Florida dominating instate recruiting

[NoahBeanBizzel]

I mentioned in another thread that Florida needed to own its own state to become the dominant program in the SEC again, and I decided to take a look at the numbers. Florida is blowing away Miami and FSU, with TWELVE of the state's top 50 players (according to Rivals) on their way to Gainesville.

Also, the latest thing to obsess about appears to be how Florida is somehow getting owned by Clemson in recruiting. How many players from Rivals top 50 (Florida) prospects are on their way to Clemson? One. We can't be happy with completely dominating the state; we have to become hysterical over a receiver from Georgia who doesn't want to join the fun.

Obviously things will change between now and signing day. But, as it stands right now, Miami and FSU only have five prospects committed COMBINED from that list. Here's who UF has locked up from the list of the top instate players:

#1 Vernon Hargraves
#9 Kelvin Taylor
#10 Marcell Harris
#14 Dan McMillian
#15 Ahmad Fulwood
#17 Caleb Brantley
#18 Alvin Bailey
#21 Keanu Neal
#22 Jordan Sherit
#23 Nick Washington
#31 James Hearns
#42 Joey Ivie

So, Florida really has ten of the top 23 instate players committed. Anybody who follows recruiting knows how important it is for Florida to dominate its own state. It's nice to pluck players from states like North Carolina, Maryland, New York, etc...but Muschamp knows that recruiting Florida better than anyone else will win championships. That's what he's doing.

[Tebowism0823]

Very nice numbers. Hadn't noticed that.

[mfpardnor2]

Thanks for the perspective, good post,

[GatorMasta]

The problem isn't FSU or Miami anymore..It's Bama,Jawja,USCw and soon to be Ohio St with Urban under the helm coming in and taking the ELITE Florida prospects away from us.

[jewood592]

Had to rep this thread. Awesome breakdown!

[gatormonk]

We also have a shot at #7 (Alexander) and #25 (Collins.)

[Gatorbeck]

Wow... This is how you contribute to a message board! Thanks for that bro!!! Yes the big boys are becoming a nuisance. Bottom line is we still need to show receivers and qb's that we can use your talents, and display your talent to the NFL.

I think with another dominating year on defense, we won't miss on very many top instate defensive guys. Once again, we need the 1st round to be littered with gators, that's what matters most to recruits!

[ofmgator]

Gatormasta check the rosters on many really good college teams and you'll find out that for years out of state teams have recruited top players from Florida. Many of these guys are AA types. We can't take them all and a bunch of them go elsewhere because of the academic requirements at Florida. So far we have the number one rated class so I'm more the content and happy WM has the reins.

[wci347]

The problem isn't FSU or Miami anymore..It's Bama,Jawja,USCw and soon to be Ohio St with Urban under the helm coming in and taking the ELITE Florida prospects away from us.

It's a two way street however. Urban will get more people from Florida than we will from Ohio. So what does that say about his confidence in Ohio HS football. He is basically saying he can't win in the Big 10 without a strong contingent of players from Florida. That is a slap in the face to the locals who dreamed to play for TOSU but were overlooked by someone from Liberty City.

We will be able to get some blue chip players who want Meyers to realize that there is some pretty good talent in the state of Ohio also that he shouldn't have bypassed.

[Notoriousgator]

It's a two way street however. Urban will get more people from Florida than we will from Ohio. So what does that say about his confidence in Ohio HS football. He is basically saying he can't win in the Big 10 without a strong contingent of players from Florida. That is a slap in the face to the locals who dreamed to play for TOSU but were overlooked by someone from Liberty City.

We will be able to get some blue chip players who want Meyers to realize that there is some pretty good talent in the state of Ohio also that he shouldn't have bypassed.

That's silly. Ohio State always has and always will continue to have the vast majority of their team from Ohio and fill in a few spots here and there with blue chippers. Its nothing new that a dozen or so kids from Ohio lose a spot to a stud from Florida or Texas, etc...

Just because urbana there doesn't mean 50% of their roster will now be Fla kids

[1984Gator]

The problem isn't FSU or Miami anymore..It's Bama,Jawja,USCw and soon to be Ohio St with Urban under the helm coming in and taking the ELITE Florida prospects away from us.

I wouldn't count on urban being that much of a competitor and certainly not USCw now that Kiffen has been exposed as a lousy coach!

[elrongator]

Urban isn't taking squat from us.
We are dominating the state of Florida, which is how Florida teams dominated the 90's.
The fall of REFsu will help tremendously, as will the continued punishment of Miami despite the investigation not being done yet.

The OP of this thread is right on!!!

[FriendlyGator]

Nice research.

For those who are worried about "defections" out of state, other big time football schools will get kids out of Florida. They always have and always will. But if we dominate like we are doing now over time, there will be no team in college football more talented than we are and only a select few who can match us. If Muschamp trounces FSU and Miami the way he is doing now, we can average well less than 10 out of state kids per class (hopefully elite ones cherry picked) and take a back seat to nobody on talent.

[AFCyberGator]

Very nice. It puts a damper on the "sky is falling because we lost ONE of my favorite recruits" discussions.

[gatordee]

The problem isn't FSU or Miami anymore..It's Bama,Jawja,USCw and soon to be Ohio St with Urban under the helm coming in and taking the ELITE Florida prospects away from us.

Urban will get one here and there but that will be it. How many recruits really want to live in Ohio? Especially if they grew up in Florida. And for the one's that do choose Ohio, they will regret it for a few reasons.

[fox]

U miami is in the death spiral around the scumhole from where it emerged.

FSU is in the death spiral around the ACC championship, its path greased by Fisher's panty stains.

Setting the table for UF dominance for the state which rightfully belongs to Gators.

[GATORAZ]

17 out of the 25 commits FLorida has are from Florida and 6 more commits are from Georgia. You might see some more out of state kids next year

[Tebowism0823]

17 out of the 25 commits FLorida has are from Florida and 6 more commits are from Georgia. You might see some more out of state kids next year

Yep. Gotta handle the home front and Muschamp is doing just that.

[bofusgators]

Yes, a good post.

[NoahBeanBizzel]

17 out of the 25 commits FLorida has are from Florida and 6 more commits are from Georgia. You might see some more out of state kids next year

Yeah, if there is another state I want to see Florida make some noise in, it would be Georgia. That's another state that plays some really good football.

Some of Meyer's best players (Spikes, Harvin, Haden, Dunlap, and Hernandez) were all from different states, so it's not like there is a problem with going up the east coast to get some really good talent to salt and pepper a class with. But I'm sure Muschamp and his staff want to make it a point to have the majority of the class made up of the state's top players.

I'm just glad to see that Muschamp is getting his share of the state's top talent. If you get ten of the top 23 players instate every year in February to sign, you'll always have a team that can beat anybody.

[UGator]

Clemson, by most accounts, has an attractive campus and friendly fans and women and the ACC for their competitive juices.

The SEC is a different animal all together! Players have to work and prepare and compete against the best in college football, PERIOD!

Teens today rarely understand the importance of personal responsibility, accountability and the work required for self improvement on the playing field or life in general. Maybe their parents and coaches haven't prepared them for the battle of life ahead. Too bad!

Muschamp resonates a chance for a recruit to play provided the work and competition and walking the line are understood and will be demonstrated while at UF. If they are intimidated or woefully entitled to not want this kind of focus, let them go to Clemson or any other school for the fun and without a mission for titles and championships!

[NoahBeanBizzel]

Clemson, by most accounts, has an attractive campus and friendly fans and women and the ACC for their competitive juices.

The SEC is a different animal all together! Players have to work and prepare and compete against the best in college football, PERIOD!

Teens today rarely understand the importance of personal responsibility, accountability and the work required for self improvement on the playing field or life in general. Maybe their parents and coaches haven't prepared them for the battle of life ahead. Too bad!

Muschamp resonates a chance for a recruit to play provided the work and competition and walking the line are understood and will be demonstrated while at UF. If they are intimidated or woefully entitled to not want this kind of focus, let them go to Clemson or any other school for the fun and without a mission for titles and championships!

This can't be a serious post. :wink:

[thedyc09]

I'm positively giddy that we may be able to make in-roads (again) into South Florida if/when Miami gets slapped around. I'm also looking forward to the day SOS leaves USCe to come home to Gainesville, re-opening the fertile SC recruiting grounds to us.

[gatordentist]

I guess I am greedy. Don't understand why we can get more than 2 of top 10 though.

[ofmgator]

If we can get some of the best players from out off state then sobeit. That said, if we get most of the best from the state of Florida we'll continue on our way up the mountain because the south breeds speed and athleticism like no where else.

[thedyc09]

I guess I am greedy. Don't understand why we can get more than 2 of top 10 though.

We have three of the top ten. Numbers 1, 9, and 10.

Greg Bryant and Ryan Green were both in the top 10, and both were slotted below Taylor and Lane on our board.

There has been mutual interest between Florida and each of the four remaining uncommitted prospects (Tunsil, Thomas, Alexander, and McQuay). Though, it seems unlikely that we're going to grab any of them.

That leaves Joey Bosa, who I believe is a legacy to Ohio State.

Miami has ZERO players in the top 10, but will likely end up with 1.

Alabama has ZERO players in the top 10, and will likely end with 0.

Georgia has ZERO players in the top 10, but will likely end up with 1.

Clemson has ZERO players in the top 10, but will likely end up with 1.

LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn haven't sniffed a top Florida player this year.

Slowly but surely Will Muschamp is building a fence around the state of Florida, with a doggie door for the kids we don't want.

[themistocles]

Very interesting.

I have generally paid attention to the Florida Top 50 for about 35 years, because being Top 50 in Florida is roughly the same as being Top 10 in most states with a few exceptions.

In order, the states that consistently produce the greatest number of Division I quality football players are:

1 - Florida, Texas & Georgia - all three pretty close

2 - California

3 - North Carolina

4 - Louisiana, Virginia, South Carolina and Alabama

5 - Mississippi & Tennessee

The reason is pretty simple, these are the states with the Largest African American population. Additionally, all of these states except California, emphasize football, which mean that coaching is available. Pennsylvania and Ohio also emphasize football, but their populations are too white to produce much other than offensive linemen, a few linebackers and fullbacks.

African American populations, according to the Census Bureau's 2009 projection of populations, listed by the ranking numbers above were:

1 - 2.9 million
2 - 2.4 million
3 - 2.0 million
4 - 1.2-1.5 million
5 - 1.0 million

Of course, the ranking services, frequently being housed in a specific state, will bias that state's recruit rankings upward.

[gtr2x]

That leaves Joey Bosa, who I believe is a legacy to Ohio State.
want.

Bosa,s dad played at BC, then the Dolphins, NTIM.

[Zanso]

Alabama has ZERO players in the top 10, and will likely end with 0

Bama has 1- Demarcus Walker. He's 6th in state on rivals since he moved up in rankings, they just haven't updated his page. He definitely is a top 10 player in the state IMO.

That being said we've done good, but between Bama, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, FSU etc. each taking a player it really means we aren't "dominating" the state. Sure when you compare us to each team individually we do better in Florida (as we should) but when you look at the bigger picture we are losing tons of recruits from Florida to out of state schools.

Schools rarely pull top alabama talent from bama or top lousiana talent from LSU. Sure there aren't enough scholarship spots to take all the talent in Florida (since there is an excess amount) we still seem to lose about 50% of the in state players that we want to other schools.

edit: Georgia does way worse than us in state though.

[GCNumber7]

True, but how much money/effort do we spend in LA or AL vs. other schools in FL?

[NoahBeanBizzel]

Bama has 1- Demarcus Walker. He's 6th in state on rivals since he moved up in rankings, they just haven't updated his page. He definitely is a top 10 player in the state IMO.

That being said we've done good, but between Bama, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, FSU etc. each taking a player it really means we aren't "dominating" the state. Sure when you compare us to each team individually we do better in Florida (as we should) but when you look at the bigger picture we are losing tons of recruits from Florida to out of state schools.
Schools rarely pull top alabama talent from bama or top lousiana talent from LSU. Sure there aren't enough scholarship spots to take all the talent in Florida (since there is an excess amount) we still seem to lose about 50% of the in state players that we want to other schools.

edit: Georgia does way worse than us in state though.

I don't agree with you at all. When you lock up 10-12 of the top 23 players instate, you're gettin' it done. Alabama is a different state. As is Louisiana. If you're from 'Bama, all you root for 'Bama or Auburn. Almost every kid who grows up in Louisiana pulls for the Tigers. The pressure those kids get to stay instate is almost unfair.

The state of Florida is a different dynamic. It's not as frowned upon-outside of really small towns-for an athlete to want to go out of state. Everybody knows what kind of talent the state of Florida has, so naturally it's recruited extremely hard by other schools from the South and all over the country. There's also a lot of talent down there. So, for a school like Florida to get nearly 50% of the top 25 recruits instate, that's pretty good.

LSU loses players to schools like Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma and A&M. Georgia may not sign any of the top instate prospects this year, and routinely gets beat on some of the top prospects from their own state. They also traditionally don't do too well recruiting Atlanta, an area that yearly produces a lot of talent. Clemson doesn't beat us as often as people think on instate recruits. Check the facts.

Muschamp has done a phenominal job recruiting the state of Florida.

[rserina]

For the foreseeable future any Florida program will lose a large quantity of in-state kids for a variety of reasons. Many of the kids are only second-, maybe third-generation Floridians and don't have much family in then state, often even being raised in or spending considerable time in other states. Florida itself is geographically uncentralized and that means proximity isn't a great benefit for any of the three programs. Then you have the fact that, even though the University of Florida is the most prominent state institution, you still don't have many second generation Florida alumni, let alone third generation, that fosters local pressure to attend school there or instills any sort of aura about the school these kids soak up from an early age.

Not only is it entirely different for LSU, Alabama, Georgia, even Tennessee or Auburn to lesser degrees, but it also means many of those schools are positioned to poach Florida preps.

I agree with the above poster that if you are getting half of the state's top 25 or so, then filling the class out with developmental players and the occasional elite target from another state, you are in pretty good shape given the quality of ball player Florida produces. The only real talent vacuum in Florida is really at quarterback and that's where we need to go out of state to find the Grossmans, Leaks, Griers, etc.

[NoahBeanBizzel]

For the foreseeable future any Florida program will lose a large quantity of in-state kids for a variety of reasons. Many of the kids are only second-, maybe third-generation Floridians and don't have much family in then state, often even being raised in or spending considerable time in other states. Florida itself is geographically uncentralized and that means proximity isn't a great benefit for any of the three programs. Then you have the fact that, even though the University of Florida is the most prominent state institution, you still don't have many second generation Florida alumni, let alone third generation, that fosters local pressure to attend school there or instills any sort of aura about the school these kids soak up from an early age.

Not only is it entirely different for LSU, Alabama, Georgia, even Tennessee or Auburn to lesser degrees, but it also means many of those schools are positioned to poach Florida preps.

I agree with the above poster that if you are getting half of the state's top 25 or so, then filling the class out with developmental players and the occasional elite target from another state, you are in pretty good shape given the quality of ball player Florida produces. The only real talent vacuum in Florida is really at quarterback and that's where we need to go out of state to find the Grossmans, Leaks, Griers, etc.

When I referred to the state of Florida being a completely different dynamic, you pretty much nailed it. Well done and well said. Seriously, I couldn't have said that any better.

The only thing I might add, is that it's very common to see kids like Kelvin Taylor, and Marcell Harris come up, so I would imagine that while their parents may say the right things to reporters about their decision being soley their own, there is probably a certain amount of pressure for them to go to Florida. And that doesn't just apply to kids who had fathers who played at UF, as you could have a prospect with a parent who merely graduated from UF who probably puts pressure on their kids to go there. But it's nothing like being from Alabama, Louisiana or South Carolina.