Tag: Trevonte Rucker

Deion Sanders intercepts Jackson State’s highest-rated recruit ever from Florida

Trevonte Rucker, a former Florida commit, is a four-star recruit ranked No. 189 nationally, according to the 247Sports composite ranking.

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Editor’s note: This article was originally published by the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger and has been republished in its entirety below. 

Jackson State has added another heavy hitter to its 2021 recruiting class.

Vanguard wide receiver Trevonte Rucker of Ocala, Florida, committed to Jackson State and first-year coach Deion Sanders on Tuesday afternoon.

Rucker, a former Florida commit, is a four-star recruit ranked No. 189 nationally, according to the 247Sports composite ranking. That makes him the highest-rated high school prospect to commit to Jackson State.

He announced the commitment calling his decision “official” with the hashtag “BLM” as well.

Sanders signed his son, Shedeur, as the highest-rated high school player (No. 234) ever in Jackson State history last month during the early signing period, but should Rucker sign in February, he would become the highest-rated player to sign with JSU.

Sanders previously said one of his biggest reasons for coming to a historically Black university was to level the playing field for HBCUs with Power 5 schools.

Rucker is a four-star wide receiver and ranks as the No. 29 senior prospect in Florida, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The 6-foot, 157-pound athlete is an Under Armour All-American.

Sanders, a Fort Meyers, Florida native and Florida State alum, has recruited the Sunshine state well, flipping former Florida commit Javonte Gardner in addition to bringing in Rucker and IMG Academy offensive lineman Charlton Goodell as commits. Three transfers, Isaiah Bolden, Maljon Joor and Tony Gray, are coming from Florida colleges as well.

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Gators football lost this four-star wide receiver recruit to Jackson State

Wide receiver Trevonte Rucker, who is rated four-stars by both 247Sports and Rivals, announced his signing with the Jackson State Tigers.

The bad news continues to pile up for Florida Gators football early on in the offseason, with several star players opting out of their remaining eligibility to enter the 2021 NFL draft. The latest salt on the wound comes from the 2021 recruiting class, which lost one of its more promising prospects to a Football Championship Subdivision school.

Wide receiver Trevonte Rucker, who is rated four-stars by both 247Sports and Rivals, announced on Tuesday via his personal Twitter account that he has officially signed with the Jackson State Tigers, where NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is currently leading the program as the head coach.

Florida and Rucker had agreed on two verbal commitments over the course of his recruitment, both as a freshman and in January of 2020, though the Gators did not sign him during the Early Signing Period last December. He joins three-star offensive tackle Javonte Gardner who had also committed to UF but switched to Jackson State after not signing during the previous month.

The Florida Gators 2021 recruiting class now sits at 24 members.

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How Florida Gators commits fared in high school football action Week 7

Many of Florida’s recruiting class of 2021 were in action last Friday, here’s a summary of how they all fared in high school competition.

Ranked No. 8 in the latest Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA TODAY Sports, the Florida Gators will travel to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville to clash with one of their fiercest rivals, the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, on Saturday.

There will be plenty of action the two days before this showdown, as well, as the program’s 2021 commits will be in action in their respective high school games.

As we at Gators Wire have done each of the last six weeks, here is a look at how some of these skill position pledges fared in their most recent showings.

Prospect rankings courtesy of the 247Sports Composite.

Florida Gators make SI’s list of top wide receiver hauls in 2021 class

Although none of Florida’s four commits at the position made the SI99, the program still slotted in at No. 2 on the website’s rankings.

Sports Illustrated’s All-American staff released their top-five wide receiver groups in the 2021 class on September 2, with the Florida Gators earning recognition.

Before we dive in, a quick note: Star rankings are courtesy of the 247Sports Composite.

Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, who feature two wideouts in the SI99 – a comprehensive ranking of the publication’s top-99 players in the cycle – led the way.

Orlando four-star slot receiver Christian Leary and IMG Academy five-star Jacorey Brooks, who checked in at No. 42 and 46 on the SI99, respectively, are the Tide’s top-two players at the position in the cycle; Valrico’s Agiye Hall, another four-star, was also mentioned.

Although none of Florida’s four commits at the position made the SI99, the program still slotted in at No. 2 on the website’s rankings.

Ocala four-star Trevonte Rucker, who pledged to the Gators on February 11, is the school’s highest-rated wide receiver in the class, with a trio of fellow four-stars, Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, Jacksonville’s Marcus Burke, and Seffner’s Charles Montgomery, who might also see some snaps at running back in Gainesville, following closely behind.

“Rucker is a prospect we’ve tracked since he was a freshman, and while he currently plays quarterback, we project a similar role to current Gator Kadarius Toney in Dan Mullen’s offense,” SI began of their Florida breakdown.

“Montgomery is another versatile prospect who can play running back, as well as H-receiver for Florida. Reynolds is a thick-bodied receiver with impressive ball skills and body control, plus he can develop into a solid blocker, something Mullen asks of his receivers.

“However, the most intriguing player amongst this group is Burke. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Burke possesses length and long speed to become a vertical threat for the Gators as an X-receiver.”

The Michigan Wolverines, who, as of September 2, do not have a firm start date for their upcoming season, were No. 3 on SI’s list.

Jim Harbaugh’s program possesses four wideout pledges in the cycle, and two of them made the SI99, headlined by Fresno, California four-star Xavier Worthy, who does most of his damage out of the slot. The other Wolverine to make the cut, Santa Ana, California’s Cristian Dixon, also a four-star, holds the unique distinction of occupying the No. 99 spot on the SI rankings.

Clayton, Ohio’s Markus Allen and East Lansing, Michigan’s Andrel Anthony, both three-stars, are Michigan’s two other commits for offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Josh Gattis, who joined the program in 2019 following a one-year stint on Saban’s staff.

The Clemson Tigers, featuring three wideouts in the SI99, and Oregon Ducks, who hold a commitment from one receiver on the list, rounded out the list.

Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes, Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears, and Mark Stoops’ Kentucky Wildcats earned honorable mention.

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The Athletic complimentary of the Florida Gators’ latest work on football recruiting trail

Florida’s upcoming class now stands at 24 members. Marshall, the lone five-star, is the highest-rated of the group, followed by Tyreak Sapp.

Releasing his latest “This week in recruiting” article on August 12 (subscription required), The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman praised the recent work of head coach Dan Mullen and the rest of his Florida Gators coaching staff on the recruiting trail.

“This week, Mullen enjoyed perhaps his best two days on the recruiting trail as Florida’s head coach,” he began.

“Mullen went into South Florida and landed teammates from Miami (Fla.) Palmetto who both rank in the top-100 nationally: (five-star cornerback Jason Marshall) and four-star safety Corey Collier, the No. 83 overall player. Florida’s class jumped to No. 6 nationally with the two commitments.

“We could make this a discussion about how Miami, which is recruiting quite well this season, missed on two local players who could have vaulted its class into the top-three in the nation. Remember, the Hurricanes have two five-star prospects from Miami committed, including defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, who also plays at Palmetto. The Hurricanes had a chance to do something truly remarkable.

“But you have to give credit to Florida for recruiting these two Palmetto stars. Even though they are much closer to Miami’s campus, they are still in-state prospects for the Gators.”

Florida’s upcoming class now stands at 24 members. Marshall, the lone five-star, is the highest-rated of the group, followed by Collier and Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp.

A name to watch to join this group is Bradenton four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, who decommitted from Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes on August 11.

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Playing his first three seasons at Katy (Texas) High School, Tunmise plans to suit up for IMG Academy, one of the nation’s premier talent-producing programs, as a senior.

Florida first extended him an offer on January 29, 2019 and have twice secured his presence on campus, first on February 1 for a Junior Day and again on March 7 for an unofficial visit.

Defensive line coach David Turner and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham have been leading the charge on his recruitment.

On the offensive side of the football, Ocala wide receiver Trevonte Rucker and Loganville, Georgia quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and wideout Daejon Reynolds lead the way, with another receiver, Jacksonville’s Marcus Burke, not far behind.

As Wasserman mentioned, this collection of pledges now ranks No. 6 in America, per the 247Sports Composite, trailing only Ohio State, Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, Mario Cristobal’s Oregon Ducks, and Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers.

Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, Clay Helton’s USC Trojans, and Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines round out the top-10.

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Florida Gators hold steady in latest ESPN football recruiting rankings

The ESPN released their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on August 5 with the Florida Gators remaining in the No. 8 position.

The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) released their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on August 5 (subscription required), with the Florida Gators remaining at No. 8.

Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes occupied the No. 1 spot, followed by Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, and Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels to complete the top-five.

Earning a grade of 86 from the service, Loganville, Georgia pro-style quarterback Carlos Del Rio is the highest-rated of the Gators’ 22 commits in the cycle.

Fort Lauderdale defensive end Tyreak Sapp (84) is Florida’s top defensive pledge.

Nine of the program’s commits earned ESPN 300 status, including, in addition to Del Rio and Sapp, Powder Springs, Georgia outside linebacker Chief Borders, Ocala wide receiver Trevonte Rucker, and Jacksonville tight end Nick Elksnis.

All told, seven Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools made the network’s top-25; Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, the reigning College Football Playoff national champions, slotted in at No. 6, Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs at No. 12, Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies at No. 16, and Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers at No. 18.

Other notables include Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes at No. 10, Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines at No. 11, Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns at No. 13, and Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles at No. 20.

This No. 8 ranking from ESPN is three spots higher than 247Sports’ opinion of the Gators’ class, which lists the Gainesville-based program at No. 11.

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Gators football drops to No. 8 in latest ESPN 2021 class rankings

ESPN unveiled their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 23, and for the second-straight update, the Gators fell down the list.

ESPN unveiled their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 23 (subscription required), and for the second-straight update, the Florida Gators fell down the list.

While the July 6 rankings saw the Gators drop two spots, the latest assessment was only a one-spot fall, resulting in the program slotting in at No. 8.

The Ohio State Buckeyes occupied the top spot, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, who moved up 11 spots, the largest jump of any program to make the network’s top-25.

Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels, Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, and Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, the reigning College Football Playoff national champions, completed the top-five.

“Dan Mullen’s third consecutive top-10 class in Gainesville is a near lock coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and top-10 Associated Press Poll finishes, as well as the hiring of ace recruiter (tight ends coach) Tim Brewster,” ESPN began in their breakdown.

“Brewster immediately addressed the need at tight end with ESPN 300s Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis. There are two quarterbacks in the class in ESPN 300 Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and four-star Texan Jalen Kitna.

“A pair of ESPN 300 wide receivers are in the fold in Trevonte Rucker from an hour’s drive away and Georgia playmaker Daejon Reynolds. A third ESPN 300 wide receiver is Marcus Burke from Jacksonville powerhouse Trinity Christian.

“ESPN 300 in-state athlete Charles Montgomery could play on either side of the football. ESPN 300 Chief Borders is a versatile jumbo athlete who projects as an outside linebacker. A talented secondary group is made up of ESPN 300 and Tennessee flip Kamar Wilcoxson, LSU flip Dakota Mitchell, and four-star safety Donovan McMillon.

“ESPN 300 defensive end Tyreak Sapp will likely move to defensive tackle long-term. Four-star defensive end Justus Boone was a high-ceiling win out of the Palmetto State.”

The largest reason for Florida’s drop was four-star Baltimore, Maryland cornerback Clinton Burton, Jr.’s flip to the Boston College Eagles on July 17. Burton, Jr. was the second-highest rated commit in the cycle for the program, garnering a rating of 85 from ESPN, trailing only Sapp’s 86.

To make up for this loss, the Gators secured McMillon’s pledge the day after Burton, Jr.’s departure, and added Burke two days after that.

Overall, seven Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools made ESPN’s cut, representing over one-quarter of the list. Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are No. 13, followed by Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies at No. 18, and Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers at No. 22.

Other notables include Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines at No. 10, Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes at No. 11, Kirk Ferentz’ Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 21, and Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles at No. 23.

This No. 8 rating from ESPN is two spots higher than 247Sports’ view of Florida’s collection of prospects, which pegs the program at No. 10 nationally.

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18 Florida Gators commits named to Sports Illustrated’s All-American watch list

Featuring recruits in the 2021 class from all 50 United States, Sports Illustrated released their first annual All-American watch list.

Featuring recruits in the 2021 class from all 50 United States, Sports Illustrated released their first annual All-American watch list on July 15.

John Garcia, Jr., SI’s Director of Recruiting, spearheaded this project and AllGators’ Demetrius Harvey composed the initial list of the 18 Florida Gators commits to make the cut.

A total of 1,000 prospects earned this preseason recognition, with more than 700 of them having already announced their collegiate destination.

10 of the future Gators to receive this honor project to contribute on the offensive side of the football in Gainesville, led by Ocala four-star wide receiver Trevonte Rucker.

The No. 33 wideout in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, Rucker stands just under six feet and tips the scales at a reported 157 pounds. He will need to add some muscle to withstand the physicality of the Southeastern Conference, but strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage should have little trouble accomplishing that.

Each of the other two other receiver commits, Seffner’s Charles Montgomery and Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, both fellow four-stars, made the cut, as well. While listed as a wideout in this exercise, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Montgomery will likely line up in the backfield and see some carries at the collegiate level, too.

Both quarterback pledges, four-star Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Burleson, Texas three-star Jalen Kitna, also earned the nod from SI.

Set to play his senior season at Grayson High School, where he will be teammates with Reynolds, Del Rio-Wilson has been steadily rising in the recruiting ranks after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals in Nashville, Tennessee from June 29-to-July 1.

Other offensive commits to receive this recognition were Tampa four-star tight end Gage Wilcox, and four three-stars, Jacksonville tight end Nick Elksnis, and Orlando’s Javonte Gardner, Stone Mountain, Georgia’s George Jackson, and Lynn Haven’s Adrein Strickland, all offensive tackle prospects.

On the defensive side of the football, Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp, Florida’s highest-rated player in the class, led the charge. He was joined by future linemates Justus Boone, another four-star from Sumter, South Carolina, and Fort Myers three-star Christopher Thomas.

Carrollton, Georgia four-star Chief Borders was the lone linebacker pledge to make the list, with the other four future defensive Gators, Baltimore, Maryland’s Clinton Burton, Jr. and Bradenton’s Kamar Wilcoxson, both four-stars, and Winter Park’s Dakota Mitchell and Tampa’s Jordan Young, each three-stars, all residing in the secondary.

This means all 18 of Florida’s current high school commits made the list, with the two other players in the cycle, four-star outside linebacker Diwun Black and three-star guard Deyavie Hammond, both being junior college transfers.

247Sports ranks the program’s 2021 class as the ninth-best in the nation, while ESPN is slightly higher on the group, pegging them at No. 7.

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Florida Gators fall two spots in ESPN 2021 football recruiting rankings

ESPN released their updated 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 6 with the Florida Gators dropping two spots to No. 7 in the nation.

ESPN released their updated 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 6 (subscription required), with the Florida Gators dropping two spots to No. 7 in the nation.

“Dan Mullen’s third consecutive top-10 class in Gainesville is a near lock coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and top-10 Associated Press Poll finishes, as well as the hiring of ace recruiter Tim Brewster,” the network began of their breakdown.

“Brewster immediately addressed the need at tight end with ESPN 300s Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis. There are two quarterbacks in the class in ESPN 300 Carlos Del Rio and four-star Texan Jalen Kitna.

“A pair of ESPN 300 wide receivers are in the fold in Trevonte Rucker from an hour’s drive away and Georgia playmaker Daejon Reynolds. ESPN 300 in-state athlete Charles Montgomery could play on either side of the football.

“ESPN 300 Chief Borders is a versatile jumbo athlete, who projects as an outside linebacker. ESPN 300 (cornerback) Clinton Burton, Jr. starred at the Under Armour Future 50. Joining Burton in a talented secondary group is ESPN 300 and Tennessee flip Kamar Wilcoxson and LSU flip Dakota Mitchell. ESPN 300 defensive end Tyreak Sapp will likely move to defensive tackle long-term.”

Last month was a busy one on the recruiting trail for Mullen’s staff, as the program added Mitchell, Wilcoxson, and Tampa cornerback Jordan Young in a four-day span from June 18-21.

Despite this run on talented players in the defensive backfield, the Gators were jumped by the Oregon Ducks, who moved up two spots in ESPN’s rankings to No. 5, and LSU, who saw a whopping five-spot increase to No. 6.

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Holding steady, the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to occupy the No. 1 spot, with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Tennessee, and Clemson Tigers completing the top-four.

Led by Del Rio, who will play his senior season at Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia, Florida has 10 commits ranked in the ESPN 300, the second-most in the Southeastern Conference, trailing only LSU’s 11.

Other SEC schools to make ESPN’s top-25 were the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 13, Georgia Bulldogs at No. 14, Auburn Tigers at No. 21, and Texas A&M Aggies at No. 23.

While the two-spot drop is not what Gator fans would like to see, this No. 7 ranking is still two places higher than the program’s rating on 247Sports, which grades Mullen’s group as the ninth-best in America.

Florida is still chasing several players in the upcoming cycle who could vault the program back into the top-five, including Miami five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, a player whom the school possesses all four of his Crystal Ball predictions, and IMG Academy four-star linebacker Xavian Sorey, considered by many industry experts to be an Alabama lean but one position coach Christian Robinson has been prioritizing.

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