Surprised no one has started a thread about running backs so far. I have a few thoughts but I'm eager for more knowledgable posters to weigh in. I'm going to take a wild guess and assume UF is looking to take at least two RBs this cycle. If that's the case, I'm hoping the coaches want two distinct talents, a power RB and a breakaway threat. Those skills aren't always exclusive but I'm not seeing any Fred Taylors in this class. Just watched clips from Justice Haynes, Cedric Baxter, Trevaun Webb and Kaleb Jackson. Baxter and Webb are both great power runners with a great early burst, vision and balance. I'd read somewhere that Baxter's speed was a question mark but it wasn't that evident in his clips. He's a powerful runner but has good cutting ability. Of the four, he seemed to be running behind the best OL which helped him get to the second level. Webb is similar to Baxter but with a bit more wiggle. What stands out most is his vision. If there's an issue with speed, I'd be more concerned about Webb than Baxter. He gets run down from behind on a few plays. Neither he nor Baxter get a lot of separation on long runs. Haynes is an intriguing prospect. He's explosive when he gets the ball. He's a north south runner but makes some hard cuts without gearing down. He seems to have great vision the way he breaks long runs without running away from defenders. He's probably faster than Baxter and Webb but doesn't separate a lot when he gets to the second level. I haven't seen verified times for any of these three. Jackson is a burner, verified with a 10.66 100m time and almost 15 ypc last season. His team ran a lot of plays out of the pistol formation and the traditional I formation. I know BN ran a lot of the former at Louisiana. Jackson got a lot of yardage on toss sweeps and draw plays from those formations but also motioned out wide. He's got great hands and looks natural as a receiver. Bottom line, he's the speed guy I'd like to see. At 5'10" 200, he's prototypical for a high school junior. Not an insider or even much of an expert but I do watch a lot of clips. I'd like to see some real experts weigh in.
Baxter to me is on par/even a bit better than Young. Either one, along with (presumably) Webb would be a HUGGGGE get.
What are your thoughts on having a legitimate speedster? With an improved OL, good upfield blocking we could those sorely missed long TD scampers. Hopefully we'll get a taste of that with the current RBs in Billy's offense.
Just the fact that our board consists of 5 of the top 7 RB recruits in the nation (could be 6 but we don't seem to have much interest in Singleton) is a huge breath of fresh air from Greg Knox's recruiting.
I feel the same. Crazy that our RB board is so strong one year removed from Knox. I'd love Justice b/c of the message it sends to Smart and Saban -- we are a force in recruiting. I'm getting the vibe that Verron is raving about the UF visit to ensure UGA steps up their "pitch" when they have their official visit next month. StrangeGator - I'm a fan of speed at every position. All four of those backs are 200 lbs+ and have good/great speed. Their running styles are similar too. It's not like one of them is Chris Rainey and the others are Deshawn Wynn. I'd be happy if one of them sign ... if we get two of those guys ... triscuits and gravy for all my friends. Prediction: Webb and one more that we aren't talking about yet.
Singleton will be in the picture I do believe. In the end Uf should get at least one of these guys, perhaps 2.
Yet Webb seems like he wants to be a gator. We probably splitting hairs. Get an oline and any of them will be fine.
Greg Knox would be focused on a formerly top rated RB rehabbing from a serious knee injury right now. You can see and feel the difference in recruiting skill and relationship building.
yea man Knox would have this room looking silly. He’d be giving some recruit who only FAU looking a full ride
The article about the Haynes family on the front page makes it sound like Justice is a done deal. His dad was blown away by the staff, comparing him to the Steelers' and Patriots' organizations.
