The Florida Gators recruiting efforts are doing well and this week’s recruiting mailbag had a lot of great questions about how prospects view the Florida Gators after winning the SEC eastern division championship on Saturday.
As you have noticed Gator Country and Andrew Spivey have mixed things up and we have taken our Florida Gators recruiting mailbag to podcast form, as well as continuing the written version of the mailbag.
Make sure to listen as Andrew answer’s everyone’s questions from this mailbag and don’t forget to get your questions in every week so he can answer your question next time on all things Florida Gators recruiting.
Here’s the written version of this week’s Florida Gators recruiting mailbag:
Tleebow: In your opinion, do you think all the recruiting momentum that the Gators coaching staff has built up over this season could kinda lose steam if we lose to FSU and lose the SEC title game? Or have the coaches absolutely exceeded expectations already?
AS: I don’t think so. This season has already exceeded expectations for most prospects, plus they have been able to see the Florida Gators game plan on offense and defense, which was the biggest key for me. The Gators are playing with house money right now in my opinion. Big finish coming.
Okcgator: Have we been able to make any headway with Marlon Davidson since making the offer? Also, as an add on, do any of the WRs on our board add a possible upgrade in the return game to Powell?
AS: I’ve talked to Davidson several times and he plans to visit the Gators but he isn’t sure when. Right now I think it’s going to be a very tough flip on Davidson. I think Eli Stove (if he comes to Florida), McArthur Burnett, Chauncey Gardner and Josh Hammond can all return kicks for the Gators but Burnett and Stove are the most electric guys of the bunch.
Austin: In your opinion, what is the number 1 need that Gators must fill?
AS: I think the number one get is another linebacker and a quarterback to go with Florida Gators recruiting commit Kyle Trask. I think the Gators will get both spots taken care of by February as well.
Gavinuf7: GC insiders have been saying how great this class will be, but so far everything has been really quiet. What’s going on?
AS: It’s simple, prospects put stuff on hold during their senior seasons because they’re focused on winning games and enjoying their senior year. Florida will finish with a great class in my opinion but it’s only November 12th.
G8rmann: Too early for a mock class?
AS: Yep, I said it would be late December or early January before I even think about one.
Jhbyrd: Are we out on #1 athlete Demetris Robertson from Savannah?
AS: Right now, I would say yes Florida is not in the running for Robertson and I expect him to go either Stanford or Notre Dame.
Ol2ange: As of Thursday, where do you think Dexter Lawrence commits to?
Any update with Mack Wilson ?
Do you expect UF to look for 5th year graduates and/or transfers to fill depth in 2016? Kind of like how Mac got Mason Halter, T.J McCoy, and others. If so, what position groups do we look for?
If NSD were tomorrow, who do we sign at WR?
AS: As of Thursday I would say that I think Lawrence is a Florida Gator because I know he talks to several Gators players, but I also think that Lawrence needs to make one more trip down to Gainesville for me feel to 100 percent confident.
Nothing really new on Mack Wilson except that he plans to visit for the Florida State game and Florida still leads in his recruitment.
I don’t expect any transfer guys at this time but that always changes after guys come on the market. Florida would love to add a JUCO guard to the class and if they miss there then maybe they look for a guard transfer.
RVG: Can you give any background on why Sam Bruce, who I had heard was a likely flip, seems to be back with Miami? I thought the connection with Jordan Scarlett was a big positive in our recruiting of Bruce.
Also, any update on Benjamin Victor? I know there are lots of great receivers in this class, but Victor seems special.
Thanks for all the updates and information.
AS: Bruce is very close with Miami Hurricanes receiver coach Kevin Beard and it looks like that relationship will be tough to break up. That relationship dates back to when Beard coached Bruce in the ninth grad. Nothing really new on Victor except that he plans to take an official to Florida but Ohio State is the leader here from what I have been told. Florida isn’t giving up on him though.
Ncargat1: AS, is there any real mutual interest between UF and Naquan Jones, or are we a name he was just throwing out there after de-committing from Michigan State?
AS: Yes, Jones says he speaks to Florida Gators defensive line coach Chris Rumph on a weekly basis and he plans to visit the Florida Gators soon. I think it’s a long shot to sign him right now but we will see how the visit goes, if and when he visits.
Nickelgators: Do you have a list of who you think the linebackers will be for the upcoming class and also the receivers?
AS: I don’t really have a list but I will say that I think Vosean Joseph and Jeremiah Moon stick in the class and that they add another guy in the class. They’re recruiting Mack Wilson and David Reese very hard. At receiver I think they add Eli Stove and Nate Craig-Myers to the list of guys already committed.
Nickelgators: Do you think the Gators will sign Feleipe Franks or Jacob Eason?
AS: Right now I think the Florida Gators are rising up for Franks and are a legit threat to flip the LSU Tigers commit. Florida needs to get Franks back on campus again and if they do then I think the Gators will have even a better shot here.
Nickelgators: Do you feel that Will Grier will win his appeal and when the decision maybe made?
AS: I think Will Grier will win his appeal but when it will be announced is beyond me at this point. I would expect it to be sometime in December or January but the NCAA works on its own time so trying to predict that is just difficult.
Msgator1981: Piggybacking off of ol2ange’s question: since Ben Frazier committed to NC State and supposing Dexter Lawrence commits somewhere else, what other defensive tackles are we after? I know Shavar Manuel has been in the conversation, but I haven’t heard much about any other targets.
AS: I still think Frazier is a target for the Gators, plus you have a guy like Naquon Jones that just decommitted from Michigan State and he plans to visit the Gators. Chris Rumph is a guy that will do his homework and land the Gators a defensive tackle in this cycle. I think they get at least one, but maybe two.
Mdmcgarry: What current commits do you feel uneasy of not signing with us that we want in the class?
AS: I feel that guys like C.J. McWilliams and Jaquan Bailey are looking around a lot and I don’t feel confident that they will stick in the Florida Gators recruiting class.
Mocrsc: I have heard chatter in the recruiting world saying that we are the dark horse to land ILB Dontavious Jackson from Houston, Texas. Any truth to this, Andrew? Does he plan on taking an official after the season? Would be a huge get at a position where we need stars like him. I apologize if I missed any info on him in another thread.
AS: Florida has always been on Jackson’s radar but the Texas Longhorns are the favorite by far to land him. Jackson has mentioned taking an official visit to Florida but nothing is set. Texas linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch is a guy that I think Florida has a better shot with then Jackson.
MrB-Gator: If Jarrad Davis leaves early are we then going to need at least one Juco linebacker?
AS: The Florida Gators recruiting board has zero JUCO linebackers on it and I don’t expect that to change. Florida feels good about guys they’re recruiting, plus guys on the roster.
Ol2ange: Sorry to be a pain, but one more: Which juniors do you expect to depart early for the NFL next year?
AS: Never a pain my man. Right now I feel safe saying that Kelvin Taylor, Vernon Hargreaves, Keanu Neal and Demarcus Robinson will go pro. This is just my opinion but I would be shocked if they returned.
Nfl scouts will certainly see robinsons dancing and avoidance of contact as easily as you do. I can’t imagine that will help him in the draft. What is a realistic expectation for draft position for him?