Tag: commitment

2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Marcus Burke

This is a prospect player profile for wide receiver Marcus Burke of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Marcus Burke

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 180 lbs

Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

High School: Trinity Christian Academy

Twitter: @CERTIFIED_MB4

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Burke committed to Florida on July 20, choosing the Gators over the rival Georgia Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions.

Despite his verbal pledge, he does plan to visit Athens and State College once the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) lifts their recruiting restrictions because of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Kirby Smart’s program is worth keeping an eye on here, as the Bulldogs have had wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton and tight ends coach Todd Hartley remain in consistent contact with Burke and have made him a clear priority in the 2021 cycle.

A four-star prospect and the No. 40 wideout in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, Burke caught 37 passes for 831 yards (22.4 avg.) and nine touchdowns for the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors as a junior, including a 99-yard score against the Venice Indians on September 6.

Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, the in-state prospect has displayed some versatility in his game, showing the ability to line up either in the slot or out wide.

Including Seffner’s Charles Montgomery, Burke is the fourth wide receiver in the cycle for the Gators, joining Ocala’s Trevonte Rucker and Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, all of whom are four-stars.

Overall, he is the sixth-highest rated of the program’s 22 commits and the fourth-highest on the offensive side of the football, trailing only Rucker, Reynolds, and quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who is set to play his senior season with Reynolds for the Grayson Rams.

Video:

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One of the top long snappers in the 2021 class Rocco Underwood commits to Florida

The Rubio Long Snapping Camp, the nation’s longest-running long snapping camp rates Underwood as a five-star prospect at the position.

The program’s fourth commit in a one-week span and their second of the day, the Florida Gators added Lake Mary long snapper Rocco Underwood to their 2021 class on July 24.

Underwood broke the news on his Twitter account.

The Rubio Long Snapping Camp, the nation’s longest-running long snapping camp, run by former UCLA Bruin Chris Rubio, rates Underwood as a five-star prospect at the position.

“Underwood was on fire at the Rubio Long Snapping Fall Camp in Georgia on November 24, 2019,” the camp’s website, rubiolongsnapping.com, began in their prospect breakdown.

“He ended up winning the whole camp and left no doubt he is the top long snapper (in) his class. His size is fantastic, he moves well on his feet and his snapping motion is so smooth that it doesn’t even look like he is doing anything.

“The more he continues his follow through, the more he simply will not miss his target. Ball is ready right now for the next level. Underwood is a flat out stud.”

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, the long snapper also held offers from two other Southeastern Conference (SEC) programs, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Arkansas Razorbacks, but chose to pledge his allegiance to running backs coach Greg Knox, tight ends coach Tim Brewster and the Gators.

Using the 247Sports Composite, which lists Underwood as a tight end, he is the lowest-rated of Florida’s 22 current commits in the upcoming class. Given he does not project to contribute in the receiving game in Gainesville, not much stock should be put in this ranking.

Head coach Dan Mullen’s staff has placed an emphasis on securing in-state talent in the 2021 cycle, as 14 (64-percent) of the commits hail from the Sunshine State.

While sometimes overlooked by fans, games are often won and lost on special teams. By snagging one of, if not the top, long snapper in the class, the Gators took a step toward improving this third of the game moving forward on Friday.

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Gators flip 2021 three-star center Jake Slaughter from Florida State

The Florida Gators added their third commit in the 2021 class in the last seven days, flipping 3-star Ocala center Jake Slaughter from FSU.

The Florida Gators added their third commit in the 2021 class in the last seven days, flipping three-star Ocala center Jake Slaughter from the Florida State Seminoles on July 24.

Slaughter announced the change in plans on his Twitter account.

Playing his prep football for Trinity Catholic, the 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pounder played a pivotal role in the Celtics finishing 8-4 in 2019 and advancing to the Region 1-3A Semifinals, earning first-team All-County honors from the Ocala Star-Banner in the process.

He originally committed to Mike Norvell’s Seminoles on April 13 after receiving his offer on July 27, 2019, the same day he attended a camp in Tallahassee.

Primarily recruited by co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy and linebackers coach Christian Robinson, Slaughter becomes the 21st pledge in the upcoming cycle for the Gators and the fourth offensive lineman, joining Orlando’s Javonte Gardner, Independence (Kansas) Community College’s Deyavie Hammond, and Lynn Haven’s Adrein Strickland, all fellow three-stars.

Stone Mountain, Georgia’s George Jackson, another three-star who committed to Florida way back on November 27, 2018, is no longer listed as a member of the program’s 2021 class on 247Sports, so this story is worth monitoring moving forward.

Slaughter fills a position of need for the program, too. Brett Heggie, a redshirt senior, is the projected starter at center this fall, followed by redshirt freshman Kingsley Eguakun, who saw action in two games a year ago.

Overall, the FSU flip is the 19th-highest-rated member of the Gators’ class and the tenth-highest on the offensive side of the football.

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WATCH: Texas running back Bijan Robinson looks big, fast

The Longhorns social media department released a video of running back Bijan Robinson during summer workouts.

The most anticipated newcomer to Texas football is without a doubt five-star running back Bijan Robinson. Continue reading “WATCH: Texas running back Bijan Robinson looks big, fast”

2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Rashad Torrence II

This is a prospect player profile for safety Rashad Torrence II of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Rashad Torrence II

Position: Safety

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 195 lbs

Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

High School: Marietta High School

Twitter: @boss_athlete

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Though many expected the Marietta, Ga., prospect to sign with Alabama early in his recruiting period, Torrence II gave his pledge to the Gators back in December 2018 and stuck to it for over a year before he signed this past December.

A skilled coverage safety with good size at 6-foot, 195 pounds, Torrence II has tremendous ball skills and athleticism to keep up with deep receivers in stride. Though not the focus of his game, he’s a solid run-stopper and can make open-field tackles.

Despite being a lower-rated four-star (No. 32 at his position and No. 334 overall), Torrence II drew the recruiting attention from some of the top programs in the country like Auburn and USC, which tried (in futility) to sway the Florida commit.

He has a good chance at early playing time given the extent to which Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham likes to rotate his safeties, and with the departure of the graduated Jeawon Taylor, the Gators will likely be looking for a fourth safety to join Shawn Davis, Brad Stewart and Donovan Stiner in seeing significant playing time.

Video:

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Joshua Braun

This is a prospect player profile for offensive tackle Joshua Braun of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Joshua Braun

Position: Offensive Tackle

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 335 lbs

Hometown: Live Oak, Fla.

High School: Suwannee High School

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

A four-star recruit from Live Oak, Braun makes the short jaunt down I-75 to join the Gators in Gainesville. The No. 21 offensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite, Braun is the second-highest rated offensive lineman in UF’s class.

He has excellent size at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, though he may need to slim down a bit before he’s ready to compete for significant playing time. However, with offensive line help being the team’s greatest need, he has a good chance to compete for a starting position (or at the very least a prominent role in the rotation) as a true freshman this season.

Braun was a huge get for coach Dan Mullen, as this time last year, he seemed destined to be heading to Athens to play for rival Georgia. The Gators got in early, securing an official visit from Braun last May, but he committed to the Bulldogs in June and held firm on that commitment through the fall. However, just a week before the early signing period, Braun decommitted from Georgia on Dec. 11 and gave his pledge to UF two days later. He early enrolled with the team and began participating in practices leading up to the Orange Bowl against Virginia.

Though he’s built like a tackle, the earliest path to the field for Braun may be on the interior, as UF’s guard depth chart is filled with underclassmen, meaning his early enrollment could give the talented newcomer a leg up over others in the class.

Video:

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Donovan McMillon

This is a prospect player profile for safety Donovan McMillon of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Donovan McMillon

Position: Safety

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 193 lbs

Hometown: Canonsburg, Pa.

High School: Peters Township High School

Twitter: @donovanmcmillo3

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

The second-most recent member of the Florida Gators’ upcoming recruiting class, McMillon committed to head coach Dan Mullen’s program on July 18.

A big-bodied, hard-hitting safety at 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, he is the No. 26 player at his position and a top-15 player in the state of Pennsylvania, per the 247Sports Composite.

Primarily recruited by safeties coach Ron English, McMillon received his offer from Florida on April 18 and took a visit to Gainesville in June, despite not being able to interact with the coaching staff because of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

In addition to his prowess on the gridiron, McMillon stars on the wrestling mat for the Peters Township Mighty Indians, boasting a 101-18 career record.

Barton Simmons, 247Sports’ Director of Scouting, forecasts the Pennsylvanian as “a Power Five impact starter with some positional versatility, who we view as a future mid-round National Football League draft pick.”

Overall, McMillon is the twelfth-highest rated commit in the cycle for the Gators and the six-highest on the defensive side of the football.

He is one of four defensive back pledges, joining Winter Park three-star Dakota Mitchell, a fellow safety, and IMG Academy four-star Kamar Wilcoxson and Tampa three-star Jordan Young, both of whom project to play cornerback at the collegiate level.

Video:

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Four-star cornerback out of Missouri lists top schools, Texas included

The top cornerback prospect out of Missouri has listed Texas among his top 10 schools.

Texas is still in the running for one of the top cornerbacks out of the 2022 recruiting class. Continue reading “Four-star cornerback out of Missouri lists top schools, Texas included”

Gators on a recruiting streak, land commitment from four-star WR Marcus Burke

Tthe Florida Gators’ 2021 recruiting class grew to 21 on Monday with the addition of Jacksonville four-star wide receiver Marcus Burke.

Just two days after adding their 20th member, the Florida Gators’ 2021 recruiting class grew to 21 on Monday with the addition of Jacksonville four-star wide receiver Marcus Burke.

A product of the private Trinity Christian Academy, Burke chose the Gators over the Georgia Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions. Despite his verbal pledge, he does plan to visit Athens and State College once the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) lifts their coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

Kirby Smart’s program is worth keeping on eye here, as the Bulldogs have made Burke one of their top targets in the cycle, having position coach Cortez Hankton and tight ends coach Todd Hartley speak with him regularly.

His high school teammate, 2023 athlete Treyaun Webb, is a Georgia commit, as well. Webb has three more years of prep football to play, but profiles to play running back at the collegiate level.

The No. 40 wideout in the class and a top-35 player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite, Burke totaled 37 receptions for 831 yards (22.4 avg.) and nine touchdowns for the Conquerors as a junior, including a 99-yard score against the Venice Indians on September 6.

Standing 6-foot-3 and tipping the scales at 180 pounds, he has shown versatility in his game, strong enough to play on the perimeter, but quick enough to work in the slot, too.

Burke becomes the third four-star wide receiver in Florida’s upcoming class – the fourth if you count Seffner athlete Charles Montgomery, who projects to play a hybrid receiver/running back role – joining Ocala’s Trevonte Rucker and Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds.

Overall, Burke is the sixth-highest rated pledge in the program’s 2021 collection and the fourth-highest on the offensive side of the football, trailing only Rucker, quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, and Reynolds.

Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, who served as Burke’s primary recruiter, is tasked with replacing four of his top-five wide receivers from 2019 this fall but has secured the commitment of some strong reinforcements on the recruiting trail moving forward.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Princely Umanmielen

This is a prospect player profile for defensive end Princely Umanmielen of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Princely Umanmielen

Position: Defensive End

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 249 lbs

Hometown: Manor, Tex.

High School: Manor High School

Twitter: @d1princely

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

A talented strongside defensive end from Manor, Tex., Umanmielen is a four-star recruit and the No. 9 player at his position in the 2020 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. originally committed to the in-state Texas Longhorns in August of 2019 before decommitting in October. Six days later, Florida entered the picture and offered him.

He took two official visits to UF: one in November and another in January. Though the Gators made a late push for him, many analysts expected his National Signing Day commitment would be given to coach Matt Rhule and the Baylor Bears. But in a somewhat surprising move, he signed his National Letter of Intent with Florida and enrolled on campus in June.

Umanmielen dominated as a senior at Manor High School, totaling 90 tackles (27 for loss) and 10 sacks. At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, he has a big frame and the potential to bulk up significantly. An excellent run-stopper, he bears a strong resemblance to UF’s 2019 starter at the strongside position in Jabari Zuniga. However, he has experience playing both inside and outside in high school, and should he build more strength, he could transition to a tackle role.

He’s a solid athlete, running a 5.07 40-yard dash and 4.37 shuttle at The Opening a year ago, though his initial jump could be a bit quicker. He also needs to work on developing more robust pass-rushing skills early in his college career, but he could be primed for playing time early on, as Florida needs to replace a number of starters and key contributors on the defensive line in 2020.

Video:

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