The Florida Gators are the number six in the country in the first playoff poll that came out on Tuesday and the Gators are seeing some positive reactions to that on the recruiting front.
This weekend the Gators will have prospect’s attention as they take on Kentucky in the Swamp.
GatorCountry brings you a recruiting mailbag to answer your questions on the 2021 class as well as the 2022 class.
Check out the mailbag here to get all the answers to your questions.
Gatorbd: With the offense as prolific as it has been, are any top WR’s and TE’s getting more interested or is the staff trying to generate interest with previously considered longshot recruits?
AS: Guys are definitely taking notice of things and that’s more so with the 2022 class but a few guys in the 2021 class are talking to the Gators more. Guys like Destyn Hill and Mario Williams are keeping in touch with the staff more. In 2022 a guy like tight end Donovan Green has taken notice of things and that has the Gators near the top of his recruitment.
IAmBornAGator: Mullen has done an incredible job picking up transfer talent besides the Vandy LB who is on the coaching staff’s radar as a possible transfer?
AS: Yes, I know that the Gators are at least monitoring him and he’s a big time player that would be a huge pick-up.
Gatorteachuf: I hope that Marshall and Collier are trying to work the Palmetto DL guys towards Florida. Any idea whether they have kept in contact with the staff? Any possibilities whether they are flippable?
AS: Corey Collier and Jason Marshall have went on record saying they’re still recruiting their teammates Savion Collins, Leonard Taylor and Brashard Smith but right now I don’t see any of those guys flipping. Taylor and Collins are the two defensive linemen and both are locked in with Miami.
Juggernautz: Are we making progress in getting more recruits from South Florida (especially IMG) & the Jax area giving us a look?
AS: Absolutely, in South Florida the Gators won out on Corey Collier and Jason Marshall against Miami. IMG is a tough one as the Gators are making progress but until one of them signs then you can’t say they’ve made that much progress. I do think that ends this year with Xavian Sorey though.
VincentVega73: When do we turn the corner on OL being high 4 stars and 5 stars? I feel the product we are putting on the field should get us higher graded commits. Hevesy does a good job coaching up what we have 3 and low 4 stars, but the O-line could be nasty if Hevesy could focus on things that should already be learned from the kids coming in. Or just have nasty maulers from the get go out of high school.
AS: If you look back at Hevesy’s recruiting he doesn’t sign many four and five stars as he would rather coach them up and develop them into the players he likes. I think that’s just something that you will see continue.
GatorPharaoh: I don’t have a 2021 recruiting question, but I am thinking ahead. IIRC we currently have 82 scholarships. Is it a given that we can add 3 counted to back to last year and 25 this cycle? It seems all schools are working on that assumption.
Depending on # of returning seniors, we may have up to 110 ‘ships. How many years do we have to go back to 85, you can’t do that in a year or two? You may need 5 years until all athletes on scholarships who were told 2020 wouldn’t count have graduated or lost eligibility. I bet you NCAA doesn’t even think beyond Feb. 2021.
AS: This is a huge question and a concern for teams around the country as the NCAA hasn’t said how this will be handled. Dabo Swinney said they’ve proposed to the NCAA to have any guys on the 2020 roster that would’ve graduated not count against the roster in 2021. I think that’s about the only way you can handle this problem as like you said rosters will be messed up for years if not.
Nickelgators: Do you feel that Grantham will be replaced and who would you consider ?
AS: I don’t think he will replaced unless he gets a head coaching job somewhere. I think everyone should prepare for Grantham to be the defensive coordinator in 2021.
Wuerffel5220: Is Terrion Arnold and Sorey both gonna be gators in the next 2 weeks?
AS: Arnold says he’s waiting until signing day to make a decision but at this time I do like the Gators chances with Xavian Sorey and Arnold. Florida will have to keep up the momentum with both though as Alabama and Georgia are staying on Arnold and Georgia on Sorey.
Macbgator: Will we add another OL to this recruiting class?? Who would be our candidates??
AS: At this time, I don’t see another offensive lineman in the class unless the Gators decide that one of the guys will not qualify for the class. They’re however keeping in touch with a few guys committed elsewhere including Laurence Seymour who’s committed to Miami.
Matherly87: Since this is a mailbag and the holiday season is upon us, who else is Dan Mullen writing Santa in hopes they sign with us before Christmas? I know it’s a softball question but it just seemed to fit.
AS: I like the question, Mullen’s biggest targets he will be writing too would be Xavian Sorey, Tunmise Adeleye and Terrion Arnold. If he gets those three and Bryce Langston then he would be a very happy Santa.
Gatorconstructor: Will Bryce Langston be in the class?
AS: I like Florida’s chances Langston right now as they’re battling LSU for his signature. Langston says he will not announce a decision until signing day.
Woollybooger: Will there be any re-ranking done by the services before NSD? How about for 2022 kids also that are currently not ranked?
AS: I believe they do another re-ranking in January but I’m not sure if that will be done or not as they usually wait to see kids in the all-star games and then do that but since there isn’t any all-star games, I’m not sure. 2022 kids usually get ranked after the spring.
VincentVega73: When do we turn the corner on OL being high 4 stars and 5 stars? I feel the product we are putting on the field should get us higher graded commits. Hevesy does a good job coaching up what we have 3 and low 4 stars, but the O-line could be nasty if Hevesy could focus on things that should already be learned from the kids coming in. Or just have nasty maulers from the get go out of high school.
AS: If you look back at Hevesy’s recruiting he doesn’t sign many four and five stars as he would rather coach them up and develop them into the players he likes. I think that’s just something that you will see continue.
This makes no sense to me……..4 and 5 stars need coaching up too.
I would assume that’s Spivey shorthand for:
Sure, there are a handful of 5-star and high 4-star no-brainers at OL we – plus every team in the country – would have liked (Mims, Brockermeyer, Latham, Donovan Jackson, etc.).
After that, however, Hevesy and Mullen have their own criteria for rating O-Linemen who fit their system that doesn’t always line up with the rankings. For example, they worked overtime to get Jake Slaughter, a 3-star Center, to flip from FSU, but didn’t even extend an offer to Greg Crippen, a 4-star Center at nearby IMG Academy.
Here’s a summary of an article on Hevesy in The Athletic from January 2019 – which discusses how he digs much deeper than the rankings to find his type of O-Lineman:
– Hevesy believes (accurately) that even the most highly ranked offensive linemen in HS aren’t coached well, if at all.
– The highest rated O linemen tend to be the biggest ones who can also run but often times that leads to HS coaches neglecting them since they can get by on pure athletic ability and size. Coaches tend to coach up the other 4 who don’t have the same physical gifts. This can lead to these prospects having bad technique/bad work habits and a sense of entitlement.
– He initially looks for raw athletic ability (strength, power, flexibility, balance, quick feet, good hands) and then screens for toughness, aggressiveness/motor, whether they take any plays off, how they play when their team is up/when their team is down, etc.
– He says he doesn’t worry about technique so much because he’s going to teach them his way anyway.
– He’s very particular about what kind of a family environment the recruit comes from. Young players get homesick; some initially get overwhelmed, and some will call and complain to their parents and family. It sounds like Hev wants recruits from families who are going to challenge their kid to step up in the face of adversity, not to fold their tents and come home or transfer.
– He has a great reputation of developing under-rated (star-wise) talent and then sending them to the next level (Gabe Jackson, Justin Senior, etc.)