Tag: Rivals

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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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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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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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Anthony Richardson

This is a prospect player profile for dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Anthony Richardson

Position: Dual-Threat Quarterback

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 224 lbs

Hometown: Gainesville, Fla.

High School: Eastside High School

Twitter: @GVOaant

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Playing his high school football in Gainesville for the Eastside Rams, Richardson’s electric combination of arm strength and mobility earned him a four-star rating from the 247Sports Composite, which also named him the No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class.

A four-year contributor for the Rams, he totaled 6,266 yards (4,633 passing, 1,633 rushing) and 78 touchdowns (41 rushing, 37 passing) during his prep career. As a senior, he threw for 1,398 yards and eight scores, while adding another 151 yards and seven trips to the end zone on the ground, before his campaign was cut short by a right (throwing) shoulder injury after just six games.

Committing well before his senior season began, on April 6, 2019, Richardson does not appear to have any lingering effects from this wound, as he signed his National Letter of Intent (LOI) during the Early Signing Period on December 18 and enrolled early enough to participate in Florida’s Capital One Orange Bowl practices, a game in which they defeated the Virginia Cavaliers, 36-28.

Interestingly, Richardson spent his final year of high school being followed by a camera crew for the Netflix series “QB1: Beyond the Lights.”

Entering the 2020 season, the local product projects to be the third quarterback on the Gators’ depth chart, behind redshirt senior Kyle Trask and redshirt sophomore Emory Jones.

Considered a raw prospect by many, the cancellation of spring practices because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was not an event that would seem to favor Richardson’s development, but he has all the tools to star for the program in the next couple of years.

Following the exhaustion of Trask’s collegiate eligibility, the 2021 quarterback battle is already shaping up to be mighty interesting.

Video:

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No Single-Game Tickets Available for Notre Dame in 2020

If you were hoping to buy single-game tickets for 2020 Notre Dame games through the university, you’re out of luck.

If you were hoping to buy single-game tickets for 2020 Notre Dame games through the university, you’re out of luck. According to an email viewed by BlueandGold.com, Notre Dame’s Rivals site, the usual lottery system that distributes tickets and parking passes for single games will not be available this coming season, assuming there is one. In what should be a surprise to no one, this is an effort to keep attendance down at Notre Dame Stadium in the current environment.

The email includes the following:

“Over the past few months, we have worked diligently on a seating plan that would incorporate proper physical distancing measures to ensure Notre Dame Stadium is as safe as possible this fall. We are in the final stages of that planning process, which will greatly reduce our capacity.”

In addition, Notre Dame’s ticket allotment for road games will be reduced and might not be able to be bought. Meanwhile, lottery eligibility for next season remains under evaluation. There should be an update about that next month.

We all want to gather in South Bend on Saturdays this fall, but this is for the best. Even thinking about going to a game this season is a terrible idea, and it’s why the NCAA might just decide not to take the chance and cancel the season. However, if it doesn’t go down that route, Notre Dame rightfully has taken opportunities away from people who otherwise wouldn’t have thought twice about taking a chance.

Former Notre Dame wide receiver on the move again

Kevin Stepherson was a receiver who made an instant impact for Notre Dame during his freshman year in 2016.  Although the wins weren’t there for the team, Stepherson impressed with 25 receptions for over 400 yards and five touchdowns.

Kevin Stepherson was a receiver who made an instant impact for Notre Dame during his freshman year in 2016.  Although the wins weren’t there for the team, Stepherson impressed with 25 receptions for over 400 yards and five touchdowns.

A year later he again found the end zone five more times while he hauled in another 359 yards.  But that would be it for Stepherson in a Notre Dame uniform as multiple arrests for possession of marijuana and attempting to steal a pair of sweatpants from Macy’s ended things.

Stepherson got back into football, spending 2019 at Jacksonville State where he hauled in 36 receptions for 479 yards and six scores.  Wednesday brought news that Stepherson has entered the transfer portal as he looks to find where he’ll use his final year of eligibility.

Stepherson was listed at 6-1, 185 pounds last season with Jacksonville State.  Here’s to hoping he has put his past issues in the rear view mirror and can stay on the right track in his final year of eligibility.

2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Antwaun Powell

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

Name: Antwaun Powell

Position: Defensive End

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 234 lbs

Hometown: Portsmouth, Va.

High School: Indian River High School

Twitter: @TwaunPowell

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

The Florida Gators reached into Old Dominion for Powell, securing the four-star’s commitment on June 26, 2019.

Playing his high school football for the Indian River Braves in Chesapeake, Powell was rated as the No. 10 weak-side defensive end in the class and a top-three player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite.

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 234 pounds, he displayed excellent burst off the line of scrimmage during his prep days and has room to add size to his current frame.

One thing worth keeping an eye on with Powell, however, is the two surgeries he has had on the same shoulder, the first in the fall of 2018 and the second last November. Playing a position as physical as defensive end, Gator fans should hope these problems do not continue at the collegiate level.

Injury concerns aside, he was one of the most sought-after pass-rushers in the class, choosing Florida over the Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, North Carolina Tar Heels, Oklahoma Sooners, and Virginia Tech Hokies, who are located roughly five years northwest of Chesapeake in Blacksburg.

Signing his National Letter of Intent (LOI) during December’s Early Signing Period, Powell enrolled early in January, allowing himself to become familiar with his coaches, teammates, and life as a Southeastern Conference (SEC) student-athlete before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic threw a wrench in things.

He is one of two listed defensive ends in the class for the Gators, joining Princely Umanmielen, a fellow four-star from Manor, Texas. Fort Lauderdale’s Derek Wingo is officially listed as an outside linebacker, but projects to play the hybrid BUCK position for defensive coordinator Todd Grantham in Gainesville.

Powell is the seventh-highest rated of Florida’s 21 enrollees in the 2020 cycle and the fifth-highest on the defensive side of the football.

Due to his frame and quickness, he profiles as a multi-year starter for Grantham and defensive line coach David Turner.

Video:

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Jordan Young

This is a prospect player profile for cornerback Jordan Young of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Jordan Young

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 185 lbs

Hometown: Tampa, Fla.

High School: Gaither High School

Twitter: @jordan_young2

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Joining Winter Park three-star safety Dakota Mitchell and IMG Academy four-star Kamar Wilcoxson, Young became the third defensive back to commit to the Florida Gators in a four-day span when he pledged on June 21.

Spending his first three years at Jesuit High School in Tampa, where he was teammates with 2020 Florida tight end enrollee Jonathan Odom, Young will make the roughly nine-mile north move to Gaither High School for his senior season this fall.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds, he has the ideal frame cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray and linebackers coach Christian Robinson look for on the recruiting trail. Initially receiving his offer from the Gators’ staff on June 7, 2019, the same day he attended a camp in Gainesville, Young returned to campus on February 1 for the program’s Junior Day.

While his three-star rating does not necessarily jump off the page, Young’s reported offer list is 26 schools deep and features the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Florida State Seminoles, and Georgia Bulldogs.

The No. 29 cornerback in the cycle and sixty-third best player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite, he is Florida’s third commit at the position in the class, accompanying Baltimore, Maryland four-star Clinton Burton, Jr., and Wilcoxson.

Overall, Young is the thirteenth-highest rated of the program’s 20 commits in the upcoming group, slotting in behind Jacksonville tight end Nick Elksnis and ahead of Orlando offensive tackle Javonte Gardner.

Video:

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