Florida Gators recruiting mailbag for May 5th

This Florida Gators recruiting mailbag takes your questions as the Gators coaching staff is out on the road for the spring evaluation period that runs through the end of May.

All of the Gators assistant coaches were in the state of Florida last week, and this week they’re hitting out of state prospects in hopes of getting those guys on campus this summer.

In this recruiting mailbag GatorCountry answers your recruiting questions to get you caught up on the Florida Gators.

47Gator: If you can put a number on it, how many kids commit to the good guys prior to the start of the season?

AS: I would say the Gators are around the 10-12 commit range after the summer is over with. The Gators usually pick up prospects during camps and then Friday Night Lights as more kids come on campus.

Juggernautz: Which of the following do you think carries more weight to a recruit when considering a potential school: The number of player drafted by NFL teams or the actual product that’s put on the field?

AS: The product on the field in my opinion is always what kids are looking at. Most kids believe they will go to the NFL by going to any school. Some kids do look at that stuff but I would say it’s a small percentage.

Juggernautz: Can you once again provide us with the recruiting areas each of our coaches is responsible for?

AS: Out of state they’re all over the place but Tim Skipper has Jacksonville instate and then from New Orleans through Mobile. Kerry Dixon has South Florida with Randy Shannon and also splits up Texas with him. Doug Nussmeier has St. Petersburg and then quarterbacks. Geoff Collins has Orlando and some of Georgia. Chris Rumph has Tampa and then some of Georgia. Torrian Gray has Lakeland and parts of Tampa. Gray also recruits the Virginia area. Mike Summers has the panhandle and offensive lineman. Greg Nord has the Gainesville area and then Tennessee and tight ends.

Coky12: What is the true height of Jordon Scott? How critical is height for his relevant d-line/tackle position? Are the coaches projecting that he grow taller and projecting to 6’2?

AS: I’m told he’s 6-0 and some. Not quite 6-1 but a little above 6-0. Height is very critical for a defensive tackle because you’re going up against 6-4 and 6-5 guys with long arms. Scott has long arms and a motor that makes up for his size.

Alligatoralley: Jordan Scott says he’s told we are taking three DTs this cycle. IYO is that enough, who will they be, and will one likely be a JUCO?

AS: Yes, I don’t see how you would take more than three this year. I think they would love two high school guys and a JUCO one. Aubrey Solomon is a guy that I think ends up at Florida. Scott looks like he could be the other high school guy.

MrB-Gator: Any Juco OL and DL targeted for January enrollment?

AS: D’marcus Hayes is a JUCO offensive lineman that they offered on Tuesday and he enrolls early. Florida is still looking for JUCO defensive linemen but I expect that to change soon.

Lurkingator1: Do you think we get any commitments over the next 8 weeks before classes start?

AS: Yes, like I said above I think you go into the season with between 10-12 commits on the list. Florida is in for a lot of guys that are waiting awhile to decide.

74gator: How did the visit with 2018 QB Trevor Lawrence go? Does DB Delango Gibbs have a high interest in the Gators?

AS: The visit went really great with Lawrence and the Gators are in the thick of things with Clemson, Tennessee and Georgia. Florida will be by to see him this week but there is a strong rumor that Lawrence may wait a little longer to decide which could be good for Florida.

Gibbs has a good amount of interest in the Gators and he also has strong interest in Georgia. This will be a battle down into the fall and like through official visits.

Ryreiduf: How are we looking for linebackers and defensive tackles? Besides Shawn Davis who might pop soon?

AS: James Houston and KJ Britt both have shown a lot of interest in the Gators at linebacker. D’Andre Wilder is another guy high on the list at linebacker. At defensive tackle, Jordon Scott and Aubrey Solomon look to be the top two guys.

Kai-Leon Herbert is a guy that I’ve had on commit watch for awhile so I would say to watch him and Davis very closely.

Ufgatordad: We all agree that the staff has done an incredible job at evaluating talent and getting on “lower rated” guys early to secure their recruitment. However, with a mass departure of our elite players leaving between last year and after this next year, do you think that an influx of elite players is necessary in this recruiting class (top prospects in the country like Wade, Peoples-Jones, Ashley, etc.) at positions like DB, DT, and OL to keep pace with the top programs, or will our development of lower ranked players be enough?

At WR, apart from Green’s commitment, does the staff take 2 more there, and do you think they sell out for 2 elite prospects like Peoples-Jones, Grimes, and Robinson, or how else do you see the board shaping out?

AS: I think the staff is absolutely trying to load up on elite guys this year. Alex Leatherwood, Shaun Wade, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Calvin Ashley and Zach Carter just to name a few. At receiver they would like three prospects in this class. James Robinson and Donovan Peoples-Jones are definitely two of the top prospects on the board.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.