Amidst talk about Mo Speights leaving, Donovan having to shove someone out the door due to scholarship problems, and chatter on the message boards about the incoming Dynamic Duo at PF and C (Eloy Vargas and Kenny Kadji), let’s look at various situations.

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In a much delayed fashion it’s time to close out or review of the 2008 recruiting classes of Florida’s big three programs.  The final team to be analyzed is the Florida State Seminoles.  This is part 3 of a 3 part series.
 
To see our previous analysis go here:  Miami Recruiting review,  Florida Recruiting review
 
Florida State University
Grade C+
 
Overall:  FSU signed 30 athletes, 3 of whom are Junior College Transfers (JUCOs).   Most of the class comes from the state of Florida although 40% of it is from out of state (12).  More players signed were offensive (16) than defensive (12) with two of the class athletes who will probably split (Jarmon Fortson going to WR and Ed Imeokparia starting out at safety).
 
THE GOOD
 
FSU was in dire need at the quarterback position.  Not only is Drew Weatherford now a senior but top backup/part time starter Xavier Lee left school leaving Christian Ponder as the only legitimate backup.  For that reason signing EJ Manuel from Va Beach was significant in both the short and long term.  Manuel will need to come to camp ready to play.  Expect Christian Ponder and Drew Weatherford to battle it out for the starting slot while EJ redshirts. will have the clear experience advantage next season Manuel has a chance to compete for significant playing time and at the very least will be the backup QB by default.  Manuel is a kid in the mold of Jamarcus Russell with both size and a big time arm.
 
The Noles have always been one of the top linebacker (LB) programs in the country sending numerous players to the NFL.  To continue that lineage FSU landed some big time prospects in Nigel Bradham and Nigel Carr with Vince Williams also being a solid prospect down the road.  There is some thought that Nick Moody might eventually outgrow the safety position and end up at LB.  Then again there’s a chance Bradham could grow into a defensive end (DE) although FSU would rather he keep his weight down and remain at LB.  Speaking of DEs, FSU landed a group that should provide a solid contribution.  JUCO Markus White is the jewel of this group but Everett Dawkins could also see playing time next season.  Toshmon Stevens will need a few years as he finished HS in the 200 lb range.
 
THE BAD
 
Seminole fans can all recite the party line for offensive line coach Rick Trickett.  Supposedly there isn’t a coach in the country who can do more with less.  Well if true then Trickett has put himself in the perfect position to prove that mantra.  FSU’s offensive line talent and depth is both lacking and suspect.  Offensive line is a position where more is better.  Since it is one of the hardest positions to predict when recruiting it and is so vital for any offense, linemen can take up a large portion of a roster.  Offensive line recruiting has been identified as one of the key lapses by the coaching staff in recent years.  Trying to reverse that trend Coach Tricket picked up 6 linemen for the 2008 class with Zebrie Sanders being the highest rated prospect in the class. 
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Fresh cut grass. Cool spring breezes. Sunny practice fields. And the sounds of pads popping.

We need this. Hell, I need this. Catharsis. Rebirth. From Revelations (Ch. 21, 1-6): “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

That’s almost correct. The sorrow and crying hasn’t totally concluded. The Gators play San Diego State in the NIT tonight as a 2-seed, and I’ll be tuning in to root them on. But the mere fact that our two-time defending national champions have been relegated to the Not In Tournament for the first time in nine years hurts my soul. I hope they win the tournament; but no matter what happens from this point on, this basketball season will be remembered as a huge disappointment.

I didn’t even watch Selection Sunday. First time in years.

So that’s why it’s refreshing to think of our football team out there getting the job done, working hard and with no pretense or illusion that they’re better than they really are. They’re hungry. They’re focused. They know they’ll enjoy a Top 10 if not Top 5 preseason ranking for the ‘08 season. And they want to put the pain of a 4-loss season behind them for good, and return to their championship ways.
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It’s time to continue our analysis and ranking of the recruiting classes of Florida’s big three football programs.  In Part 2 of a 3 Part series.
 
University of Florida
Grade: B+
 
Overall: Florida signed 22 athletes, with a majority of the bigger names being defensive players.  Most of this class came from outside the state of Florida (12) including two Junior College (JUCO) Players.  While the class has very good balance and high quality it does lack in a couple of key positions which kept it from a higher grade.
 
THE GOOD
 
The Gators had serious problems in the secondary in 2007 and it became a major emphasis in the 2008 recruiting class.  Florida signed five defensive backs overall including the top two safeties in the country in Will Hill and Dee Finley and three highly rated cornerbacks in Janoris Jenkins, Adrian Bushell and Jeremy Brown.  Look for Hill and Jenkins to have the edge here at significant playing time but all are capable players and will add significant depth.  The defensive line follows up a tremendous haul last year with an almost as impressive group this year.  Defensive Ends Okine and Green have the size and frame to be prototype players at the position and because of last years deep class both will likely have a year to redshirt and gain weight.  Omar Hunter, the #2 rated Defensive Tackle nationally, and Troy Epps, a JUCO All-American both have an opportunity to compete for a starting spot and expect each to see playing time as freshmen.
 
Urban Meyer stated he wanted the University of Florida to be the fastest team in the country and he’s well on his way.  Though the Gators have a number of receivers on the roster Florida added more depth to that crucial position including two of the fastest kids in Florida in athlete Jeff Demps and receiver Frankie Hammonds.  Omarius Hines is going to surprise some people but look for Carl Moore, the best JUCO WR in the country last year, to contribute the most next year.  Moore has the combination of size, technique, experience and speed to move right into the receiver rotation.  Florida also has one of the best kickers in the nation coming to campus next season in Caleb Sturgis who will be given every opportunity to replace graduating senior Joey Ijjas. (more…)

Signing day is over and the smoke has cleared.  As such it’s time to start analyzing and ranking the recruiting classes of Florida’s big three football programs.
 
University of Miami
Grade: A -
 
Overview: Miami signed 32 recruits, two thirds of those from the State of Florida and a third overall from the South Florida area.  While the class is large it isn’t all that evenly distributed which cost the Hurricanes a higher grade.
 
THE GOOD

Miami addressed major roster weaknesses at the area of Linebacker, Quarterback and Wide Receiver.  They also landed three defensive linemen, two of whom have a chance to play early in Jeremy Lewis and number one rated defensive tackle Marcus Fortson.  Miami landed some of the top linebackers in the country in Arthur Brown, Sean Spence and Ramon Buchanon.  All three of those kids could contribute early (although Ramon might start out at S or needs to add weight for the OLB position).  This is easily the top linebacker class in the country and should spark immediate competition for playing time.
 
With Kyle Wright graduating and Randy Shannon giving Kirby Freeman the old heave ho, Redshirt Freshman Robert Marve looked to be the incumbent for the starting position.  Not only was he the best at his position, he was the ONLY legitimate quarterback on the roster.  The dangers of relying on a single quarterback in a college football season (not including walk-ons) is easily recognized.  Thankfully for Coach Shannon 2008 will bring in three quality true frosh signal callers.  Taylor Cook is a big (6′7″) strong quarterback from Texas and the only member of the group who won’t be available for spring practice.  Both Jacory Harris from Miami NW HS and Cannon Smith from Hargrave Military will have the advantage of participating in spring practice so look for one of those two players to gain the backup role behind Marve.
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Lots of blogs seem to hit high gear leading up to National Signing Day. While I enjoy recruiting and look forward to meeting the Gators’ 2008 class, I’m the kind of guy that’s content to wait until the dust settles to see what we’ve got.

That being said, we know that some of you nutcases out there won’t be satisfied with a “wait and see” approach, so we’ll still be updating you throughout the day with regards to how things are shaking out.

The big news so far is that we lost two 4-stars this morning. Ricky Barnum decided to join Rich Rodriguez at Michigan (damn you, Capital One Bowl!) and Ramon Buchanan reversed course back to Miami. That bumps UF’s Rivals.com rating down from #1 overall to #3 for the moment.

Update: T.J. Lawrence is official.

Update 2: David Young (OT from Illinois) Note: David Young is a big strong offensive tackle who is recovering from two broken kneecaps.  The Gators had their team doctor in close contact with Young’s physicians and reviewed his notes and X-rays.  If David recovers to his pre-injury state he will be a huge addition for the offensive line down the road.  If not he will likely become a medical hardship so it’s not a high risk decision.  Expect Young to redshirt as a freshmen to give him more time to recover.

Official Signees

Adrian Bushell
Omar Hunter (big fish)
Dee Finley (big fish)
Lerentee McCray
Omarius Hines
Jeff Demps
William Green
Will Hill (big fish)
Byran Jones
Sam Robey
Frankie Hammond

Early Enrollees and JUCOS

Brendan Beal
Jeremy Brown
Janoris Jenkins
Carl Moore
Earl Okine
Matt Patchan (big fish)
Caleb Sturgis (love his leg)
Troy Epps

Is the 4-star receiver from Lakeland, FL a Gator lean?

Rivals is reporting that Lawrence has made his choice, but he won’t reveal it until Wednesday. Lawrence has narrowed his field down to Florida, South Carolina, Michigan, and Virginia Tech.

Speaking on Lawrence’s behalf, Kathleen head coach Irving Strickland explained his five criteria in making his choice. Listed in order of importance:

1. His family
2. Football family (coaches, players, etc.)
3. Education
4. Chance to win NCAA title
5. Chance to go to the NFL

Well, let’s see. Lawrence is from Lakeland, so obviously Gainesville, which is just a couple of hours away up the old 441, is closest to his family. Urban Meyer and staff have fostered a family atmosphere in Gainesville and many recruits have commented on how they feel comfortable with the coaching staff when they visit. Florida is arguably the most prestigious university listed among Lawrence’s final field, and has an excellent track record in graduating its athletes. Florida will be a preseason Top 5 team in 2008, has a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback throwing balls to his receivers and will be a popular pick (along with Georgia) to win the SEC and a national title. And finally, the NFL likes Meyer’s Gators plenty well. If you have offensive talent and want to showcase it, there’s no better place than Florida.

Gotta be a Florida lean, right?

Let’s hope so. We could use Lawrence’s services. Here’s a nice highlight reel of T.J. in action. Warning: turn your sound off. Really bad soundtrack.

Faithful Hue commenter Cory is excited about DE William Green’s commitment to the Gators after Chaz Sutton was lost due to academic issues. Green is yet another 4-star commit to add to Meyer’s star-studded 2008 class and at 6′ 4″, 215 lbs. is still growing into his abilities and body. Check out his ability to plow through the OL and lay a wallop on the quarterback:

Green has been snagged out of Alabama, which means the two warring factions which comprise the state are collectively pissed as hell:

“I still have to go to school today,” said Green with a foreboding tone of voice.

“I’ll probably be cussed and have stuff thrown at me,” Green said only half jokingly.

When asked if he was serious, he responded, “I’ll probably get cussed out a little bit. I have random people calling me sometimes and cussing me out (for leaning to Florida).”

Well, at least Bama and Auburn aren’t on the schedule for a few years.

I’m not a recruiting junkie. I do keep up with the big-time commitments and overall rankings, but in football I believe the difference between the top ranked class and the 10th-ranked class is slim enough to be essentially negligible.

That being said, Urban Meyer has raked in another outstanding class and the Gators currently hold the #1 overall ranking per Rivals.com.

Here’s a link to the full list of commits and LOIs. The 5-stars are Carl Moore (WR), Will Hill (listed as ATH but likely safety), Omar Hunter (DT), and Matt Patchan (OL).

It’s important to remember that these commits — other than Troy Epps and Carl Moore — are obviously as of yet unsigned so they’re not a sure bet to appear on campus, but Urban Meyer has been highly effective in his efforts to snag and keep recruits through signing day. I think you’ll see all of these guys show up.

Will Hill, Dee Finley, and Omar Hunter excite me the most. Florida is set offensively for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but we obviously need big help on the defensive side of the ball. There’s a good chance these three will be prime candidates for a starting job next year.

Scout.com has Florida tied for 5th rather than first. They rank Florida’s overall star rating at 3.73 — which is better than Alabama, Georgia, and Miami, despite being ranked below them — but probably drop us because we have 22 total recruits to Bama’s 26, Georgia’s 24, and Miami’s 25. There’s a big disparity in evaluated 3-star vs. 4-star talent from Scout as well; Florida has 8 4-stars and 10 3-stars vs. Rivals’ 13 4-stars and 3 3-stars.

I remember nervous chatter in November about Florida’s small number of verbals. Since that time, Meyer and staff have been on a recruiting rampage. Signing day is around the corner… let’s finish strong. This is shaping up to be another Top 3 class.

(By the way, a little schadenfreude: try to find South Carolina on anyone’s Top 25. Steve Spurrier really didn’t know what he was getting into up there in Columbia, did he… ?)

To help fill one of the few remaining positions of need — Defensive Tackle — Omar Hunter from Buford, Georgia has verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators in 2008. Omar is a 5-star recruit and ranked the #2 defensive tackle in the nation on both Rivals.com (Updated) and Scout.com, a 4-star and #4 defensive tackle in the nation on rivals.com and ESPN.com has him as the 37th-ranked player in their overall ESPN Top 150 and the #2 defensive tackle in the country. Omar is a 6′1″, 300lb playmaker who has been described anywhere from disruptive to dominant. There has been talk that he might move up to the #1 DT on the ESPN list in its next update.

What really spices up the Hunter saga is his previous commitment to NBC’s own beloved University of Notre Dame. That’s right, Hunter was not only one of the best defensive linemen in the country, but he was going to play for the Irish. This meant a huge spotlight and lots of steamy man-love from Notre Dame homer/recruiting analyst Tom Lemming. For those who don’t know, Tom Lemming has such a history of Notre Dame bias that saying he favors the Irish is sort of like stating Jack Nicholson favors the Los Angeles Lakers. This is a man who Myron Rolle accused of trying to steer him to Notre Dame and told him to keep Notre Dame in his top three if he wanted to have a chance at being MVP of the All-American game and getting interviewed by NBC.

Hunter was expected to commit to his childhood favorite Michigan Wolverines before a trip to South Bend changed his mind and he threw his lot in with Charlie Weis. Coach Grimace . . . errrr . . . Weis has been burned by recruits in the past. Last year the Fightin Tranquil Irish lost their top defensive end, Justin Trattou of New Jersey, to the Gators late in the process. They lost several recruits in all which gave way to the new “you shop, we drop” strategy (similar to but more militant than the “you shop, we shop” attitude by such coaches as Nick Saban and Mack Brown).

A great analysis of the kind of hypocrisy shown by Coach Weis and his staff is explored more fully at Get the Picture. Some of Blutarsky’s summary highlights include:

1. If you’re a recruit who’s committed to Notre Dame and you want to look around to make sure you’ve made the most informed decision about where to spend the next four years of your life, you’re dead to Charlie Weis.

2. If you’re a recruit who’s committed to another school and you want to look around to make sure you’ve made the most informed decision about where to spend the next four years of your life and one of the places you want to explore is Notre Dame, Charlie Weis would be happy to talk with you.

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