Tag: Fenley Graham

Where does Florida stand with the top-ranked CB of 2023?

Florida will be competing with Alabama and Miami down the stretch for the nation’s top-ranked cornerback recruit.

The nation’s top-ranked cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] was in Coral Gables over the weekend on an official visit with the Miami Hurricanes. That might be concerning for some Gators fans after UM landed quarterback Jaden Rashada over UF on Sunday, but the update from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins on McClain is mostly positive for the Orange and Blue.

While Miami did close the gap on Alabama and Florida over the weekend, there is still plenty of work to be done for the Hurricanes to overtake the SEC programs. The word out of Coral Gables is that UM is viewing ‘Bama as the bigger threat of the two, but Florida is still well-positioned in the race to land McClain.

There was some speculation that Billy Napier‘s dismissal of [autotag]Fenley Graham[/autotag] and [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag]’s transfer had some impact on McClain and Florida’s relationship, but Ivins was told that it wasn’t much of a factor from multiple people in the recruit’s camp. One even mentioned Lakeland graduate Keon Zipperer still being on the team, which is a good sign for the Gators.

Still, Florida seems to be in a dogfight with one of the top programs in the nation for one of the top players in the class. It will take a lot to overcome Nick Saban and Alabama, but Napier is doing the right things so far to keep his team in it.

McClain is ranked No. 1 among cornerbacks in the class of 2023 on the 247Sports composite and is ranked No. 3 overall regardless of position.

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Three Gators cut from team by Napier, fourth on thin ice

Three Gators are no longer with the team after Billy Napier informed them of his decision.

At some point, this moment had to come for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. On Wednesday, the first-year head coach informed three players that they were no longer on the team, according to 247Sports. Safety [autotag]Mordecai McDaniel[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Chris Thomas[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Fenley Graham[/autotag], who switched to the position during the offseason after playing in the secondary for the past two seasons, are expected to enter the transfer portal as a result.

Receiver [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] was initially removed from the updated roster as well, and the sports information director told several reporters that he was also cut, but that turned out to be a miscommunication after team leaders went to Napier in hopes of reversing the decision. Napier obliged, but the three remaining cuts still came off as a bit of a shock, both to the team and the fanbase.

Graham was a fan favorite. One of the many former Lakeland Dreadnaughts that have come to Florida, his willingness to switch positions earned him praise from wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] during the spring and it was believed that he’d be in the conversation to be a kick returner in the fall. But these cuts reportedly had little to do with talent and where they were at on the depth chart and more about who was buying into the new culture.

McDaniel is another name that many expected to see contribute in some fashion this season after playing in all 13 games last year and 10 as a freshman. Thomas was a three-star recruit who saw action in just a single game as a freshman, so his cut is less surprising, but it still sends a message to the team. At the same time, doing this after the spring has given Napier enough time to earn the respect of his players.

First-year coaches are able to make these cuts of scholarship players thanks to an NCAA bylaw, but they can still stay on scholarship at the school until they graduate. Most players test the portal, though, and find new opportunities. The only problem is that the May 1 deadline has come and gone, so these players need a waiver to be eligible at another school in the upcoming season.

Florida is down to 87 scholarship players following the move. That means there’s a chance that two or more players are cut.

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Florida hosting this top-100 wide receiver for its Orange and Blue game

Florida is set to host four-star wide receiver Tyler Williams for the second time this month during its spring game.

Many fans, media members and I were skeptical about whether Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s decision to move the spring game to Thursday from Saturday would pay off. From a recruiting standpoint, his strategy has been a success. The Gators are set to host three five-stars and 16 four-stars. One of those four stars is top 100 wide receiver [autotag]Tyler Williams[/autotag], according to Gators Online.

He hails from nearby Lakeland, Florida, and most recently visited the Swamp on April 2. He mentioned after his visit two weeks ago that he wants to come back in the future and now has that date locked in.

Lakeland has always been a Gators-friendly area. They have several players who are from the area like [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag], [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag], [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Fenley Graham[/autotag]. Williams plays for Lakeland High School where Zipperer, Bowman and Graham played and says he spends a lot of time with them when they come back home.

“I catch up with all of them for the most part,” Williams said. “I see them a lot when they come back home. They come work out with us and lift. I can call them if I need to talk about something or ask any questions. I get advice about my game and stuff like that. Even with the recruiting process, they give me pointers and stuff to look at.”

For Florida, wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] and Napier have led the charge for Williams.

He also holds some other offers from Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, LSU, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma and USC.

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Florida football eyeing Fenley Graham to help improve return team

Florida defensive back Fenley Graham has the potential to star on special teams as Brandon James did under former coach Urban Meyer.

Former Florida coach Urban Meyer placed a heavy emphasis on special teams when he helped the Gators win two national championships. Current coach Dan Mullen was an offensive coordinator under Meyer and said he wanted to focus on side of the ball when he was hired. Through three years with the Gators, his special teams unit has been average at best.

They have only scored on a punt or kickoff return twice on 87 attempts during his tenure. Because of those average statistics, Mullen recruited defensive back Fenley Graham who excelled in those areas. At Lakeland High School, he collected more than 1,600 combined return yards, three kickoff return touchdowns and three punt return touchdowns in his high school career.

“Fenley coming out of high school, obviously everybody knew that was a guy that was very much a utility player, a really good football player, can return punts, can return kicks, can move him around defensively,” Mullen said on Thursday. “A guy who has a really natural instinct for the ball. Obviously, in the return games, he’s up there big.”

Because of his size at 5-foot-9-inches, Graham is similar to special teams ace Brandon James who starred under Meyer.

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Mullen also added that they are trying former five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman on kickoff returns.

On punt returns, he said that wide receiver Xzavier Henderson, wide receiver Ja’Markis Weston and cornerback Kaiir Elam have been getting some run at the punt return position.

It’ll be interesting to see if these moves pay dividends in 2021.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Fenley Graham

This is a prospect player profile for cornerback Fenley Graham of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Fenley Graham

Position: Cornerback

Height: 5’8.5″

Weight: 171 lbs

Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.

High School: Lakeland High School

Twitter: @FenleyG11

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Fenley Graham is a three-star recruit from Lakeland High School, according to the 247Sports Composite. The No. 474 player nationally and the No. 34 cornerback, Graham received an offer from the Gators in December of 2018 before he eventually committed the following June. He also had offers from Miami, West Virginia and more.

He signed with Florida during the early signing period in December, and he enrolled on campus on July 2.

Though he’s undersized for a corner at 5-foot-8.5, he makes up for it with tremendous athleticism and solid ball skills. His speed makes him a threat to return an interception to the house, and he could even see some time as a kick returner in Gainesville.

Graham finds himself a bit overshadowed as the fifth-highest rated corner in coach Dan Mullen’s 2020 recruiting class, but his athleticism should help him see the field in some capacity sooner rather than later.

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