Tag: Sean Spencer

Breaking: 4-star DL Kendall Jackson commits to Texas A&M after flipping from Miami and Florida

Johnny Manziel isn’t walking through that door but Aggies coach Mike Elko has been making money moves since coming home to College Station.

Johnny Manziel isn’t walking through that door but new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has been making money moves since coming home to College Station.

Elko’s latest move is a big one. 4-star defensive lineman recruit Kendall “Hollywood” Jackson committed to the Aggies on Tuesday afternoon.

“I want to thank my coaches, coach Wade and coach Bell, all my coaches. I appreciate y’all for these last four years. Y’all have been an integral part of my life today,” Jackson said Tuesday at a news conference held at Buchholz High School. “With that being said, I did post that I won’t be signing with Miami today. For the next three to four years, I’m taking my talents to Texas A&M.”

On July 12, the Gainsville, Fla. native initially committed to stay home and attend the University of Florida. He decommitted from the Gators on Dec. 2. One week later, he committed to the University of Miami.

Five minutes before holding a news conference to announce his decision Tuesday, Jackson announced via X that he would not be signing with the Hurricanes after all. He is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and has 19 total offers.

Jackson’s taken four visits so far to Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky and Miami. Elko hired Sean Spencer from Florida as the new Texas A&M defensive line coach on Dec. 3. The hiring appears to be already paying major dividends with the commitment of Jackson this week.

The college football early signing period begins Wednesday and ends Friday.

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2024 5-Star DL and Aggie commit Dominick McKinley is set to take an official visit to Texas A&M

Amid all the transfer portal chaos, Texas A&M will reportedly host 2024 5-star DL and Aggie commit Dominick McKinley this weekend.

While some fans are new to the head coach transition period encompassing semi-drastic change to the roster, new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is one of many to endure the wrath of the transfer portal, which he’ll also have to use to put a curb any more future losses.

If you’re keeping track, eleven Aggies have now entered the portal, including several on the defensive line, headlined by Walter Nolen and Fadil Diggs, who announced their portal intentions on Wednesday afternoon.

Focusing on the future, 2024 five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley remains committed to the Aggies despite the firing of former head coach Jimbo Fisher, combined with beloved DL coach Elijah Robinson departing for Syracuse as soon as next month.

While Robinson’s exit has likely impacted McKinley’s decision-making, Mike Elko’s defensive background, including serving as A&M’s defensive coordinator for four years under Fisher, certainly helps, while new D-line coach Sean Spencer has an extensive recruiting background, including helping Penn State land future Hall of Fame linebacker Micah Parsons.

According to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong, McKinley is set to take an official visit to College Station this weekend after committing to the Aggies back on Sept. 1, possibly securing his commitment after meeting with both Elko and Spener for an extended period to discuss how he can make an immediate impact on the defensive line as soon as the 2024 season.

While things may look dreary among all the transfer portal-related chaos, good news is on the horizon.

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Former Florida defensive line coach joins SEC West program

After parting ways with the University of Florida, former Gators defensive line coach Sean Spencer has landed with another SEC program.

After parting ways with the University of Florida a week ago, former Gators defensive line coach Sean Spencer has found a new home in the SEC, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Spencer is joining the Texas A&M Aggies under new head coach Mike Elko. Elijah Robinson, the Aggies’ old defensive coordinator, is now with the Syracuse Orange.

With the Gators, Spencer was a strong recruiter but multiple failures by his unit on the field led to his dismissal. A considerable amount of defensive linemen coached by Spencer were publicly surprised when he left Gainesville, but his contract was up for renewal in January, according to On3.

Before coaching at Florida, Spencer was a defensive line coach for the New York Giants. He also held the position at Penn State and Vanderbilt. Spencer made stops at Bowling Green, Hofstra, Holy Cross, Massachusetts, Shippensburg, Trinity College, Villanova and Wesleyan.

Spencer took to Twitter to on Saturday to address his future.

“I believe in the relationships with the players,” he wrote. “I believe in the pure keep it 100 mentality in communication. A Fierce competitor and always chasing perfection. Built for the battle and never afraid of the fight. You move from one job to the next in this profession and make lasting relationships that continue beyond the field.

“The Journey will continue and I will continue to affect lives and mentor players to be great in all aspects of the game of life. You learn something whereever you are good or bad. Just know that I will continue to be me and I will continue to help players reach their goals and dreams.
CHAOS. Command Heart Achieve Outstanding Success.”

Love the Game it will love you back. See y’all soon.

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Report: Texas A&M to hire former Florida DL coach

After Elijah Robinson’s departure, Texas A&M and head coach Mike Elko officially hired a Florida D-line coach for the same position.

It has been reported that after Sunday’s departure of Texas A&M defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, new head coach Mike Elko had a contingency plan. ESPN’s Pete Thamel has announced that Elko has hired former Florida defensive line coach Sean Spencer for the same position.

For Spencer, this may look like a lateral move on paper. Still, after two seasons with the Gators, Spencer will make the jump to College Station to begin what is hopefully a highly successful tenure on Elko’s guidance.

Throughout his successful coaching career that goes back nearly three decades, Spencer’s memorable run at Penn State (2014-2019) as the program defensive line coach led a defense that led the country in sacks per game (3.54), was sixth in tackles for loss (8.2), and 14th in total defense (324.5) during the 2015 season.

From 2014 to 2018, the Nittany Lions recorded over 40 sacks per season, leading to Spencer’s brief move to the New York Giants (2020-2021), making way for his last stop with Florida. Sean Spencer’s time with the Gators may have been short-lived. Still, the veteran assistant helped mentor several Florida defensive linemen who have made it to the NFL, including 2023 second-round pick Gervin Dexter Jr.

As Thamel noted, Mike Elko and Sean Spencer go back to coaching at Hofstra (FCS) in 2006, making this a no-brainer from a relationship standpoint. Not only will Spencer serve as the Aggies’ new D-line coach, but his recruiting prowess from his time at Penn State and Florida will put a bandage on what has been lost in Elijah Robinson’s departure.

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A former Penn State assistant coach is back on the market

Sean Spencer was one of the most popular Penn State assistant coaches under James Franklin. And he’s suddenly looking for work again.

Penn State may not be in the market for a defensive line coach, but one popular former assistant coach with previous experience with the Nittany Lions is once again available.

[autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], the master of chaos, was relieved of his duties with the Florida Gators as part of some offseason staff changes for the program.

Spencer goes way back with Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]. Spencer was the defensive line coach for Vanderbilt under Franklin and continued that role when Franklin brought him to the Penn State staff after he was named Penn State’s head coach in 2014. Spencer served that role as defensive line coach from 2014 through 2019, at which time he left to join the coaching staff of the NFL’s New York Giants. After two tears with the Giants, Spencer’s next step in his coaching career led him to the Florida Gators. Spencer was with Florida for two years.

Penn State had a need for a defensive line coach earlier this year when John Scott Jr. left to coach the defensive line with the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Penn State promoted from within with Deion Barnes taking over the role to the delight of the players on the team. And given the performance of the defense this season, there are no reasons to make any changes with the defensive staff, it would seem.

But if Penn State finds itself in need of replacing [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] for whatever reason, Spencer could be a name to keep an eye on. It would make some sense and would likely be received well. The familiarity with the program and the staff would be a nice perk. Of course, Penn State hopes it is not in a position to replace Diaz.

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Florida parting ways with two key defensive coaches, per reports

The Florida Gators are parting ways with two defensive coaches after two losing seasons in Gainesville under Billy Napier.

The Florida Gators are saying goodbye to secondary coach Corey Raymond and defensive line coach Sean Spencer. Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel reported the news first.

Although Florida lost defensive coordinator Patrick Toney last year, these are the first major changes made by the program since Billy Napier took over.

Raymond was viewed as a big hire when he joined Napier’s staff thanks to the steady stream of NFL defensive backs he coached while at LSU. He never found that success at Florida, though. The Gators finished the season with just three interceptions this year — Raymond coached both the cornerbacks and safeties.

Spencer saw plenty of success on the recruiting trail, but Florida’s pass rush never lived up to expectations under a former NFL defensive line coach. Coach Chaos, as Spencer is known, also held a co-defensive coordinator title.

Significant changes are expected this offseason at Florida. Consider this just the first step. Replacing Raymond and Spencer won’t be easy but it was deemed a necessary step by Napier for Florida to improve.

All eyes will be on the top-ranked players in Florida’s fourth-ranked recruiting class moving forward. Five-tar safety Xavier Filsaime and five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray are the two most important pieces affected by this news.

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2024 four-star DL prospect to make first Florida visit

The Gators look to continue building their 2024 recruiting class, hosting one of the best DL prospects in the nation just five days before their annual Orange and Blue spring game.

The Florida Gators 2024 class is already among 247Sports’ top 10 in its national recruiting rankings. It looks like Billy Napier is keen on continuing to climb up the rankings, with a highly sought-after defensive line prospect set to make his first visit to Gainesville next week.

[autotag]Jordan Thomas[/autotag], 247Sports’ No. 1 player in the state of New Jersey, has told the publication that he will be making his first visit to Florida on April 8. The 6-foot-5-inch, 296-pound defensive lineman’s visit comes just five days before the Gators’ Orange and Blue spring game on Thursday, April 13. Thomas received his offer in June of last year, with area recruiter [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] in constant communication with him since.

The Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) star has been exploring his options this spring, with Thomas having visited Georgia twice in 2023, once in January, and once in March. In addition to the two SEC East programs, Thomas has also visited Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse and Maryland throughout his recruitment process. He is expected to be in State College this Saturday to see a Penn State practice first-hand.

According to the 247Sports composite, which factors in all the major recruiting outlets, Thomas is the No. 134 recruit in the 2024 class, the No. 16 defensive lineman, and the No. 1 prospect in the state of New Jersey.

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Recently offered 4-star defensive lineman sets first visit with Florida

This blue-chip defensive line prospect will be in town next weekend.

The month of March looks to be a busy one for Florida football’s recruiting efforts as a laundry list of prep prospects are already lined up to visit the Swamp in the coming days.

Among those slated to get some face time with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff is 2024 four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Terrance Hibbler[/autotag] out of Lexington (Mississippi) Holmes County Central. The 6-foot-3-inch, 305-pound high school junior is scheduled to make his first visit with the Orange and Blue on March 9, Swamp247 confirmed.

The young lineman’s recruitment has been spearheaded by co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] — who is also in charge of recruiting for the state of Mississippi — leading to an offer in January. It appears that the staff sees something promising in the big young man based on Hibbler’s comments.

“He said the whole staff had watched my tape and they really like how I play. I know for sure he said he liked the way I come off the ball and how aggressive I am.”

As far as his familiarity with Florida’s football program, there is still a bit of work to be done. Fortunately, Spencer has been on top of that aspect of his recruitment as well.

“I watched a few of their games last year, but that is about all I know. They seem like a good school and they have a good team. From talking with Coach Spencer, they seem like they got some good coaches. Florida just seems like everyone gets along there and got good team chemistry. That is how teams get help winning when they got good chemistry like that.”

Hibbler is four-star rated and ranked No. 309 overall and No. 30 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has rated at three stars and at Nos. 527 and 49, respectively. The Mississippi State Bulldogs hold the lone crystal ball prediction from 247Sports and also lead the pack in On3’s Recruiting Predictions Machine with a 27% chance of landing him.

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Florida football working on official visit from this 4-star EDGE rusher

The Gators are a bit of a longshot for this 2024 EDGE but you’ve got to start somewhere.

The Florida football program extended an offer to four-star edge rusher [autotag]Jordan Ross[/autotag] out of Birmingham (Alabama) Vestavia Hill last Friday. Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] has been at the forefront of the prep prospect’s recruitment and was the Gators representative that made the official move.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 219-pound defender still has a lot to learn about what [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. are building in the Swamp having only received a visit at his school from Spencer back during the NCAA’s contact period. However, it seems like he is warming up to the idea of playing on the gridiron in Gainesville.

“I really have no idea about Florida to be completely honest with you,” he told Swamp247. “I never really have looked into Florida because I wasn’t sure if they were interested in me. I am definitely going to visit them. Me, my mom, and my dad are going to go down for a visit to Florida. We I think are going to go down for a spring date and maybe an official. We are still trying to figure out all of that. I am planning to take my official visits in the summer, so I am still trying to figure those out, but Florida is in the conversation for one.”

Other schools under consideration are the Tennessee Volunteers and Auburn Tigers, who have “started to separate from the pack” according to Ross. The high school junior is also considering the USC Trojans and Texas Longhorns, in addition to the Gators, for his official visits. He has already visited the Vols several times, however, and does not feel that it is necessary to make an OV in Knoxville.

Ross is ranked No. 88 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 108 and 11, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the South Carolina Gamecocks out front for his commitment with a 38.5% chance of landing him, while the Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee and Colorado Buffaloes trail behind at 17.7%, 15.1% and 12.6%, respectively.

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Which Florida school has the best non-head coach football recruiter?

Two Gators assistants are among the best recruiters in the state, according to The Athletic.

The path to a resurrection of the glory days in the Swamp runs through Florida football’s recruiting efforts, which has become the focus of the program since [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] took over for [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag], the latter who took a lackadaisical approach when it came to bringing premiere prep talent to Gainesville.

But the endeavor involves more than just Napier — the first-year head coach also brought in an army of coaches and staffers with him to assist in making the University of Florida a premiere destination for aspiring football players once again. Among those now on the payroll are some of the best in the business when it comes to turning raw talent into top-level athletes.

The Athletic’s Manny Navarro took a look at how all the Sunshine State schools compare to each other in his most recent mailbag. Read below his response to one reader’s query regarding the best recruiter from each program who is not the head coach.

If you go by the 2023 recruiter rankings at 247Sports, Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal (No. 7), Florida co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] (No. 14) and Florida State receivers coach Ron Dugans (No. 27) ranked the highest last cycle.

Most insiders, though, would tell you Mario Cristobal anchors Miami’s recruiting efforts. I did a straw poll of beat writers, scouts and analysts, and all of them agreed Cristobal is the guy. When I pressed for names of Miami staffers, tight ends coach Stephen Field, running backs coach Kevin Smith, linebackers coach [autotag]Charlie Strong[/autotag], defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, defensive analyst DeMarcus Van Dyke and Mirabal all received some love. But there was no clear-cut No. 1.

At Florida State, offensive coordinator Alex Atkins received the most love with veteran defensive line coach Odell Haggins and co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Randy Shannon[/autotag] getting a shout-out.

At Florida, it was defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] who was the overwhelming selection.

While the Hurricanes appear to have the upper hand in this survey of assistants including former Gators coach [autotag]Charlie Strong[/autotag], between Spencer and Raymond — especially considering that Cristobal is considered the alpha and omega of Miami’s recruiting efforts — it appears that the Gators likely have the upper hand in this one.

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