Gators recruiting update, and 2012 schedule

[travisduncan]

The Gators 2012 class size currently stands at 18, a number which is expected to grow in the coming days and weeks leading up to National Signing Day February 1st.

The Gators picked up two JUCO recruits recently. Both are defensive tackles. Visesio Salt out of Mt. San Antonio CC committed on Dec. 18th. Damien Jacobs out of East Mississippi C.C committed on Dec. 21st.

The Gators are also after another JUCO player, Courtney Gardner a wideout at Sierra Community College. He actually committed to Arkansas earlier this month but the Gators are going to take their shot. Gardner is a fast-tall receiver at 6"4.

Other potential student-athletes the Gators are targeting include:

Schyler Miles LB Berkeley Prep, Jonathan Bullard DE Crest High School, Nelson Agholor WR Berkeley Prep, Dante Phillips DT Venice High School, Tracy Howard cornerback Miramar High School, Tyriq McCord DE Jefferson High School, Josh Harvey-Clemons LB Lowndes High School, Jordan Jenkins DE Harris County High School, Stefon Diggs WR Our Lady of Good Counsel, Jamal Marcus DE Hillside High School, Avery Young OT Palm Beach Gardens High School, Leonard Williams DE Mainland High School, Darius Hamilton DE Don Bosco Prep, Vincent Valentine DT Edwardsville, Kyle Murphy OT San Clemente, Dante Fowler Jr DE Lakewood High School, Jake Meador OT Whiteland High School.

You'll notice that Muschamp wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to go after the line of scrimmage the majority of targets are potential defensive and offensive linemen.

-The 2012 schedule has been released and the Gators will play both Texas A&M and Missouri next season, traveling to College Station the second week of the season.

One thing you will notice, as opposed to this season's schedule is that there aren't killer games back -to-back-to-back. The Aggies followed by the Vols could be challenging but nothing like LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia in a month's time as the Gators did this season.

2012 University of Florida Football Schedule

Date Opponent Site

Sept. 1 Bowling Green GAINESVILLE
Sept. 8 at Texas A&M College Station, Texas
Sept. 15 at Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn.
Sept. 22 Kentucky GAINESVILLE
Oct. 6 LSU GAINESVILLE
Oct. 13 at Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn.
Oct. 20 South Carolina GAINESVILLE
Oct. 27 vs. Georgia Jacksonville, Fla.
Nov. 3 Missouri GAINESVILLE
Nov. 10 UL-Lafayette GAINESVILLE
Nov. 17 Jacksonville State GAINESVILLE
Nov. 24 at Florida State Tallahassee, Fla.

-Regarding the reports that Will Muschamp has found a new strength and conditioning coach and or offensive coordinator he had this to say earlier this week:

"I haven’t hired anybody. I’ve talked to a lot of people at the strength position and the offensive coordinator’s position and when I make the hire everybody will know. No one has been hired, no one’s been offered a job, yet. So that’s it.''

 

[DRU2012]

Two glaring omissions from the above list of targets, it seems to me: Another big/fast RB, and a QB--even jucos at either position make sense, for different reasons, but that goes double at QB...what if NEITHER of these young quarterbacks we already have breaks out? What if this is all they are? Or it takes one or both longer to "get it"? Living in Austin, I have seen first hand how that CAN happen to a team (albeit one I don't really care about), and what it means to an otherwise-talented squad with a strong defense and an offense whose running game is pretty darn good. We need to cover our butt at quarterback, and we're all STILL waiting for "the right running back"--and is anyone convinced we already have him? I mean, we MAY, but it "feels" more like we've got the makings of an above average RB-by-committee, or, if we're REALLY fortunate, a pretty good tandem. We'll make do, obviously, but that's NOT the same as what a dominant big guy, a bonafide star at running back can give us.