Florida Gators land two players on All-Decommit list for 20201

SI released its “All-Decommit” list for offense, spotlighting the top players who were committed before flipping, including two Gators.

Recruiting can be a wild ride for players, families and teams in college athletics as there is sometimes an added pressure for those to make their final decision and pick a school. Sometimes players “flip” to other teams due to multiple circumstances which can make recruitment very interesting.

It’s never really over until a recruit signs that letter of intent, and then coaches can finally take a deep breath and stop stressing. Throughout each recruiting cycle there are always flips as a player commits to a program and then changes his mind, eventually signing with another program. Yeah, those hurt the fanbase but if it’s in the best interest of the recruit, then we certainly cannot be mad.

With college football in its offseason and the 2021 class all wrapped up, John Garcia Jr. of Sports Illustrated released his “All-Decommit” list for offense, spotlighting the top players who were committed to one program before flipping. Among his list are two Florida Gators:

Elksnis was named honorable mention at tight end as he was originally committed to Penn State before flipping to Florida. He’s one of two tight ends that signed in the 2021 class and will make that position stronger.

As for Barber, he was committed to Minnesota for a while but after the Gators made a strong push, he ended up changing his mind. In the end, he stayed in-state and the Gators are certainly happy he did.

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Here’s where the Gators land in Sports Illustrated’s latest bracket watch

Here is a look at how the Florida Gators’ quarter of the overall NCAA Tournament bracket looks according to Si’s Kevin Sweeney.

NCAA Tournament bracket fever is currently gripping the nation as college basketball crescendoes into the month of March despite a virus that keeps trying to play spoiler. As the regular season inches towards its completion, the postseason hot stove continues to heat up, and fortunately for the Florida Gators, they are in the thick of the conversation this year despite a trio of pauses in action for the program.

On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated published its latest bracketology projections for the 2021 NCAA Tournament, with UF sitting in the No. 8 seed for the Baylor Region, which is headed by the overall No. 2-ranked Baylor Bears. Florida would face the No. 9 San Diego State Aztecs in the first round in this hypothetical, and shares this region with their Southeastern Conference foes the fourth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers and sixth-seeded Missouri Tigers.

Here is a look at how that quarter of the overall NCAA Tournament bracket looks according to Si’s Kevin Sweeney.

Baylor Region:

No. 1 Baylor* vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s*/Prairie View A&M*
No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 San Diego State
No. 5 Kansas* vs. No. 12 UConn/Maryland
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Winthrop*
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 North Carolina/Drake
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 14 Liberty*
No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. No. 10 Boise State
No. 2 Illinois vs. No. 15 Grand Canyon*

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Here’s where Sports Illustrated thinks Florida lands in the NCAA Tournament

Here’s a look at the full bracket the Florida Gators basketball team would face on the way to the NCAA Final Four, according to SI. 

As the college basketball postseason approaches, the NCAA Tournament outlook appears is slowly becoming more clear, though in a season surrounded by the coronavirus pandemic, nothing is truly set in stone. However, that does not stop the media pundits from offering their personal prognostications.

Sports Illustrated published its most recent bracket update on Friday, with the Florida Gators remaining unmoved from their previous position. However, a few other aspects of their seeding has changed since our last update.

UF has shifted from the “Ohio State” region to the “Michigan” region, which also caused a change in their first-round opponent. A few days ago, SI had Florida facing the No. 10 seed North Carolina Tar Heels, though now the opening opponent would be the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers.

Other SEC teams projected in the field are the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers and No. 5 Missouri Tigers seeded ahead of Florida, while the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks and No. 11 LSU Tigers hold on to their tournament hopes by a thread.

Here’s a look at the full bracket Florida would face on the way to the Final Four, according to SI.

Michigan Region:

No. 1 Michigan* vs. No. 16 Bryant*
No. 8 BYU vs. No. 9 Arkansas
No. 5 USC* vs. No. 12 Utah State*
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Winthrop*
No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 11 Drake/Oregon
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 14 UNC Greensboro*
No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Indiana
No. 2 Virginia* vs. No. 15 Cleveland State*

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Here’s where Sports Illustrated’s latest basketball bracket has the Gators

Take a look at where Sports Illustrated thinks UF basketball will be seeded in the 2021 NCAA tournament and who they might face.

While the Florida Gators men’s basketball season might be on pause due to a second outbreak of the coronavirus on the team, life continues to go on with the rest of college basketball. However, not much has changed in the eyes of one major media outlet in its most recent assessment of the NCAA tournament landscape.

Sports Illustrated updated its NCAA tournament bracket on Tuesday, with UF standing pat at No. 7 in the “Ohio State” region, though the potential opponents have changed since our last update. In this iteration of Kevin Sweeney’s tournament projections, Florida would face the No. 10 seed North Carolina Tar Heels in the opening round, with the winner of Villanova versus Grand Canyon State awaiting them if they emerge victoriously.

Other SEC teams in the projected field are the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 4 Missouri Tigers and No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers — all holding their previous positions. The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks and No. 12 LSU Tigers, previously seeded at No. 11, are among the “Last Four Byes” and “Last Four In”, respectively.

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Pat Forde suggests Notre Dame’s Mike Brey’s time is coming to an end

Could this be the end of Mike Brey’s tenure at Notre Dame, Sports Illustrated Pat Forde suggests it just could be.

As the NCAA college basketball season is nearing an end, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde looked at multiple team’s coaching situations as the year is finishing up. Forde ended up looking at the Irish’s situation with Mike Brey and suggested that the 21-year tenure in South Bend might be coming to an end.

In no way does Forde have any insider information as to what Brey’s future holds, but “at age 61, Brey could coach a while longer if he wants. but he also would be a natural on TV and might be tired of fighting some of the recruiting wars.”

The glory years of Brey’s tenure were in 2014-16, with Elite-8 appearances in both season along with an ACC conference tournament title in ‘15. The last NCAA appearance was in 2017, although you could argue the Irish were poised to make a return last year had the NCAA tournament not been canceled.

It has been a bit of a struggle this season, the Irish have sputtered to a 7-10 overall record, just 4-7 in conference. Although Brey might not be riding off into the sunset after this season, at his age of 61, there might not be much more coaching left in his future. He just signed a contract extension through the 2025 season and if I had to guess, Brey rides out his contract then heads off to enjoy retirement in the booth.

Sports Illustrated bracket still has Florida solidly in the field

Despite a devastating loss to South Carolina, Sports Illustrated has Florida well above the bubble line in its latest bracket.

Florida’s impressive play over the last month was derailed on Wednesday night when the team suffered a bad home loss against South Carolina. But despite dropping a Quadrant 3 matchup and ending its four-game winning streak, UF still seems to be well above the bubble line for the NCAA Tournament.

In the latest bracket from Sports Illustrated, the Gators are ranked as a No. 7 seed. They would take on 10th-seeded Clemson in the first round, with a likely matchup against the two-seed, Iowa, in the Round of 32. If Florida were to advance in the Elite Eight, it could face Baylor, one of the best teams in the country and the No. 1 seed in the region.

Other SEC teams in the projected field are No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Missouri, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 11 Arkansas and No. 11 LSU. The Razorbacks and Tigers are among the Last Four Byes.

The loss to the Gamecocks certainly did some damage to the resume and slowed down Florida’s rise, but it should still be in a good position to make the NCAA Tournament.

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Lackluster signing day has Florida’s class outside the top 10

A disappointing National Signing Day has Florida’s recruiting class ranked 14th in the nation, according to Sports Illustrated.

It was far from an ideal national signing day for Florida coach Dan Mullen on Thursday, and recruiting continues to be an issue heading into his fourth year. On-field success hasn’t been a problem during Mullen’s tenure, but the lack of elite recruiting is holding this team back from its long-term goals.

When the dust had settled, the UF class ranked just 14th in Sports Illustrated’s final recruiting rankings. Here’s what they said about the Gators.

14. Florida (13)

22 Verbal Commitments, 4 in the SI99

The Gators were in the mix for Arnold but weren’t a late contender for the in-state star and final Floridian in the SI99 to make a commitment. It parted ways with longtime junior college commitment Deyavie Hammond, too.

Safety Terrion Arnold, who UF hoped it could land, picked Alabama, while JUCO commit Deyavie Hammond decommitted from the team.

Florida’s class was saved by the signing of five-star cornerback Jason Marshall from Miami, one of the best players UF has signed in years. If they hadn’t secured his signature, this recruiting class would be even more disappointing.

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This bracket had Gators a nine seed before WVU win, expect Florida to rise

Before Florida’s win over West Virginia on Saturday, the Gators were listed as a No. 9 seed in SI’s NCAA Tournament projection.

Florida has done a lot of work in the last couple of weeks to build its NCAA Tournament resume. Even before the win over No. 11 West Virginia, the Gators had won three of their last four games (including a victory at home against then-No. 6 Tennessee).

The latest bracketology update from Sports Illustrated is reflective of this, having UF on the nine-seed line and currently safe from the bubble range. Presumably, the victory over the Mountaineers, which propelled UF up nine spots to No. 18 in the NET, will have Florida seeded even higher next time around.

According to this projection, the Gators would draw No. 8 UConn in the First Round, the victor of which would likely take on Gonzaga, the top seed in the region, in the Round of 32. Also in the region are a pair of SEC teams in No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 LSU.

Three other conference teams appear in this projection. Alabama is a No. 2 seed and Missouri is a No. 5 seed, while Arkansas is listed as a play-in team, slotted to play Loyala Chicago for a 12-seed spot and a game against No. 5 UCLA.

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Here’s why Florida’s early signing period wasn’t as great as expected

The early signing period for the 2021 recruiting class began Wednesday and the early returns aren’t great for Dan Mullen and the Gators.

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The early signing period for the 2021 recruiting class began on Wednesday, and the early returns aren’t great for coach Dan Mullen and the Gators, who captured an SEC East title for the first time since 2016 this season.

Florida managed to secure the signature of its highest-rated recruit, Miami Palmetto corner Jason Marshall Jr., the nation’s No. 27 player according to the 247Sports composite. It also locked up its top quarterback commit, four-star Georgia prospect Carlos Del Rio-Wilson.

But the Gators missed on a number of players that could have taken this class from good to great, and with early signing day behind us, Florida is just barely hanging onto its spot in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings. Its class ranks just fifth in the SEC.

The Gators class ranking earlier in the period was skewed by its high number of commits, despite its relatively low average player rating. As other programs with higher average player ratings filled out their classes, Florida’s rank continued to drop.

In its analysis of the winners and losers from the early signing period, Sports Illustrated deemed UF one of several losers. Here’s what they had to say about the Gators’ class, which hopes to improve its standing before National Signing Day in February.

Florida: The Gators were technically able to keep IDL Tyreak Sapp away from Alabama and get him to sign, but they lost out on a few big fish to SEC rivals. LB Xavian Sorey chose Georgia over UF, DE Tunmise Adeleye opted for Texas A&M and IDL Maason Smith spurned the chance to play in Gainesville for LSU. Sorey and SI99 safety Terrion Arnold have been linked as a package deal, so with the former picking the Bulldogs, the Gators’ chances of landing Arnold in February also took a hit today. Perception of better Wednesdays in Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge, Athens, Oxford and maybe even Auburn don’t make it much better.

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Fab Four: Selecting Florida football’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits

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‘Sports Illustrated’ Names 2020 Sportsperson of the Year: ‘The Activist Athlete’

‘Sports Illustrated’ Names
2020 Sportsperson of the Year:
‘The Activist Athlete’.
‘Sports Illustrated’ has announced
multiple prominent athletes as honorees for their
2020 Sportsperson of the Year. .
The honorees are
LeBron James, Breanna
Stewart, Patrick Mahomes,
Naomi Osaka and Laurent
Duvernay-Tardif. .
In an announcement for the honor, ‘SI’ said 2020
was the year of “The Activist Athlete.”.
If there is brightness in this dark year, it’s the
leadership — and sorely needed optimism —
shown by some of the nation’s top athletes
in facing down our many challenges, ‘Sports Illustrated,’ via statement .
James led the Lakers to the NBA title and worked
“tirelessly” to end voter suppression and ensure
“equal access to the polls.”.
Stewart led her team to
a WNBA title and “spoke
loudly” for women’s equality
and against racism.
Mahomes, who was named Super Bowl MVP, used his
platform to “push” the NFL to recognize the
Black Lives Matter movement. .
U.S. Open tennis champion Osaka “found her
voice” and fought against social injustice. .
Duvernay-Tardif opted out of the 2020 NFL season to return
to serve as a doctor on the front lines against COVID-19. .
Our Sportspersons of the Year set an
example of how to face and one day fix
[the issues and challenges of 2020].
With principle. With passion. And with
an athlete’s optimism—the belief that no
matter the obstacles, better days are ahead. , ‘Sports Illustrated,’ via statement

‘Sports Illustrated’ Names
2020 Sportsperson of the Year:
‘The Activist Athlete’.
‘Sports Illustrated’ has announced
multiple prominent athletes as honorees for their
2020 Sportsperson of the Year. .
The honorees are
LeBron James, Breanna
Stewart, Patrick Mahomes,
Naomi Osaka and Laurent
Duvernay-Tardif. .
In an announcement for the honor, ‘SI’ said 2020
was the year of “The Activist Athlete.”.
If there is brightness in this dark year, it’s the
leadership — and sorely needed optimism —
shown by some of the nation’s top athletes
in facing down our many challenges, ‘Sports Illustrated,’ via statement .
James led the Lakers to the NBA title and worked
“tirelessly” to end voter suppression and ensure
“equal access to the polls.”.
Stewart led her team to
a WNBA title and “spoke
loudly” for women’s equality
and against racism.
Mahomes, who was named Super Bowl MVP, used his
platform to “push” the NFL to recognize the
Black Lives Matter movement. .
U.S. Open tennis champion Osaka “found her
voice” and fought against social injustice. .
Duvernay-Tardif opted out of the 2020 NFL season to return
to serve as a doctor on the front lines against COVID-19. .
Our Sportspersons of the Year set an
example of how to face and one day fix
[the issues and challenges of 2020].
With principle. With passion. And with
an athlete’s optimism—the belief that no
matter the obstacles, better days are ahead. , ‘Sports Illustrated,’ via statement