Spivey Senses is back again this week and Andrew Spivey is joined by Michael Robinson of Sleeper Athletes to talk about the efforts of the Florida Gators coaching staff in recruiting so far.
One of the main topics of conversations is how the Gators are doing in South Florida and why the youth of this Gators coaching staff is helping Florida out on the recruiting trail.
Robinson and Spivey talk a lot more about the Florida Gators recruiting class including some guys that you should keep an eye on.
Transcript:
Andrew: What’s up Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey. I’m back today, and I have a special guest, a good friend of mine from Sleeper Athletes, Michael Robinson. Good guy, loves recruiting just like myself. Michael, thanks for coming on with us and joining me at Gator Country today.
Michael: Thanks for having me. It’s exciting. I haven’t done one of these in a while. It’s going to be a bit of an adventure, but I’m happy to be on.
Andrew: I think you’re like me. You like to talk, so I think we’ll be okay. No cameras in front of our face. We can’t get gun shy.
Michael: Exactly.
Andrew: Sleep, you’ve been around this Florida Gators program a lot like myself. You and I watched Friday Night Lights from the stands together. What’s your overall impression of this coaching staff in general?
Michael: Really I really like the staff that they’ve put together. I know I’m kind of close with a few of them, Kerry Dixon. I’ve seen Randy Shannon back when he was at Arkansas. I think there is a really good staff he put together. Recruiting wise it’s a really, really good staff, not just coaching but even better for recruiting for the Gators. I think it’s a really good staff all together. Really good guys, really make you feel at home, and I know that’s probably what the recruits feel too.
Andrew: You say feel at home, and I think the thing you kind of touched on a little bit is Kerry Dixon’s a young guy. Kirk Callahan’s a young guy. Even Recruiting Coordinator Drew Hughes is a young guy. Is that the sense you got as well is that it was a youth movement a little bit, as well as some older guys to blend in?
Michael: Right. I believe that’s definitely the case, because a lot of the older guys, this group, this day and age it’s more of a newer coach’s kind of year. Now from here on out they’re trying to recruit the guys even younger than they have been in the past. I’m seeing 2018 and 2019 guys getting offers now. So I think what he also did too, which was a really good idea, is get some younger guys in there so they can closely relate to those younger players. Not saying that older coaches can’t, but I just think the younger ones can reach them a little bit better.
Andrew: You and I touched a little bit on this in the past off the air. Randy Shannon, just his presence in south Florida is something indescribable. You and I talked about there’s a lot of great recruiters that recruit that area, and Randy Shannon’s one of the best. I guess, what do you see that makes Randy Shannon such a figure down there that just draws kids?
Michael: I think it’s because, I know Randy has a son that’s playing, played or playing now, as well, but I think Randy growing up in Miami, grew up in those streets, playing at Miami, playing high school ball in Miami, and he’s not necessarily an old old guy, but he is young enough. I think he relates to those kids extremely well, because he knows where they come from. He knows the neighborhoods. He came out of those same streets, and kids can relate to that, and they feel comfortable around someone that has those kind of strong ties down that way.
Andrew: How important, in your opinion, is it that McElwain has made south Florida such a priority? I guess how big do you think that is in just the world of recruiting nowadays?
Michael: I think it’s humongous, because not just in the state of Florida, but I believe the country knows about how well talented south Florida is, and I think that once you target south Florida you get players want to play with guys like Sam Bruce and Jake Allen and Benjamin Victor. Everybody wants to play with those guys, because they’re great talent, and they bring a lot to the table. So if you attack south Florida, not only guys from Orlando, Jacksonville, Gainesville will want to come. There are guys in Georgia, Alabama, and those guys too will want to come, because you see these south Florida guys on the opening and all these different All-Star Under Armor and Army All American, so they want to play with those great players. I think attacking south Florida, and even the state of Florida period, helps them around the country.
Andrew: You just led me into my next point talking about Jake Allen, Sam Bruce, those guys. I want to touch a little bit on Jake Allen, because he’s already made such a big impact for the Florida Gators, and he’s still a year and a half from getting on campus. What is it that you have seen from Jake Allen as a character guy, as just a person, that attracts guys to that? Then what is he bringing to the table talent wise?
Michael: I’ve been watching Jake since he was splitting time at Cardinal Gibbons last year, and Jake is just your All American kid. He’s just a great kid, great attitude. He doesn’t curse, really smart. Smart on the field and off the field. Really good character kid. You can’t really ask for a better kid. If I ever have a son I hope he ends up being like Jake. On the field, he still has some things to learn, but his arm talent is amazing. He’s learning how to read defenses a whole better compared to last year when he was at Gibbons. I think the transition of him coming over to St. Thomas and learning under Ryan Snyder at St. Thomas, who played at UCS under Mike Cruz, has taught him a whole lot more about the game and how to pick out, how to read defenses a whole lot better. Jake’s going to just be a face of the program I believe. He’s going to be remembered. Not quite the remembered like Tim Tebow, but he’s going to be remembered, seriously remembered, by all those Florida Gator fans.
Andrew: I think that that’s the big thing is we have to remember he’s still got two more years of high school football. He’s still got a lot to go. You and I got to watch him firsthand at Friday Night Lights, and just from the little bit that I’ve seen of him arm talent is definitely not, or arm strength is definitely something he’s very good at. I think that the one thing that I did notice as well is he was maybe slower in his reads, but that’s something I think will come on with that. I guess, him getting to play at St. Thomas with those guys, how big do you think that’s going to be for his development?
Michael: I think that’s going to be huge, because everyone knows that the SEC is the fastest conference there is. So when you have talent like Sam Bruce, Trevon Grimes, Mike Harley, those receivers, those speed guys, when you have speed on your team and you play against speed on defense with those guys on defense like Nick Bosa and these guys that can run, it’s going to make him adjust to the SEC game a lot faster, because he’s already playing in a fast league against fast teams and with a fast team. I think that’s going to help his development a whole lot better, because he’s going to be able to jump in. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jordan Scarlett comes in and does well, because he played at St. Thomas as well, and now with the Gators, because he’s so adjusted to the speed of the game. When you’re playing in south Florida it’s almost like playing in the SEC of high school ball.
Andrew: That’s a good point. Let’s move on a little bit to the receivers. I think you and I can both agree that there’s receivers for every team in the country from south Florida. With Victor and Bruce and Ridley, Calvin Ridley, and into 2017 receivers is just a loaded bunch. What is your impression of the receiver class, and give the listeners a few guys that you should maybe pay attention to if you’re a Florida Gator fan.
Michael: Actually, of course we already know about Benjamin Victor. We already know about Calvin Ridley. They’re actually playing against each other Thursday night, Deerfield Beach versus Coconut Creek, and I will be there. So that’s going to be interesting, and Aaron Robinson, the Gator’s commit, is in that game too, the corner. From receivers I would look out for, I just named Mike Harley. He did a real good job at Friday Night Lights. He plays at St. Thomas as well with Jake Allen. Sam Bruce, Benjamin Victor, Jared Judy I believe is probably going to end up being the Number 1 receiver in 2017 in the entire country. He plays at Deerfield. He’s one to watch. Of course, Trevon Grimes is a big tall 6’4” receiver at St. Thomas. I really like him. I like Rodney Scott down at South Ridge. He’s a really good one to watch out for. There are so many of those guys down here that I could spend an hour on talking about all the receivers, all the skill guys that are down here. It’s just amazing. Kevaughn Dingle is another one that comes to mind from Carol City that’s a big tight receiver down here who has a pretty good future ahead of him. There are tons of them down here.
Andrew: To go a little bit more specific on Sam Bruce and Benjamin Victor, those are two guys that I think Florida has got definitely high on their recruiting board right now. Without you predicting, making any speculations, I guess what have you heard from those guys, if they’ve told you anything, about the Gators? Benjamin Victor’s told me several times I want to watch the season. Is that something you’re hearing as well that they’re just wanting to watch this offense?
Michael: Right. They want to see how the offense runs. I believe that, I’ll just start with Benjamin Victor. With Benjamin Victor I think part of his recruiting is possibly who the Gators are going to get as their ’16 quarterback to kind of grow with him in that 2016 class. Jake Allen, of course, is already committed, but he wants someone, I believe, probably from that ’16 class that will grow with him, he can grow some chemistry with.
Sam Bruce, I don’t think he even cares too much about the quarterback. Sam is just a guy that wants to play for whoever, and whoever is going to take care of him, because he’s just an all-out baller. I mean, he just wants to play. His thing is he’s so passionate about the game that I think that he wants to see how he fits into Florida’s offense as far as a slot guy, because I think that’s probably where he’ll end up being. He wants to see how those Florida slots play, how the quarterback can get them that ball, but I think Sam is more leaning towards just getting on the field more so than Ben is looking to see how those quarterbacks perform this year.
Andrew: A guy that I think kind of gets maybe left behind a little bit is Calvin Ridley. His brother being the five star. Like we said, it’s a deep receiving core this year in south Florida. I was really impressed at Calvin the few times I’ve seen him. I guess, what are your overall thoughts of Calvin, and how does he stack up against the Victors, the Nate Craigs, of the world?
Michael: He’s just as physically gifted as any of them. It’s just that Calvin, his older brother at Alabama, the class of 2015 just wasn’t as deep, like he touched on. It’s just not as deep as this one, and two years ago Calvin would have been the Number 1 receiver in south Florida, possibly. It’s just so many good ones down here, and a lot of coaches even feel like he might not even be the best on his team, because of Jared Judy.
Andrew: Right.
Michael: It’s just so deep this year, but he’s just as, if anyone gets, it’s not much separating Nate Craig, Benjamin Victor, Sam Bruce, Freddie Swain from Calvin Ridley. They’re all elite receivers in my book.
Andrew: I want to ask you about two more players real quick. Aaron Robinson, the cornerback, he’s a guy that’s maybe be slept on a lot, and then moving to Deerfield, Lavarus Tigner as well as Josh Hammond. Those three guys are three guys we haven’t really talked about. Sleep, I know you watch a lot of Deerfield, what are your thoughts on Aaron Robinson, to start off with?
Michael: Aaron Robinson is under radar. He came on late. I know he was earning some late offers. He has really good size. He’s learning the position. I think as he gets coached, and I think as he gets into college and really gets coached up and gets some weight on him I would not be surprised, barring injury and any other issues, I really wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being a first round pick in the NFL. I really think he’s going to be that good. I know that you guys are high on Chauncey Gardner, and he’s great. There are a lot of great ones that the Gators have, but I really like Aaron to mature. He’s a really good kid. I see him. He has a south Florida pedigree. I think he really has the tools to make it to the NFL.
Andrew: He’s a big guy, too. 6’1”, he’s a legit 6’1” from what I saw of him a little bit. What about Josh Hammond? He’s a guy I personally see more as a guy that’s just a guy that’s going to make the plays. He’s not going to make a highlight reel, but he’s just going to make the plays. Is that a fair assessment of him in your book?
Michael: It is. I definitely agree with that. I think that he’s just going to be a consistent receiver. I know his brother, Frankie, played there. He’s just going to be someone who’s consistent. He’s not going to be big time, flashy, twirl the ball in the air, dance and celebrate, and all that kind of stuff. He’s just going to get the job done. He’s going to make tough catches across the middle. The biggest impact he’s going to have is going to be not in the stat sheet. It’s going to be he catches the ball on 3rd down and moves the chain for the Gators. That’s going to be his biggest impact is it’s just five yards, but it’s even bigger that you’re helping move the chain. I think he’s just going to be a consistent receiver, open target, knows how to run routes, but he’ll be a good one for the Gators for sure.
Andrew: Coach Dixon’s licking his chops to get these boys in. Sleep, I appreciate you coming on. Everybody, follow this man @SleeperAthletes on Twitter. Does a great job. Really helps the kids. You guys know on Gator Country I preach all the time about this is for the kids. Sleep’s the man when it comes to that. He really likes the kids, enjoys the kids. Sleep, I appreciate you coming on so much. I hope to have you back on some more.
Michael: That sounds good. This was fun, especially after this Creek Deerfield game. I can kind of give you a rundown on how that went, and give you an idea of how those Gator commits or targets did after that game.
Andrew: There you go. He’ll be providing live updates on Twitter. Sleep, I appreciate it so much, and we will catch up with you soon.
Michael: Okay. Sounds good.
Andrew: That was my guy, Sleeper Athletes. Make sure to follow him on Sleeper Athletes. As you guys know, I’m over here. I always respect the kids. I think this is a kid’s game. They deserve their moment, and that’s what Sleep does. Good guy, good follow over there.
Let’s just move on a little bit here. We’re talking recruiting in this edition here of this little podcast, so I’m going to move on a little bit. It’s starting high school football season this week, Friday night, actually Thursday night going to start a little football. Guys are getting back on the field. I think it’s going to be a really good season for a lot of guys. Mark Thompson in JuCo race, how does he improve? Brandon Autry in the JuCo race, how does he do as they got three, four months of football left before they get to the Gators?
I want to kind of hit on a couple of guys real quick that I think are going to have really solid seasons and can improve their stock even more than it already is. Of course these guys have improved their stock enough that the Gators want them, but there’s a couple of guys that I really think are going to have really solid years and are just going to bust onto the scene as far as the national level. One of those guys is Isaiah Johnson. I’ve been able to observe Isaiah now for a couple times of going through camp circuits a little bit. I got to see some of his spring ball a little bit. At 6’3”, 212 pounds already, as he told us the other day in the interview, he’s a guy that is probably going to transition to that H back tight end, but he’s a guy that just goes up and gets the football from the highest point. You watch Gator football the last few years, you know that’s not something that Florida’s used to at the Swamp and on Saturdays right now. Isaiah Johnson’s a guy that I think if he can improve his route running a little bit and have a good year of catching the football, something that he struggled with in the spring a little bit. If that’s something he can do, then I think he’s going to have a spectacular year and rise up the board a lot.
The next guy that I’m really excited to see is Javon Myers. Javon’s a guy that, no disrespect to him, but he’s just been overshadowed by his brother. That’s not to say anything bad. His brother’s a great receiver, a five star receiver, but Javon’s a spectacular athlete himself. 6’1”, 180 pounds, 185, he’s a guy that can play corner, can play safety. He can play wherever you want him to play, and he’s going to be able to ball out. I think that he’s going to really have a solid year. I want to see where he ends up doing better at. Is he more of a outside corner guy? Does he possibly bump back to safety? Does he move inside to nickel back? Where does he go? Of course, he’s a spectacular kick returner, had a kick return for a touchdown in a spring game. Again, he’s a guy that in my opinion is going to have a really good season. I think he’s going to rise up the boards.
Then as well I think Brett Heggie, the center commit out of Mount Dora. I was not completely sold on Brett when I first saw his tape two years ago, or a year and a half ago. Then as I start to see his film, start to see him in person a little bit, meet the guy. He’s a big strong kid, held his own at the opening in July out in Beaverton. He’s a guy that I really think is going to be a guy that really comes up, and at the end of the cycle people are going to be like, Florida really got a steal by getting Brett to commit early on.
Those are the three guys that I’m really looking forward to. Of course, my guy, Lamical Perine, I think he’s going to have a great year over at Theodore. I think he’ll top the 1,000 yard rushing mark, maybe go for 1,500, around in that area. He’s going to have a good year. You got an offensive line that’s going to struggle a little bit. One interesting thing is in mid-September he’s going to go one on one against Jawaan Taylor or Park Crossing. Theodore’s going to play Park Crossing this year, so that should be a good game. There’s going to be a lot of good games. Of course, like always I’ll have the previews every week and the recaps on everything and have that for you guys. I just wanted to kind of touch a little bit on that.
To kind of go a little bit further on the recruiting class in general. We’re right here in August, August 17th, 18th. 18th is today that I’m recording this on Tuesday. Florida’s at 20 commits. I think I’m not telling you guys anything you don’t know. Florida’s not going to have, doesn’t have 20 commits that are going to actually sign that’s in this class right now. There’s going to be some guys that defect out that either Florida doesn’t really recruit hard going forward, or they simply just see that they’re not wanted anymore, or see that it’s too talented so they’re going to move on.
I think that Florida ends up with 28 in this class. I really see that. 27 at least in the class, because I think that you’ll see some guys transfer out of the program simply because they don’t fit in the McElwain program anymore, either on offense or defense. I think you’ll see a lot of guys on offense transfer out. Then you’re going to have some guys leave early. I think Demarcus Robinson, Kelvin Taylor, Keanu Neal, Vernon Hargreaves, of course, some of those guys are going to leave early. It’s the nature of the business nowadays. You’re in school three years. You get out, you go get paid, and get out of school. No longer have to hit the books.
28 is the number that I keep coming up with. To break it down a little bit of where I see that happening at is I think you’re going to get another quarterback to add to Kyle Trask, and then I think that you’re going to get three more receivers. I really believe that they’re going to get three more receivers in this class. It’ll probably come from the group of Victor, Bruce, Nate Craig-Myers, Ridley, and maybe even a Tyrek Cleveland. I think three of those five or two of those five will be in the class. Maybe they go find another guy somewhere else to go about, but that’s where I see that at.
I do think that they add a tight end in this class, whether it be Nick Eubanks or maybe Jacob Mathis from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, who’s a good athlete. Then I think you look at maybe two more offensive linemen somewhere around in that to go with the three they already have committed in Stone and Brett and Brandon Autry. I think that’ll add to that. Then I think you’re definitely looking at one to two more cornerbacks and another linebacker on defense, and then two, three, maybe four, I say three that’s going to be on the defensive line, maybe four depending on who wants in. You’ve got a big group, Shavar Manuel, Janarius Robinson, Jordan Woods still in that mix. I know I’m forgetting somebody. Shavar Manuel, I said him. Maybe Dexter Lawrence, you never know how that’s going to be.
There’s a lot of big name guys on that defensive line that’s still out there. Chris Rumph’s known as a closer, the guy can close on the defensive line. I think after the guys see how well the defense is, and there’s going to be some openings on the defensive line. Bullard’s going to be gone. McCallister, he’s going to be senior next year. So there’s going to be some openings on that line that they’re going to really come about.
I think recruiting’s going well. As Sleeper Athletes told us a little bit ago, the coaching staff is doing an incredible job of really getting these guys in on campus, getting them fired up. The saying always is, once you get them on campus anything can happen, and that’s really what’s happening right now. They’re getting them on campus, and then they’re closing the deal with these guys. Shavar Manuel’s a guy that two months ago nobody thought they had a chance with. They get him on campus again, and boom, it’s there. Antonius Clayton, the defensive end out of Georgia, is another guy. They continued to get him on campus, and he continues to love things. It gets better when you get these kids on campus, and Florida’s done an incredible job with that.
That’s kind of today’s show. I don’t really have too much else. I really just wanted to get you guys with Sleep from Sleeper Athletes and let him talk to you guys about south Florida and this recruiting class. That’s kind of it. If anybody has any questions, always shoot them to me. We’ll have the mailbag later in the week. We’ll have high school coverage. I’m going to be out at Lamical Perine’s game this weekend. Dan Thompson’s going to be over at Nate Craig’s game this weekend. We should have plenty of coverage of those two games, and we’ll have plenty more. There’s going to be a lot of games on Saturday, a lot of Georgia games on Saturday on Fox Sports South. I’ll probably be checking those out, bringing some coverage that way. Guys, just tune in. Let me know if you have any questions, as always, on the message board. For this time, it’s Andrew Spivey, Gator Country. Stick with us, and follow me on Twitter, @AndrewSpiveyGC. Peace out, Gator Country.