class will be 90% Mac's.

 

[Escambia94]

Now that the midyear enrollees are on campus and the U.S. Army All-American Game is over, we are about to enter a quiet period in recruiting. Florida has 12 recruits on campus and can sign 14 more on NSD.

2015 class: 21 recruits signed - 1 academically qualified - 2 midyear enrollments + 4 transfers = 22 "counters" for 2015.
2016 class: 25 "counters" allowed in 2016 + 3 counters from 2015 not used = 28 maximum.

Florida will likely sign 26 and leave 2 counters to play with next year.

 

[Escambia94]

Here is the final list for the class of 2016. The only misses we had were 4* DT Shaver Manuel and 4* WDE Brian Burns. Manuel was not a big loss, because he failed to meet Florida's more stringent academic standards. He had no choice but to settle for FSU. Burns would have been a nice addition. Some will say that whiffing on Kristian Fulton (a Louisiana native signing with LSU) is bad, but he was never a lock to leave his home state. Losing 3* WR Aaron Robinson to Auburn is not fun, but we did flip 4* WR Tyrie Cleveland away from his backyard of Houston. The Gators now have room for 3 more recruits in this class (late signees or next year's midyear enrollees).

1. McArthur Burnett DB 5-9 157 Pahokee, Fla. Pahokee Early Enrollee
2. Stone Forsythe OL 6-7 309 Winter Garden, Fla. West Orange Early Enrollee
3. Feleipe Franks QB 6-6 214 Crawfordville, Fla. Wakulla Early Enrollee
4. Chauncey Gardner DB 5-11 197 Cocoa, Fla. Cocoa Early Enrollee
5. Josh Hammond WR 6-1 179 Hallandale, Fla. Hallandale Early Enrollee
6. Dre Massey WR 5-9 184 Greenville, S.C. Mauldin JUCO
7. Eddy Pineiro K 6-0 178 Miami, Fla. Sunset JUCO
8. David Reese LB 6-0 240 Farmington, Mich. Farmington Early Enrollee
9. Jordan Smith DL 6-5 225 Lithonia, Ga. Lithonia Early Enrollee
10. Freddie Swain WR 6-0 177 Ocala, Fla. North Marion Early Enrollee
11. Mark Thompson RB 6-2 228 La Mott, Pa. Cheltenham JUCO
12. Kyle Trask QB 6-4 230 Manvel, Texas Manvel Early Enrollee
13. Brett Heggie OL 6-3 314 Mount Dora, Fla. Mount Dora 7:19 a.m.
14. Jachai Polite DL 6-2 259 Daytona Beach, Fla. Mainland 8:01 a.m.
15. Jawaan Taylor OL 6-5 347 Cocoa, Fla. Cocoa 8:27 a.m.
16. Lamical Perine RB 5-11 218 Theodore, Ala. Theodore 9:08 a.m.
17. Rick Wells WR 6-0 200 Jacksonville, Fla. Raines 9:47 a.m.
18. C.J. McWilliams DB 5-11 163 Miami, Fla. Southwest 10:15 a.m.
19. Antonneous Clayton DL 6-3 235 Vienna, Ga. Dooly County 10:30 a.m.
20. Vosean Joseph LB 6-1 215 Miami, Fla. Norland 10:44 a.m.
21. Tyrie Cleveland WR 6-2 194 Houston, Texas Westfield 11:16 a.m.
22. Jeawon Taylor DB 6-0 191 Montgomery, Ala. Park Crossing 11:33 a.m.
23. Quincy Lenton DB 5-11 207 Meridian, Miss. Meridian 11:37 a.m.
24. Jeremiah Moon LB 6-4 207 Hoover, Ala. Hoover 11:58 a.m.
25. Joseph Putu DB 6-2 195 Providence, R.I. Mount Pleasant JUCO