Recruiting Mailbag: April 17th edition

Wesstump: I know we need linebackers and linemen. Do you feel like we’ll strike gold or will it be copper? I know there are other positions of need but I’m more concerned about these two positions. Thanks.

Andrew Spivey: I think Florida will do well at both positions. At linebacker Florida leads for Adonis Thomas and Tevon Coney and both of these guys are top notch guys.

 

Flowmotion11: Is it too early to get a numbers breakdown of how many of each position we are looking to fill? If not, could you break it down for us?

AS.) It’s not too early at all. Here’s the number breakdown by what Will Muschamp likes to have on his roster. 1- QB, 2 RB, 1 FB, 4 WR, 1-2 TE, 5 OL, 4 DL, 3-4 LB, 4 DB’s.

 

MrB-Gator: How many more WR’s do we take and which ones are most likely?

AS.) Florida would like to have 4 in this class. I think Florida has a great shot with George Campbell and Deon Cain right now but it’s still early.

 

GatornTuscaloosa: It seems that we look good for several high profile defensive players such as Cowart, Jefferson, Holland, Thomas, Smith Lewis etc… Other than Ivey and Cox, who are the offensive players, especially Wr’s and Rb’s that the Gators have a real good shot with?

AS: WR’s George Campbell and Deon Cain, running back Ray-Ray McCloud and offensive lineman Abdul Bello all have high interest in Florida and the Gators have a good shot at these guys.

 

JerseyGator91:  Andrew, can you provide us with a list of the realistic recruits that may be Gators on the DT, CB, and S boards?

AS: Florida landed Marcus Lewis on Thursday and they also have a great shot with Jalen Thompson out of Alabama who will visit on Saturday. At defensive tackle Andrew Ivie, who is Joey’s brother, likes Florida a lot. I think Florida will try to sign a JUCO defensive tackle in this cycle. At safety the Gators have Deontai Williams already on board but besides him the board is thin right now.

 

JerseyGator91: Andrew, who do you think will be the RBs and WRs in this class as of now?

AS: Ray-Ray McCloud and Chandler Cox at running back and at receiver I think Florida could add Deon Cain and George Campbell.

 

Dfsgator: Cowart named Oregon his leader on ESPN? What happened here?

AS: Byron Cowart is just playing the game a little. He’s always liked Oregon some but that’s a long way from home for him. Right now I don’t buy into Oregon being that big of a threat.

 

Macbgator: Any candidates for committing soon and who do think will be our next commit?

AS: Not really any candidate that sticks out more than others really. But Adonis Thomas and Ray-Ray McCloud are both guys on commitment watch.

 

HawthorneGator: Has Derrick Dillon mentioned if he will be deciding this summer or not?

AS.) He says he wants to decide this summer or early fall. Right now Florida looks really good for him.

 

Gator_nica: I read many offensive recruits are liking Roper’s offense. Do you sense this is a legit feeling among offensive recruits, or are they more interested to see how the UF offense operates during the season?

AS.) I think it’s legit interest because Florida showed them a lot this spring but I also think some recruits are waiting to see it on the field this season.

 

HawthorneGator: Is UF recruiting Kevin Toliver at all? If so, which coach do you think it will be primarily?

AS: Florida isn’t putting too much time into Toliver because he’s solid to LSU but I’m sure T-Rob will talk to him when he’s at the school recruiting Jeffrey Holland and others.

 

Lurkingator1: When is the next big recruiting event I.E Friday night lights?

AS: FNL is at the end of July but the coaches are hitting the road starting next week for the evaluation period, which is big for seeing new prospects plus the ones already offered. There are also seven-on-seven events that we will cover and, of course, The Opening at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

Gotime51:  This year has the same feeling as three years ago when at the end it feltt like we were going to land a ton of high ranked guys right at the end only to strike out completely (almost). Is this year shaping up that way where it will be feast or famine come NSD?

AS:  I don’t think so because Florida will know where they stand with most kids by the first of the year. The key for Florida is winning this year. If they do that recruiting will take care of itself.

Hawthornegator: Will Dillon be back for FNL? I think we should try to lock him up asap

AS: The last time I checked with him he said he wasn’t sure if he would be coming.

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.

1 COMMENT

  1. It looks like UF is poised for a banner year recruiting as long as they win on the field. It seems that many recruits still like Muschamp, he just needs to win enough to keep his job and UF will be able to reel in their share of great players. I can see UF getting Cowart, Jefferson, Ivey, Campbell at least. Just those guys would make a great class. UF has also finally got a commitment in Lewis that everybody wanted. That may jumpstart what had been a pretty average class up to that point.