Gator Country

Gator Country recruiting analyst Andrew Spivey tackles questions on a variety of subjects, most pertaining to the visitors at this past Saturday's Orange & Blue Debut.

Will the Gators take a third running back in this class? How will the rest of the receiver board play out with Ahmad Fulwood's commitment? Who influenced Fulwood's decision the most? How will the recent crop of Jacksonville pledges affect UF's recruiting in that area in the future? How many more offensive linemen will the Gators take in this class? What's the latest on Laremy Tunsil and why did he not make it to the spring game?

Answers to all those question and many more in this week's Gators Recruiting Mailbag. This feature will continue to run every other week until this fall.

I appreciate everyone’s questions and look forward to doing this again in the coming weeks.

Q.) It seems we are looking to pick up a speed back to go along with Lane and Taylor, of the 3-4 prospects who is number one on our board in your opinion? Green, Kamara, Mercer?

A.) It’s not a given that Florida will take a third running back in this class unless Ryan Green was to want in because he would be hard to turn away. So saying that Ryan Green is first on the board followed by Alvin Kamara and Josh Mercer. Mercer is begging for an offer from Florida, but he will have to camp at Florida in order to receive that offer.

Q.) With Fulwood committed, how do you see the rest of our wr board playing out? Also if you would, how do you feel the Jacksonville pipeline has been effected for the rest of this year and in the future with such a promising group of kids sticking together to play at UF? Hopefully it becomes a popular trend in FL.

A.) Marquez North, Francis Owusu and Stacy Coley are all guys very high on the Florida board. With the three prospects already committed and Demarcus Walker high on the board, Florida has definitely reestablished itself in Jacksonville. Moving forward Florida should be able to continue to recruit the area well. Guys like DeAndre Johnson, Kain Daub and John Wolford are names to watch in the coming years.

Q.) Other than walker...who did we put ourselves in a nice position with after the spring game?

A.) That was really the only big-name prospect who Florida can say they help itself with in the 2013 class. The Gators did make up some ground on Josh Cardiello, but I still do not see him in this class as of today.

Q.) What’s the deal with Tunsil? And are we still looking pretty good for him or are we slipping?

A.) Laremy Tunsil said he was going to visit UF last weekend, but other plans stopped that and he is scheduled to visit Georgia this weekend. Florida is still in good shape with him, and the more times they get him on campus the better things stand with the top offensive lineman in the land.

Q.) How many more Oline recruits will we take now that we have 3? (A newspaper) reported just 1 more, but that does not sound right to me, I hope we would take 3 more! and is Rod Johnson projected at Tackle or Guard ?

A.) The goal for this class is five offensive line commits. I do not see Florida taking less than that at all. Johnson has told me that Florida has told him he will play both but I see him as more of a guard than tackle.

Q.) Is it true the Crowder wanted to commit this weekend, but we didn’t accept it?

A.) I’m not going to go into that, but I will say that Crowder likes Florida a lot but was asked to come back for camp this summer. Crowder was not as tall as he had told people he was.

Q.) Do we accept the commitment of recruits even if our number of schollies does not permit it? For example, we book #17 when we only have 16 schollies to offer at the time… Thanks!

A.) Absolutely. You take the commits and make the numbers work later.

Q.) With 15 recruits committed, how many more do we take and what would you say the position breakdown for the final recruits will be?

A.) I have been told the number is 23-25. 1 QB, 2 WR, 2 OL, 3 DE/Buck, 1 DT, 1 LB, 2 DB’s.

Q.) When will Coley pop?

A.) He has said either the All-American game or national signing day in the past.
Q.) Whats the word on Bateman?

A.) He had a very good visit and will narrow things down over the next few weeks following his visit to Washington and UCLA.

Q.) Who do you see as a likely defensive tackle to add to our commitment list?

A.) Greg Gilmore is a name to keep an eye on moving forward.

Q.) Do you think we will get either Harris or McQuay at our other safety? Would there be any possibility of signing both if both wanted in?

A.) I do not see both of those guys in this class. But I do think they will get one of those guys.

Q.) Will we take Walker and Bosa both at DE or is one a SAM/BUCK prospect?

A.) Both are defensive ends, but could grow into defensive tackles. To answer your question I don’t think either one of those are BUCK candidates.

Q.) Will we take both McQuay and Harris if they want in?

A.) If they both want in you make room for them, but I don’t think both will be in this class.

Q.) Has Sherit taken over the number one slot on the BUCK board?

A.) No, Elijiah Daniel still holds that spot.

Q.) Of the guys who have already committed, assuming that all of them stick, how many can we expect to enroll early?
A.) So far, James Hearns, Daniel McMillian, Kelvin Taylor, Adam Lane, and Caleb Brantley have said they plan to enroll early. I know that Fulwood will not be able to enroll early, because of the high school he attends.

Q.) 2012’s commitments not at the O&B game and reason for not coming?

A.) Colin Thompson was just at Florida the week before the game, so that is why he did not attend. Jeremi Powell spent his entire spring break at Florida. I’m not sure why Rhaheim Ledbetter did not attend.

Q.) What is the latest with Greg Gilmore and Montravius Adams?

A.) I’ve been trying to reach Gilmore for the last few days, but have not had any luck. With Adams, nothing is really new — he liked Florida, but I still think the Gators trail Clemson and Georgia.

Q.) Will all of the depth issues be answered with this class?

A.) Yes, I believe so. Florida is already off to a great start on the offensive line, which was one of the biggest concerns.

Q.) Do you see any immediate impact players from those that have verbally committed?

A.) Ahmad Fulwood is a guy I believe can contribute early at Florida. Also, guys like Kelvin Taylor and Adam Lane could play early as well.

Q.) Are the Gators gearing up for great teams built by great recruiting again?

A.) That’s the way it looks, but the recruits have to live up to expecations.

Q.) What’s the update on anzalone?

A.) As I said in chat the other night Florida has positioned itself well for Anzalone. He told me a few weeks ago that he was trying to visit Florida again the weekend of the 20th with his mom. If all things go well on that trip, a decision could come shortly after that.

Q.) Did Kelvin Taylor, or other non-Jacksonville commits, have any influence on Ahmad Fulwood’s commitment?

A.) I’m not sure how much Taylor actually talked to Fulwood. The major factor in Fulwood’s decision was Nick Washington.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Questions have been unedited and are in the original form in which they were submitted.

About the author

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.

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