Announcements I'm Aware Of

Another case of UT criminally overpaying NIL to get a player we want and UF not budging beyond a given point ?

 

I think UF is looking to take McCray (DL) and Mincey (S) at the end of the month. Both are from Daytona Beach Mainland. Mincey has already said he wants to commit at the end of July. This coincides with the UF BBQ weekend. Not getting D'Antre Robinson today could be better news next week.

Another thought is David Stone. He has CBs to Oklahoma because he is from Oklahoma before going to IMG, but I read sometime back that Billy Napier is his lead recruiter. Maybe UF isn't out of the running for Stone.

Bottom line, UF doesn't have Bear Bryant like scholarship numbers. There will have to be some hard choices made to finish the 2024 class. Everybody who wants in isn't getting in. It's cherry picking and hoping UF gets the right players to fill team needs.

 

Paying ridiculous amounts of NIL money may get you the greedy player but it may also put team chemistry at risk. I’m thinking that’s at the base of Napier’s approach to NIL, and I’m fine with that. Apparently so are 20+ top athletes already committed to our program

 

Funny how the 247 Horns site says D'Antre Robinson picked Texas over Florida in the headline:

247Sports Composite four-star DL D'antre Robinson commits to Texas over Florida

This when so few of us here actually expected a UF commitment today let alone that he also turned down Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State.

Momma will be driving a long way to see her son play, 1,122 miles from Orlando to Austin. Good "gut" decision big guy. She could fly in for the weekends, but the airlines have been so undependable lately. Poor momma. NIL can't fix the flying logistics problems unless he earns enough to put momma on a private jet.

He expects to enroll in January and play in the 2024 season. He'll be in Austin when UF travels there to welcome the shorthorns to the SEC. Hope the Gators kick TexAss.

 

She'll probably have a house down the street from the stadium.

 

Mcray was higher up on the board and I'm not sure we could fit both. I believe CBN feels good about the DT's we already got and even better If we add mcray plus with Williams and Waller on the ends that's a great follow up DL class to last year's stellar Dline class.

 

his mother will have a very nice car to drive or can afford a plane ticket now

 

In a numbers crunch McCray before Robinson all day. He is going to end up a NT, and we're all good there this class.

 

Robinson was not even favored or discussed as a UF option the past month. Only started to hear some noise the week prior to decision. Always CB’d to Texas with high percentage of confidence by analysts. Never thought he would be part of class. Maybe he misses home after a year. Maybe the recruiter at UT suggested less depth and easier chance to start at UT. Perhaps he finds out he was misled. Perhaps money was greater. We can always get players in portal to fill needs where we lack depth like the two at DT and three at OL this year. The portal transfers are more ready to start on line in SEC than any kid immediately from HS.

 

UF wanted Robinson. That is why you heard rumblings that UF was still a probably choice for him outside of Texas. McCray (here’s to hoping) choosing UF down the road has/had no impact on the coaches desire to take Robinson. They wanted him. LJ lines up mostly at end. Robinson at Tackle. Different players and different strengths and positions on the d line. UF coaches want/wanted both players.

there is enough room to take both and still go after other players the staff covet. In fact, every year fans think we will fill up and not have room - and that was when there were “limits” on annual counters. Now, there are none. And despite the optimism every year that we won’t have room, it has never happened that we filled up and didn’t have room to sign players.

the staff can always make room by the fall for 85. Whether that includes not renewing walk ons scholarships (they are always only 1 year scholarships) or pushing dead weight out (still plenty of that) - every staff can make room if they want to bring in “better” players.

losing in Robinson doesn’t hurt since the d line classes have recently been solid but the UF staff did want him.

 

Still a long time until ESD. We will continue to recruit Robinson if it is in fact true that we want him.

 

So of the 85 who do you think the staff would get rid ? Because we have mostly underclassmen and still have another cycle next year we will need to have room for.

He's already trimmed the roster by a ton of players who weren't buying in, and there are not a ton of non contributors on the team And dont see a ton of juniors leaving for the draft after this season. For every player we "make room for " in this class just to add another body Will make it even tougher for the next class To keep us under 85. And we presumably will be in an even better position next year for elite players with another year of relationship building under the staffs belt.

If the player is not a "Must get" then i don't see the need to push out players this season just to add a 3/4 star player who plays only 1 postion on the line and may not even see the field for 2 years. LJ is at least versatile and can play multiple positions on the LOS. I like Robinson but we already have 2 300+LB DT's committed and we are in a numbers crunch to make the 85 limit as is.

Could he have made it work? Sure, but should he have got into a bidding war just to then have to push someone out? I don't know of it was worth it to CBN. Plus he may have someone else in play that we are unaware of.

 

I normally wouldn’t put names to paper as some might deem it disrespectful but since you asked…

not including walk ins on scholarship such as K. Jackson:

one of the two kickers (Milhalek or smack)
J Humphries
E Pouncey
R Simonds
J Weston

those 5 jump off the page to me. All been here multiple years with not much to show for it or stuck without a position (Weston now).

this list does not include players from Napiers first class that the coaching staff may have seen enough of to know they won’t pan out but we as fans don’t have that info.

 

He isn't a +1, and if not, then who are those lesser players at DT that get pushed out next year?: McConnell? Lyons? Norman? Boireau? Johnson? or hope at least two of Banks, Jackson, and Watson leave after this year and nobody grows into a DT (Collins). I just don't see him over any of them, and we would have been over-allocated to DT with him.

 

Reverse recruiting news: OL Goodwin leaving the program? Family issues apparently. This is heartbreaking news for all of us. I assume this is accurate seeing it was On3.

And then there were 83... Bummer.

Go Gators

 

That’s five. You’ve got about 20 more to go and there aren’t many people graduating or getting drafted next year.

 

I believe the poster was asking who could be pushed out who wouldn’t already be leaving. These are players listed as seniors on scholarship…(if a Covid year is left they could stay if staff allows and player wants to)
Lists exclude anyone already listed above…

6 seniors /redshirt seniors
Zander’s
Mitchell
Hudson
Pearsal
zipperer
Perkins

these are 17 redshirt juniors - 4th year players
Kimber
Mertz
Hill
Nunnery
Eguakun
Fraziars
Princely
Montrell
Marshall
Wingo
Moten
Watson
Crenshaw
Mazzcua
Leonard
Odom
Jackson

12 3rd year sophomores (means they are allowed to enter nfl draft if desired)
Miller
Boone
Williams
Mitchell
Underwood
Barber
Slaughter
Waites
George
Herman
Burke
Sapp



The 5 I listed plus I would say 5 of the 6 seniors will not be back (Zip may be back - but coaches may also see if he wants to move on after multiple years of injuries.


That makes 10 spots. Not including any of the current non-redshirt sophomores, redshirt freshmen, or true freshmen, the list has an additional 17+12 or 29 players that could go pro. I doubt most do. But some will. Probably more than should go.

Many others on those lists will have been here 4 years or going on 4 years into next season and if they continue to get little playing time…many not recruited by Napiers staff (Mullen guys). I can see many transferring out. A host of highly rated linebackers are on the way. A bevy of new speed at WR will soon be here. Players not playing are likely to transfer. I don’t recall how many other walk ons outside of K Jackson were out on scholarship but there are a few.

The underclassmen of Napiers first class are also dudes who could be recruited over and transfer out. It always happens. Some players may also get pushed from the 24 class or decommit for other reasons.

I just don’t worry about not having enough room. It has yet to be an issue in my 30+ years of following UF recruiting.

 

There’s some big decisions to make there. Half will be easy