Running backs coach Tim Skipper has been dominating the Jacksonville area this spring and on Tuesday he and receiver coach Kerry Dixon were in the area together.
Both Florida Gators coaches visited receiver Kevin Stepherson (6-1, 180, Jacksonville, FL First Coast) to see the prospect in spring practice at his high school
“Coach Skipper and coach Dixon both came by to see me this week,” Stepherson said. “Everything went great. I didn’t get to talk to them because I was practicing but I called them that night to talk to them. Coach Dixon told me that I looked real good in practice.”
Florida offered Stepherson about a month ago and since then the Gators coaching staff has been in contact with the big play receiver.
“I have constant contact with Florida,” Stepherson said. “Coach Dixon has been telling me to keep working hard and to stay humble. He says that he likes my game a lot and he wants to see me visit them.”
Dixon has taken a big part in Stepherson’s recruitment but Skipper has been the one talking to him the most about Florida.
“Coach Skipper has just been telling me about Florida and the things that I should know about them,” Stepherson said. “He says that Florida is a good fit for me on and off the field because of the academics there.”
Despite Florida offering the Jacksonville receiver last month other schools are also recruiting Stepherson hard as he plans summers visits.
“Notre Dame, Florida, North Carolina, USF, LSU and Miami are all recruiting me pretty hard this spring,” Stepherson said. “I was trying to visit Florida next weekend but because it’s Memorial Day weekend they said to wait. I’m going to get down there soon and I’m going to visit Notre Dame this summer.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Right now I would say Notre Dame has the edge for Stepherson but I think a visit to Florida could change that. The Gators haven’t been recruiting Stepherson as long as Notre Dame but that is changing this spring.
It’s not saying much when saying someone is dominating Jacksonville this year. Jax is at it’s lowest level in talent in recent memory. There’s not even one four star or higher prospect in the city. The only four star is a mile or so outside of Jax, Shaquille Quarterman, he’s at an extreme position of need and he’s pledged to Miami. The big dog, FSU, is basically skipping Jax this year with the exception of Andrew Boselli, who curiously Florida didn’t offer. So yes, while it’s true that UF is dominating Jax this year, you need to put that into the proper prospective. Now if UF gets a pledge from Tyreke Johnson for next year’s class that would mean something. Maybe taking so many from Jax this year will bode well in the future, but right now it’s not anything to crow about.
Getting kids from Jacksonville is always a plus no matter what star they’re.
A kid’s home town is not important. The number of stars is not in itself important. I always look to see which programs are recruiting a kid. Regardless of where he lives or the number of stars, when a prospect is being recruited by Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and (forgive me) FSU that tells me something. Regardless of where he lives or the number of stars, when a prospect’s offers come from Kansas, Vanderbilt, Temple and Purdue that also tells me something. Just a thought.