Although he is already on the ESPN 150 to watch list, Sanford Seminole wide receiver Andre DeBose (6-0, 182) is one of those guys that hasn’t hit the acceleration button when it comes to national attention. That is likely to change quite soon because DeBose is a phenomenal football player that has recently turned into a track phenom.
At a track meet this past weekend, DeBose surprised himself when he ripped off a time he wasn’t sure he was ready to do.
“It was at Lake Highland,” DeBose said of the track meet. “I ran the 100 meters, the 4×400, and the 4×100 meters. I don’t know if that is the best in the state but the time was a 10.68 [in the 100m]. My best time last year was 11.2, I have no idea how I got that much better, but I was hurt a little bit [last year). Actually I didn’t get a good start and didn’t come out as hard as I could. The second place finisher was 11.3 seconds.”
Gator Country recently interviewed one of DeBose’s teammates who also runs track. Surprisingly enough, defensive end Dyron Dye is fast enough that he will compete in the 100 meter events in the future.
“Dyron is actually running the 4×100 meters,” DeBose said. “Coach didn’t think that he could, but he ran so well last week that coach is going to give him a shot in the 100.”
DeBose, Dye, and teammate Ray Ray Armstrong are all good friends who are starting to get the same scholarship offers to the same schools including Florida, where all three have an offer. DeBose said that playing together at the next level would be great but that isn’t a necessity.
“We hang out all the time,” DeBose said. “It is up there and we talk about it, but it’s not the top priority. If it all worked out and we went to the same school, that would be good.”
He has one thing that he is looking for now at the next level.
“Playing time,” he said. “I want to play early.”
All the schools in contact so far are recruiting DeBose as a receiver and most see him in the slot.
“I talked to Urban (Meyer) on Friday and they told me they would use me like another Percy Harvin,” DeBose said. “Florida State didn’t tell me anything particular. They said I can play anything. I believe they are recruiting me for the slot receiver and running back. All the teams recruiting me are recruiting me on offense.”
The Florida Gators are certainly all over him and are telling him the right things. DeBose had a fun conversation with Meyer about the just where the staff wants him to play.
“I talked to Coach (Charlie) Strong first and then Coach (Billy) Gonzales got on the phone [followed by Meyer],” DeBose said. “Coach Strong is cool, he is kind of a clown and I like that.
“At the end of the conversation [Meyer] gave me his cell phone number and told me to keep in touch. He told me that the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator were arguing as to where they want me to play. He told me he didn’t care. I could play both sides, as long as I was playing for his team. Coach Meyer … I was expecting someone that was strictly business, but he felt like a friend to me. He was really nice to me.”
DeBose is nowhere ready to make a decision despite what one “news” organization was trying to tell its readers. DeBose is going to take his time with the process.
“It is going to take a while,” he said. “I do have a couple of schools in mind, but I’m [not ready]. There were some rumors that I had committed to Florida State and I have no idea where that came from. [The Florida coaches] asked if I had committed and I said no, no … I guess it is on Warchant.com that I committed. I called someone over there and he had to correct that.”
With no end in near site, DeBose did offer up a couple of favorites at the moment. It is a duo that may surprise some.
“I never grew up liking a school, but it is pretty much Florida and Miami that are my favorites right now,” he said. “Miami is just Miami, ‘The U’. Florida wins a lot and a lot of athletes come out of there. Urban said Percy is going to the draft and he needs someone to replace him. I am thinking that could be me.”
Now before Gator and Cane fans get all riled up and ready to call this one a day, they are going to have to go through dad first. Dad is the one that will have the most influence on his final college decision.
“My daddy, Morrell DeBose, is the biggest influence on my decision,” DeBose said. “He is the man in the house and everything has to go through him. He keeps me focused on school and stuff. My mom doesn’t know too much about football and doesn’t care where I go as long as it is a free ride. My daddy is going to help me with the decision, he won’t make the decision, but he will help me. He likes Florida State.”
It looks like Andre DeBose will be spending a lot of time dodging coaches that want him to commit early to their schools. The elusive jackrabbit will be doing the same off the field as he does on it where he describes his running style as anything he can do to allude the tackle.
“What I am looking for is not to get hit,” he said with a laugh when I asked him what he looks to do with the ball in his hands. “I just try not to let anyone get their hands on me. If they do get their hands on me they can get a good slam on me. I am looking to get no contact at all.”