As I mentioned in my previous entry, National Signing Day is a roller coaster ride. There are huge ups and huge downs.
Florida’s 2009 Signing Day started off with a bang as the first Letter of Intent to roll through the faxes this morning was from the #1 target for Florida Coach Urban Meyer. Not too long after 7am, the #2 rated wide receiver, Andre Debose of Sanford (FL) Seminole High School kicked off the day with fireworks. Debose was the highest rated and most coveted catch of this class and he wasted no time in getting his paperwork into Florida.
Following throughout the day, the Florida class filled in mostly as expected, with a couple of surprises in 5-star outside linebacker Jelani Jenkins of Olney (MD) Our Lady of Good Counsel, the #1 rated prospect at his position, and 4-star super athlete Joshua Evans of Irvington (NJ) Irvington High School.
However, all was not kosher in Titletown with last minute defections of 4-star cornerback Marsalis Teague and 4-star wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who both bolted the friendly confines of Gainesville and signed on with Tennessee and Lane Kiffin.
Speaking of Lane Kiffin, this man has got it coming to him in The Swamp next year. As a first-year coach in the toughest conference in America, you don’t earn too many good graces by starting out your career by popping off at the mouth at 2-time National Champion Coach Urban Meyer, and 1-time National Champion Coach Steve Spurrier. The Kiffinite called out Meyer, telling the Rocky Top Faithful that they will not endure another loss (4 and a row and counting…) to the Mighty Gators, at his opening press conference. As an encore, he attempted back-handing dealings to steal Florida’s wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez away from the staff the week of the BCS Championship Game without authorization, and finally ended his welcoming month by laughing and lauding his staff’s ability to “steal two from the defending champs.”
This will not sit well with Meyer, who has a track record of revenge against coaches who pull stunts against him. Urban doesn’t forget.
Getting back on topic, the Florida Gators brought in a strong, yet small, class of Baby Gators for the 2009 signing class.
Along with those already mentioned, the Gators brought in an amazing haul at the offensive line position, signing 5 great prospects and headed by 5-star offensive tackle Xavier Nixon and 4-star tackle Nick Alajajian. The defensive line was a good coup as well, bringing in 5-star defensive tackle Gary Brown, 4-star JUCO transfer defensive tackle Edwin Herbert and 3-star defensive end Kedric Johnson. Florida’s lines should be set for a good ways into the forseeable future now, and all recruiting classes live and die by the recruitment of both lines.
To accompany Jenkins at linebacker, Florida also reeled in 4-star LB Jon Bostic, who should fill in nicely for Brandon Spikes once he graduates after next season. The Gators took one quarterback, 3-star Jordan Reed, and that’s all that was really needed. At safety, Dee Finley finally makes it to campus after a year at prep school and will make an immediate impact, and he is welcomed in along with 3-star tight end Desmond Parks, as well as 4-star running back Mike Gillislee.
Going into this recruiting year, Florida had some holes to fill, but not many. The occasional failure and defection of certain Blue Chip recruits can be attributed to this program’s own success. For example, the Gators return their entire 2-deep on defense. When trying to recruit talented players, a lot of guys want immediate playing time and that cannot be promised here. The guys who have faith in themselves and thrive for competition will come, and those are generally the best of the best anyway. That’s not to say that the staff didn’t whiff on some guys, I’ll be the first to tell you they did. However, having the problem of too much talent is a lot better of a problem to have than not enough.
I’d sum up this class as a resounding success, even though the day was kind of hampered in decommitments, the Florida Gators are in perpetual reload mode now, and everything is just gravy. Look out for a monster 2010 class, and best of luck to all the Baby Gators!
