The Florida Gators recruiting recruiting efforts are doing well and this week’s recruiting mailbag had a lot of great questions about how prospects liked the Florida Gators game against the East Carolina Pirates and also if the momentum is changing for the Florida Gators recruiting efforts.
As you have noticed Gator Country and Andrew Spivey have mixed things up and we have take our recruiting mailbag to podcast form as well as continuing the written of version of the mailbag.
Make sure to listen as Andrew answers 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:
MrB-Gator: Are there any names on the QB board that we haven’t seen yet….new one(s)?
AS: Honestly no new names just the same ones of LSU Tigers commit Feliper Franks, Maryland Terps commit Dwayne Haskins, Clemson Tigers commit Zerrick Cooper and Louisville Cardinals commit Tylin Oden. Florida is still recruiting those guys and evaluating others for the Florida Gators recruiting board.
Lurkingator1: Is it true that while we are trending up for NCM we are now trending downward for Victor? I may be way off here anyway you see both of them in this Class?
AS: It’s true that the Ohio State Buckeyes are trending up for Binjimen Victor at this time but there is still a long time to go here and Florida is working hard to get him back on campus. Urban Meyer is using a lot of stuff against Florida here.
The Florida Gators are trending up for Nate Craig-Myers though and while it’s not impossible for Florida to get both of them, I think it’s unlikely they do.
Macbgator: Are we recruiting a punter or kicker for this recruiting cycle?
AS: At this time Florida is not actively recruiting either position. This summer the Florida Gators recruiting board had a few kickers on it but those guys committed elsewhere.
Ol2ange: Who are our back up plans if Mark Thompson decommits from us and goes elsewhere?
AS: Mark Thompson has said over and over again that he wants to be a Florida Gator so it would take a ton to get him to flip but right now Florida is not recruiting anyone else at the running back position. The Gators are very satisfied and happy with Lamical Perine and Thompson.
Ol2ange: How is our TE board looking and which guys are seriously interested in us?
AS: Nick Eubanks, LSU Tigers commit Jamal Pettigrew, Isaac Nauta and Jacob Mathis are all guys on the Florida Gators recruiting board right now. Florida is in good shape with Eubanks and Mathis. Florida is battling Alabama for Eubanks, though, but the Gators are very likely to get Nauta on campus for the Tennessee Volunteers game.
Russ21: I’ll go ahead and be that guy, anything new on the QB front? Haskins see the bowling green beat down? What about Cooper or Oden?
AS: As I said above, there is no real news on the quarterback position and I think it would take something crazy to happen for Florida to flip Haskins. Haskins knows that Maryland isn’t going to be good this year and he knows he’s the future guy there.
G8trJasonB: For the c/o 2017, what’s the early outlook on Trevon Grimes from STA?
AS: The Ohio State Buckeyes have the early lead for Grimes but Florida commit Jake Allen is working him hard. The Gators have a lot of room to make up.
Juggernautz: What players are the must gets from the Jacksonville & Tampa areas for ’16 & ’17?
AS: I hate the phrase “must gets” because I don’t there are many must gets in recruiting anymore. But here are a few players Florida likes in both areas.
First in Jacksonville. 2016 is a down year, but Florida has Rick Wells and Jaquan Bailey committed. In Tampa I would say Shavar Manuel and Nate Craig-Myers are the top targets for that area.
In 2017 Florida likes Florida State Seminoles receiver commit D.J. Matthews, Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback commit Shaun Wade and running back Jamari Peacock form Jacksonville. In Tampa they like DE Zach Carter, athlete Devan Barrett and Miami Hurricanes tight end commit Tre McKitty. Of course for 2017 this list will get bigger as the Tampa area is loaded for ’17.
Juggernautz: Do you think if any of our assistant coaches leave would that have a major impact on our recruiting for 16?
AS: Anytime a coach leaves it has some impact but Florida coach Jim McElwain has his whole staff talking to all of the recruits, plus he has built a good recruiting team so I don’t think it would hurt as much as in year’s past.
Swampie: Linebackers, we have some, we have a shot at getting any more? Some good ones? How many do you think we need with all the juniors we have on this team, after next year we’ll be pretty raw won’t we Andrew?
AS: Florida feels good about Vosean Joseph and Jeremiah Moon as Florida Gators recruiting commits but the board is thin after that. Miami Hurricanes commit Zach McCloud is there but Florida is behind some teams. Texas linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch and Dontavious Jackson are on the board but not likely going out of state. It’s a tough year for linebacker because the instate talent is down at the positon.
Gatordon: Andrew, do you have a feel for which remaining recruits on the staff’s board are waiting to see how the on the field team performance plays out before deciding on the Gators?
AS: Pretty much everyone on offense is waiting to see what happens on offense this year and how the identity of the offense looks going forward. I think you can say that about every position on the offensive side of the ball right now.
Gatordon: Who are the recruits you are most confident will commit to the Gators?
AS: I feel good about where Florida is at with Shavar Manuel, Sam Bruce, Freddie Swain and Marcus Tatum right now.
Here are a few questions from some Twitter users as well:
Blake Holtzhower @BlakeHoltzhower 1h1 hour ago
@AndrewSpiveyGC Is Florida getting Dexter Lawrence on campus anytime soon? Seems like we’re falling behind there.
AS: Florida was never in a good spot with Lawrence despite him growing up a fan of Florida. The Gators need to get him on campus, which he says he will take an official to Florida but he will stay close to home in North Carolina.
GATOR JOE @joebook450 1h1 hour ago
@AndrewSpiveyGC do you think we get Nate Craig Myers, Sam Bruce, Swain and Victor ?
AS: I don’t think Florida gets all four of them but I think Florida can get three of those on board.
Andrew, I’m curious to know how our last outing vrs ECU has affected our recruits. More specifically, the drop off in offence as well as Coach Macs sideline incident.
Prospects liked the way Florida won despite bad play. They also respect and back McElwain for his actions on Saturday. I talked about this much more in the article and audio.
I must have missed it in the article. Thanks for the info and glad they are responding positively.