Yeah, I really hope people aren't getting their hopes up. If he flips it'll be a really nice surprise for sure, but the only way that happens is if Day/Hartline aren't at OSU next year
OSU was a whisper away from playing for a NC last season. UF is three years away from even competing for an SEC title.
Well, for many of these top 5 stars, they often get a bag of cash (say like $10,000-$20,000) to make these visits. Other times, a school may pay $10,000 for a recruit to not visit another school. The non NIL money (ie bags of cash) is stilll happening. That is why some 5 stars continue to make the rounds even after committing.
I think he likes UF a lot, but it’s hard to walk away from the numbers the OSU QBs/WRs have been putting up under Ryan Day/Hartline. Imo it comes down to his faith in Lagway and Napier…so if he actually does pick us…that’s huge.
I guess this is just a filthy business and I need to accept it...or figure out how to overcome my addiction to it. And here I thought politicians and lawyers were at the top of the filthy people list.
I'd add a few more names to the list that will impact his decision. Ricky Pearsall. Andy Jean or Eugene Wilson. Caleb Douglas or Marcus Burke. Ricky needs 50+ receptions, 700+ yards and 8 TDs. One of the freshman needs solid results (15+ catches, 200+ yards, 3 TDs) but one more needs to consistently see the field. Douglas or Burke need to be relevant every game. ...and eight wins. So you're saying there is a chance.
you know what i hate with that JS quote....seeing how we perform on O this year has NOTHING to do with next season and beyond. When he does get here, we're not expecting Mertz to be the QB and offensive starters won't be the same next season as this season. I expect, if the offense flubs this year, we'll finally see an OC and changes to the staff and system.
I think JS wants to see how our O utilizes WR's. If Ricky has a big year and a few freshman are utilized every game, I think we have something tangible to show JS. "You are the missing piece" "You take over Ricky's role" "Imagine what we're going to be when Lag gets here and everyone is a year older" It's an uphill battle going against OSU for a WR. For sure. We have a good foundation -- Lagway and Napier. Can we show him enough on the field to get him to flip? I agree, the 2023 team will look very different than the 2024 team but the O concepts will be the same. We don't have AR's legs to bail us out this year. That will create oppty for other players to produce and the coaches to get creative and aggressive. I don't think JS will be a Gator unless something crazy happens at OSU. But that doesn't stop me from hoping and praying.
NahI see what you’re saying, but I think it’s much more scheme than individual players. Which is kind of what you’re saying. For somebody like him there is always PT. How well the freshmen take advantage of that opportunity probably doesn’t affect his decision.
Yep. I'm no wordsmith but you got the gist. If we can put solid numbers on two WR's and great numbers on one...we have something to talk about. My point about the freshman is to show that we are not afraid to make a true freshman an integral part of our passing attack. We need 220+ completions (Mertz had 164 last year, Richardson had 176 last year, Trask had 301 in his final year, Levi Lewis had 236 in 2021 for the Cajuns). Richardson also ran the ball 103 times last year. I think we'll have something to talk about.
Yep. Which is why we have to show him that we are willing and capable of doing it. He is expecting it and wants to see if we are able to do it. Based on practice hype, Andy Jean could be a 20+ reception guy. (Caleb Douglas had 10 last year)
Nah. He knows we'll throw him 50 and he'll catch 50. ;-) I think his comment about seeing us play is more about seeing we're a solid team in all phases as our staff has been promising and that Lagway's faith is justified.