Recruiting Mailbag August 7th edition

The latest Gator Country recruiting mailbag with Andrew Spivey.  The mailbag contains questions from members of Gator Country on the Florida Gators football recruiting news

BigOlGator: Thanks for the work you do Andrew. Trying to make sense of what an average teenager says at any given point in time is hard enough, but young kids that have countless people asking, cajoling, begging, etc. for answers must make things “interesting” to say the least.
Having followed recruiting for a long time, I’ve always assumed that the better the student is, the more likely he is to give the better/more accurate answers. What’s your experience been?

AS:  You’re completely right in that the better the student the better answers you get but most prospects are pretty good with the media. I absolutely love covering recruiting and there have only been a few prospects that have gotten on my nerves in the process because I understand the pressure they are under.

 

MrB-Gator: AS…..what does the offensive line board look like as good possibilities for us? Is Michael Horton counted as offensive line or defensive line?

AS: Horton should count as both at this time because the staff plans to let it be decided once he gets on campus. Right now offensive linemen to watch are Martez Ivey, Jalen Merrick, Brandon Sandifer, Matthew Burrell, Isaiah Prince, Abdul Bello, Kyonta Stallworth and JUCO Jamal Danley.

 

GatorNation6868: Andrew, how many recruits do the coaches want in this class and what is the breakdown by position?

AS: 1 QB, 1-2 RB, 3-4 WR, 2 TE, 5-6 OL, 4-5 DL, 4 LB, 3 DB’s.

 

GatorNation6868: Andrew, please provide us with a look at the DB board and who you think will be in this class?

AS: Jeremy McDuffie, Darius Slayton, JUCO Justin Martin and Carlton Davis. Right now I like McDuffie to be in the class and will see how the other spot or two fills out.

 

Mdmcgarry: With 2 linebacker’s committed, do we go for 4 or 5 linebacker’s, such as Coney, Smith and Holland as possible additions?

AS:Florida would take them all, no doubt ,but as I’ve said on the board I don’t think all of them will want to be apart of a big class.

 

Nickelgators: Do you feel that CC Jefferson, Martez Ivey and Byron Cowart will be in this class ?

AS:Jefferon- I still feel good on him being a Gator. He basically lives in Gainesville it seems like.

Ivey- If Florida has a good season then I think he’s a Gator.

Cowart-If Brad Lawing is still at Florida then I have a hard time believing he goes anywhere that isn’t Florida.

 

Nicklegators: Which linebackers do you feel will be in the class Jeff Holland, Tevon Coney, Roquan Smith?

AS: Right now I think Holland is in. I get that feeling that Coney may be worried about the size of the class and with Smith it’s going to be a UGA/UF battle to the end.

 

Macbgator: Who are the prospects at rb and who will likely end up at Fla.

AS: Nyheim Hines, Dexter Williams and Ray-Ray McCloud are the top 3 on the board right now. I think Dexter flips eventually and we will see on McCloud.

 

Easypeasey: Could you give a brief list of recruits who have already said they’re waiting to see how Florida does this season and if they have specified if they want to wait the whole season or just part? And also, can you list recruits that look to decide soon and not wait to see the result on the field?

AS: Martez Ivey, Dexter Williams, CeCe Jefferson, Byron Cowart, Ray-Ray McCloud to name a few but everyone is watching this season.

 

Gotime51: How confident do the coaches feel about this class? Are we being set up for a let down like a few years ago?

AS: They feel very good about the potential of this class but they also know that  a good season is a must.

 

Gatordon: Are you at all concerned about the alleged reason for Ray Ray passing on the Gators because of a perceived uncertainty regarding the staff’s future? Have you detected that concern with other recruits?
Where do you feel this class will be ranked?

AS: There will be concern about the uncertainty until Florida wins and I think a top 5 class is very possible with a winning season.

 

Tebownut6: Not trying to sound like a pessimist; simply curious as it relates to recruiting strategy: Are the commits we’ve gotten mostly been the marquee blue-chippers who everyone in the country wants and bought the coaches’ pitches, or are these middle-high level guys with UF as one of their best offers? I’m asking because I’m curious if our coaches are just that good and raking in blue-chippers despite the “head on a block” perception, or if they’ve been forced to kind of take it down a peg to ensure they fill needs and not waste time/resources on the “highly coveted.” That way they don’t have to pray the “wait and see” guys on the board jump into the fold.

AS: The guys that you see in this class now are top-notch prospects.

 

Pan: It appears all the talk about recruiting has been around the offensive line and Linebackers. What does our board look like for receiver  and are we in good shape with them. Is the recent statement by George Campbell that he is moving his decision up good or bad?

AS: George Campbell moving his decision date up is bad for Florida and Ryan Davis, Javarius Davis, George Campbell and Antonio Callaway are all guys to watch at receiver.

 

Gatorsteeler: Where do we stand with George Campbell to date? What one school should we be concerned with as far as his recruitment?

AS: FSU is gaining traction right now. I think that’s where he commits to soon.

 

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.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I’m surprised you still list Abdul Bello. I have never thought that a Nigerian was flaky and seriously doubt that he would flip from FSU. I just hope that UF doesn’t expend a lot of energy trying to flip some guys. They expended a lot of wasted time in the futile effort to get Travis Rudolph last year. I do think that the effort should be maintained with Dexter Williams , though. He is one of four highly rated running backs currently pledged to Miami, I can’t imagine Miami keeping all four. A big concern is what has happened in the Tampa area this year. That part of the state is normally a Gator stranglehold and Florida has whiffed so far. I don’t think Joker Phillips was assigned that area. Who is the recruiter for Tampa? UF is currently being routed in the state of Florida, that’s a very troublesome sign.

  2. AS, any idea what changed Campbell’s mind? Is it simply that he likes FSU better, or what? I just find it hard to believe that after all of the positive things we are hearing about the team lately that he changes his mind due to lack of faith.