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Florida Gators 2019 Recruiting Class
- Thread starter Escambia94
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- #swampsquadxix recruiting
Once again I am struck by the disparity between the "class rankings" according to the supposed "experts" and the aims, choices and intentions of those brought in to build/rebuild elite programs.
In our own case specifically, Dan Mullen is in the procesd of bringing in EXACTLY the TYPE of class he intended to this time around, and though there are some "either/or"s ahead today in particular (early signing day) and in the weeks ahead, depending on how things fall, the HUGE distance between our "ranking" (#20, as things stand now) and the realization already of MOST of whom our staff was after (ar this point mostly dependant on confirming strong previously verbal commits) re-raises my skepticism in this regard. For now, I'll place our faith, hope and current optimism on MULLEN & Co's plans and (seemingly so far) their successful ongoing efforts to assemble all they envisioned entering the spring.
How to judge the afforementioned "discrepancy" we'll leave to the future results (and just picked up another elite OG, part of a major longtime need finally being properly addressed now).
In our own case specifically, Dan Mullen is in the procesd of bringing in EXACTLY the TYPE of class he intended to this time around, and though there are some "either/or"s ahead today in particular (early signing day) and in the weeks ahead, depending on how things fall, the HUGE distance between our "ranking" (#20, as things stand now) and the realization already of MOST of whom our staff was after (ar this point mostly dependant on confirming strong previously verbal commits) re-raises my skepticism in this regard. For now, I'll place our faith, hope and current optimism on MULLEN & Co's plans and (seemingly so far) their successful ongoing efforts to assemble all they envisioned entering the spring.
How to judge the afforementioned "discrepancy" we'll leave to the future results (and just picked up another elite OG, part of a major longtime need finally being properly addressed now).
The class rankings are a weird science. FSU is 12 spots ahead mainly due to a single 5-star. Besides, my hope is that Mullen has learned that too many 5-star athletes means too much entitlement, too many transfers, and too many arrests. With good coaching and a good mix of well-behaved 4-star and possibly 5-star recruits, Mullen can get the team to overachieve. Still, he needs to land some key 5-star athletes this year or next, *or* win the SEC with overachievers.
@Escambia94,
Thankyou: Simply stated, clearly reduced to about as much in the way of "the numbers BEHIND the numbers" as I could hope for or imagine. And I agree--with all of it: I believe we DO likely need a couple/few of those "stand out 5-star guys", and/or see 2 or 3 under-raters ultimately and dramatically "OVER-achieve" (and relatively SOON) if we are to fully reap the benefits of what is otherwise potentially shaping up to be a hugely transformational class--but that was and is ALWAYS the case.
Your caution concerning the 5-star players is well-founded, too (as we well know from experience): On the one hand, their lack up til now has appeared to be the glaring difference between our now-coming-to-pass "haul" and those of classes ranked at the very top (I had growing concerns there in preceding days even not KNOWING the actual relative "objective" rankings), and yet we have been long and repeatedly stung by the true lockerrom realities that ensue with such classes, on the one hand, yet know that no matter how they were "ranked by experts" OR rose ABOVE whatever supposed "limitations" they came in straddled with, the "Big Recruiting Classes" they were later judged to be a part of when the National Championship runs came a season or two later always are seen in retrospect to contain such "components".
So yes, I've been looking for (and not seeing) some of those--where the 5-stars make it easier to spot 'em--but those "dangers" making the over-achieving "diamonds in the rough" that better FIT OUR LONGTERM NEEDS help us better achieve the same ends--but are by definition more difficult to quantify (and therefore harder to pick out, let alone predict concrete results).
All in all, been a kinda fun day: For me, at least, an otherwise rather chaotic workday has been "punctuated" by some interestingly-timed moments when (mainly by chance) I'd get an alert, tap into my previously ser-up "Early Signing Day--Gators" site on my phone or tablet (whatever was at hand at that particular moment) JUST in time as it turned out to see a new GATOR (or in one case, ALL THREE MUCH-HYPED POTENIAL GATORS) step into the spotlight and announce for us (and in that LAST instance. herald the RE-opening of that "Lakeland, Fla-pipeline" that served the Gator program-to-be so well the LAST time Mullen was a Gator Coach... Hey--I'll TAKE whatever "good vibes/good SIGNS" anyone wants to read into all that, too!).
Another "good sign" far as I'M concerned is the way all these kids' subsequent comments are tending to note the "excitement around the team, the coaches AND PLAYERS", and overall "the LOVE you can feel among everyone up there"...that it "really DOES feel like a FAMILY". No doubt about it: This is EXACTLY the tone and content of what you'd wanna hear at this point among the young men you have chosen and worked HARD to bring to your first full class of what you hope and intend to be the foundation of a SERIES of National Championship in seasons ahead.
Thankyou: Simply stated, clearly reduced to about as much in the way of "the numbers BEHIND the numbers" as I could hope for or imagine. And I agree--with all of it: I believe we DO likely need a couple/few of those "stand out 5-star guys", and/or see 2 or 3 under-raters ultimately and dramatically "OVER-achieve" (and relatively SOON) if we are to fully reap the benefits of what is otherwise potentially shaping up to be a hugely transformational class--but that was and is ALWAYS the case.
Your caution concerning the 5-star players is well-founded, too (as we well know from experience): On the one hand, their lack up til now has appeared to be the glaring difference between our now-coming-to-pass "haul" and those of classes ranked at the very top (I had growing concerns there in preceding days even not KNOWING the actual relative "objective" rankings), and yet we have been long and repeatedly stung by the true lockerrom realities that ensue with such classes, on the one hand, yet know that no matter how they were "ranked by experts" OR rose ABOVE whatever supposed "limitations" they came in straddled with, the "Big Recruiting Classes" they were later judged to be a part of when the National Championship runs came a season or two later always are seen in retrospect to contain such "components".
So yes, I've been looking for (and not seeing) some of those--where the 5-stars make it easier to spot 'em--but those "dangers" making the over-achieving "diamonds in the rough" that better FIT OUR LONGTERM NEEDS help us better achieve the same ends--but are by definition more difficult to quantify (and therefore harder to pick out, let alone predict concrete results).
All in all, been a kinda fun day: For me, at least, an otherwise rather chaotic workday has been "punctuated" by some interestingly-timed moments when (mainly by chance) I'd get an alert, tap into my previously ser-up "Early Signing Day--Gators" site on my phone or tablet (whatever was at hand at that particular moment) JUST in time as it turned out to see a new GATOR (or in one case, ALL THREE MUCH-HYPED POTENIAL GATORS) step into the spotlight and announce for us (and in that LAST instance. herald the RE-opening of that "Lakeland, Fla-pipeline" that served the Gator program-to-be so well the LAST time Mullen was a Gator Coach... Hey--I'll TAKE whatever "good vibes/good SIGNS" anyone wants to read into all that, too!).
Another "good sign" far as I'M concerned is the way all these kids' subsequent comments are tending to note the "excitement around the team, the coaches AND PLAYERS", and overall "the LOVE you can feel among everyone up there"...that it "really DOES feel like a FAMILY". No doubt about it: This is EXACTLY the tone and content of what you'd wanna hear at this point among the young men you have chosen and worked HARD to bring to your first full class of what you hope and intend to be the foundation of a SERIES of National Championship in seasons ahead.
(...And as a "post-script", do not overlook or under-value the potential contributions to this class overall that the growing list of "future-transfers" will bring to the ultimate big-picture view of that class, and what it will have turned out to have meant to us in retrospect a coupla years from now!)
Here is an interesting statistic: in the past two years the Florida Gators grabbed ZERO top-50 recruits from the Sunshine State, but this year Mullen grabbed 6!
Code:
School '15 '16 '17 '18 '19
Florida 2 3 0 0 6
FSU 5 5 5 2 4
Miami 0 0 1 2 5
Alabama 7 4 7 3 3
Ohio St. 1 3 7 7 3...and as you have highlighted yourself, E--:
Just a handful of these "highly ranked" highschool-level players moving this way or that can HUGELY shift the eventual "overall rank" among schools, relative to each other.
Just a handful of these "highly ranked" highschool-level players moving this way or that can HUGELY shift the eventual "overall rank" among schools, relative to each other.
Just read an interesting overview/analysis of Dan Mullen in the course of his career AND the specific goals, hurdles and general realities facing the Gators when it was written, last July...THEN watched/listened CLOSELY to an offbeat, in-depth interview with Mullen done by a freelance Daily Aligator writer who somehow was granted this honor/scoop by our Head Coach (sent to me by a friend inside the UF Athletic Dept):
This latter was especially interesting, for it confirmed the very assumptions and powerfully positive impressions I already had of the “different approach” our Coach takes to recruiting to start with. It might be summed up (as it has been elsewhere—see analysis in Orlando Sentinel Sports section from yesterday’s “late” edition) in the idea that Coach Mullen truly has his own “list” that ranks their priorities and prospects according to both skills and raw potential on the one hand, PLUS their reading (and his own personal impressions) of these various young men’s character, drive, honor, leadership potential and so on—all as part of evaluating their “FIT” on the team and in the PROGRAM that he intends to build here. There’s much we could say about that here—but for now, let’s just say how much I personally am impressed and hopeful to hear it...This addresses the very concerns, discrepancies and trepidations I’ve been talking about here—the very kinds of things that I suspect sets a Coach building towards NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in his program, and all the rest “image approval”, “check out the NUMBERS”-/“Me TOO”-ists out there who look to satisfy “the experts” and the casual fans’ immediate reactions as a substitute for any insight or “feel” for it themselves...Think I’m feeling better and better bout going with our guy and HIS deeper, long term approach. And remember: With the success that will continue I think to grow and gather steam in the months and SEASONS ahead will come more and more of OUR share of the “prized 5-stars” becoming more and more aware of our growing high profile in the spotlight (just look at who’s getting the bulk of that attention now), and will more and more WANT to be a part of it—IF our Coach and staff WANT ‘em...That is, if they FIT that longer, deeper “vision” of what we aim to be, right ALONG WITH that early-blossoming “obvious talent” that GOT them that “5-star attention” to begin with—which, as we have seen, does NOT necessarily guarantee ANYTHING in the way of future success, generally as an athlete OR specifically with that team, in their program and/or WITH those coaches and/or players.
Again: The more I see, watch and hear, the more I am inclined to go with OUR Coach's plans, vision and “instincts”.
This latter was especially interesting, for it confirmed the very assumptions and powerfully positive impressions I already had of the “different approach” our Coach takes to recruiting to start with. It might be summed up (as it has been elsewhere—see analysis in Orlando Sentinel Sports section from yesterday’s “late” edition) in the idea that Coach Mullen truly has his own “list” that ranks their priorities and prospects according to both skills and raw potential on the one hand, PLUS their reading (and his own personal impressions) of these various young men’s character, drive, honor, leadership potential and so on—all as part of evaluating their “FIT” on the team and in the PROGRAM that he intends to build here. There’s much we could say about that here—but for now, let’s just say how much I personally am impressed and hopeful to hear it...This addresses the very concerns, discrepancies and trepidations I’ve been talking about here—the very kinds of things that I suspect sets a Coach building towards NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in his program, and all the rest “image approval”, “check out the NUMBERS”-/“Me TOO”-ists out there who look to satisfy “the experts” and the casual fans’ immediate reactions as a substitute for any insight or “feel” for it themselves...Think I’m feeling better and better bout going with our guy and HIS deeper, long term approach. And remember: With the success that will continue I think to grow and gather steam in the months and SEASONS ahead will come more and more of OUR share of the “prized 5-stars” becoming more and more aware of our growing high profile in the spotlight (just look at who’s getting the bulk of that attention now), and will more and more WANT to be a part of it—IF our Coach and staff WANT ‘em...That is, if they FIT that longer, deeper “vision” of what we aim to be, right ALONG WITH that early-blossoming “obvious talent” that GOT them that “5-star attention” to begin with—which, as we have seen, does NOT necessarily guarantee ANYTHING in the way of future success, generally as an athlete OR specifically with that team, in their program and/or WITH those coaches and/or players.
Again: The more I see, watch and hear, the more I am inclined to go with OUR Coach's plans, vision and “instincts”.
The good: This is a top 20 recruiting class with a good number of blue chip players (62%, 4th in SEC, 10th in the nation).
The bad: The Gators have zero 5 star athletes.
The ugly: We do have limited knowledge of Mullen's independent recruit assessment capabilities, although he did take a team at Mississippi State with a couple blue chip players and led them to the first #1 CFP ranking. Still, he missed on 5* RB Trey Sanders (Alabama), 5* DE Derick Hunter (TAMU) and 5* DT Siaki Ika (LSU).
The bad: The Gators have zero 5 star athletes.
The ugly: We do have limited knowledge of Mullen's independent recruit assessment capabilities, although he did take a team at Mississippi State with a couple blue chip players and led them to the first #1 CFP ranking. Still, he missed on 5* RB Trey Sanders (Alabama), 5* DE Derick Hunter (TAMU) and 5* DT Siaki Ika (LSU).
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