Running back board breakdown

With spring practice starting soon, you will start to see more and more prospects visiting schools for unofficial visits.

Over the next few weeks GatorCountry is going to break down each position in the Class of 2014 and who the Gators have offered for 2014.

With Florida already having Will Grier in at quarterback, GatorCountry will not be breaking down the quarterback position.

First up we are going to break down the running back position, Florida will look to take 1-2 prospects for the Class of 2014.

Norcross (Ga.) High running back Myles Autry

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Autry says he will visit Florida this spring but he currently favors Ohio State and Georgia early on. Autry has visited Georgia several times already and has plans to see Ohio State. Florida has a shot here but has ground to make up on Autry.

Cedartown (Ga.) High running back Nick Chubb

Chubb recently named a top 3 of Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn but he tells GatorCountry.com he will visit Florida soon for a spring practice. Chubb said he also plans to follow up his visit to Gainesville with a visit to Ohio State after that. The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Chubb has a lot of mutual interest in the Gators.

Miami (Fla.) Central running back Dalvin Cook

A Clemson commitment, Cook says he is still looking at all options, including Florida. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Cook says he will visit Florida and Clemson this spring. This one will likely not be over anytime soon, so the Gators will have time to sway Cook.

New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine running back Leonard Fournette

The 6-foot, 215-pound Fournette hasn’t publically named LSU and Alabama his leaders, but many close to him believe that is true. Fournette did visit Florida in New Orleans for a Sugar Bowl practice and was impressed. The Gators will push hard here but LSU and Alabama will be hard to beat.

Hendersonville (Tn.) Beech Senior running back Jalen Hurd

Florida and Ohio State are the two early leaders for the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Hurd. Tennessee is coming on strong for Hurd and will be a serious contender in his recruitment. The Gators are trying to get Hurd back on campus again for a spring practice.

Gainesville (Fla.) High running back Tony James

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound James has been on Florida’s campus several times recently and plans to return again for a spring practice. Florida and Florida State are the leaders for James early on in the process.

Immokalee (Fla.) High running back Dee Johnson

Johnson tried to commit to Florida last fall, but was told to wait. If the Gators decide to go in this direction they should be able to land Johnson, who admits to growing up a Florida fan.

Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage running back Sony Michel

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Michel recently named a top 5 of Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Notre Dame. Georgia and Miami are currently a little ahead of the rest for Michel’s recruitment. The Gators are trying to get Michel on campus again and with Miami just picking up Joe Yearby, the Gators could get back in the mix for him.

Oakley (Ca.) Freedom  running back Joe Mixon

Mixon is the latest back to pick up a Florida offer and the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Mixon says he will most likely use an official visit to Gainesville. Mixon says he has a lot of interest in Florida, but distance could be a factor.

Tuscaloosa (Al.) Northridge running back Bo Scarbrough

An Alabama commitment, Scarbrough says he will visit Florida this spring. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Scarbrough has noticed the amount of backs on Alabama’s roster and that could help the Gators chances here.

Oxford (Al.) High running back Racean Thomas

The 5-foot-11, 196-pound Thomas has Alabama and Auburn on top with the Tide likely the leader for him. While Florida has offered Thomas, the Gators haven’t recruited him very hard.

Durham (N.C.) Hillside running back Donte Williams

Williams has a lot of interest in Florida, but the 6-foot, 209-pounder has yet to visit Florida. Until Williams visits Florida, the interest seems to be down between the two parties.

Miami (Fla.) Central running back Joe Yearby

Yearby was a Florida State commitment for close to a year but just recently flipped to Miami due to James Coley moving to Miami. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Yearby has a Florida offer but the Gators aren’t really recruiting Yearby.

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.