Tag: Sean Spencer

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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Florida drops outside top 10 in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings

After the departure of Jaden Rashada, the Florida Gators have dropped outside the top ten in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings.

The Florida Gators have dropped outside of the top 10 in ESPN’s ranking of 2023 recruiting classes. The Orange and Blue’s incoming class rank went from No. 9 to No. 11, largely due to [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s departure from Florida’s class.

The Gators had been hovering around the top 10 of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. This was a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation, pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

The Gators were able to sign most of their 2023 commits during the early signing period in December. After the Rashada situation, Florida’s quarterback situation started to look murky, with [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] the lone scholarship quarterback from 2022 to remain on the roster. The arrival of [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] from Wisconsin creates some competition for the starting role.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about including the Gators in his latest 2023 class ranking:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. The Gators also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen. Napier showed what he can do with a full cycle to work assembling one of the top classes in the country, but a late split with ESPN 300 QB Jaden Rashada still leaves a need under center.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, with most of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Florida makes top-10 appearance in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings

Florida cracked ESPN’s top 10 programs in its recent recruiting rankings.

The Florida Gators are among ESPN’s list of the Top 75 college football teams, based on their 2023 recruiting efforts. The Orange and Blue’s incoming class ranked just inside the top 10, coming in at No. 9.

The Gators had been hovering around the top 10 of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach Billy Napier. This was a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation, pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about including the Gators in his list of the top 75 college teams:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. Rashada hails from California but became a big in-state flip from Miami. With a smooth release and good arm strength, the newest Gator is one of the top QBs in the class. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. They also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen.

Notably, [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s name is mentioned in Haubert’s write-up. Rashada, who signed his national letter of intent to play at the University of Florida back in December, has yet to enroll as a student despite expressing his intention to do so. The Rashada story is still developing and it is unclear if he will be on the roster come fall camp.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Florida makes ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings top 10

The Florida Gators are in the top 10 of ESPN’s national 2023 recruiting rankings. They are the fifth-highest SEC program.

The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 9 in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting rankings after early signing day wrapped up on Wednesday.

The Gators had been hovering around the top ten of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach Billy Napier. This is a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation essentially pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator, defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about the Gators’ No. 9 ranking:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. Rashada hails from California but became a big in-state flip from Miami. With a smooth release and good arm strength, the newest Gator is one of the top QBs in the class. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. They also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen.

The players Haubert named are considered to be the elite of this Florida class.

The smaller class was strategic for Napier, as he needs scholarships available to be active in the transfer portal. Prioritizing quality over quantity was a point of emphasis Napier made in his opening press conference and subsequent open letter to the fan base.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2023, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Sports Illustrated’s 2023 recruiting class rankings has Gators in top 10

The Gators earned a spot among Sports Illustrated’s top 10 teams in the 2023 recruiting class.

The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 10 in Sports Illustrated’s recruiting rankings after early signing day wrapped up on Wednesday.

The Gators had been hovering around the top ten of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. This is a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation essentially pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Sports Illustrated’s John Garcia Jr. had this to say, in part, about the Gators’ 2023 Early Signing Day results:

Florida may or may not have pushed a pair of in-state commitments out of the recruiting class this week, which doesn’t pair very well without any reciprocation come signing day. While UF has built a strong and balanced class to date, it struck out on late targets leading up to this week. Billy Napier’s staff did help UF hold on to commits coveted by others, though, like defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag].

Four-star Saint Petersburg, Florida, prospect [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] is the player Garcia is alleging could have been pushed out of the class. He flipped from Florida to UCF on signing day and, along with losing out on a late push for four-star Orlando prospect John Walker, was the second in-state player the future Big 12 program snagged over the Orange and Blue.

The smaller class was strategic for Napier, as he needs scholarships available to be active in the transfer portal. Prioritizing quality over quantity was a point of emphasis Napier made in his opening press conference and subsequent open letter to the fan base.

The official national signing day is scheduled for February 1st, 2023, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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