Recruiting 2019 NSD: 4* DE Khris Bogle and 4* CB Elam signs

Gators set to host top targets on Junior Day

https://www.seccountry.com/florida/florida-recruiting-junior-day-preview

Big weekend for Florida recruiting
Some of Florida’s top targets in the Class of 2019 will be in Gainesville on Saturday for Junior Day.

Top-50 recruit Mark Richards, who is being recruited as an offensive athlete, will make the trip up from Wellington, Fla. Richards had high praise for Florida coach Dan Mullen when he spoke with SEC Country last weekend.

The Gators also are scheduled to host 4-star tight end Keon Zipperer (Lakeland, Fla.) and wide receivers Jeremiah Payton(Neptune Beach, Fla.) and Dionte Marks (Deland, Fla.).

Zipperer is the nation’s No. 3 tight end and loves the new coaching staff at Florida, which is one of his top schools. Payton committed to Miami this week, but still plans to check out Florida. The Gators lead for Marks after offering him Tuesday.

The Gators will bring in 4-star defensive end Derick Hunter (Fort Myers, Fla.) as well as teammates Tyler Davis and Norell Pollard, a pair of defensive linemen from Wekiva High School in Apoka, Fla. Florida is trending for all three prospects heading into weekend.

The Gators also appear to be in great shape with former safety commit Marcus Tillman Jr. He was re-offered by Mullen in late January and Saturday will be his second visit to Florida this month.

Top-100 athlete Tyrique Stevenson (Homestead, Fla.) and 4-star cornerback Jaden Davis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) plan to be in attendance. Both South Florida products are top priorities for the staff.

The biggest name on the visitors list is Georgia commit Jadon Haselwood, who is ranked the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver and No. 2 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite.

The 5-star recruit from Cedar Grove High School (Ellenwood, Ga.) committed to the Bulldogs in March 2017, but has visited multiple programs since that decision and recently took trips to Auburn and Tennessee.

Haselwood’s teammate, 4-star defensive tackle Rashad Cheney Jr., also plans to visit Saturday along with three more 4-star prospects from the Peach State: cornerback Jalen Perry (Georgia commit) and tackles Jaelin Humphries and Luke Griffin(Georgia commit).

2020 teammates visit Florida
The Gators hosted a pair of 2020 teammates on campus Thursday.

Defensive tackle Jamil Burroughs and running back Jordon Simmons from McEachern High School (Powder Springs, Ga.) spent some time with Mullen during their trip and received a tour of the campus.

Burroughs holds early offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson and Georgia, while Simmons has schools such as Florida State, Georgia and Michigan on his list. The Gators offered the Peach State duo in January.

News & notes

• Florida made the cut Thursday for 3-star linebacker Tra Wilkins from Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga. He named the Gators in his top 10 along with Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Tennessee. He received an offer from Florida on Dec. 23.

• The Gators extended offers Thursday to 4-star tackle Javonne Shepherd (Houston), 4-star defensive back Tyler Rudolph(Waterbury, Conn.) and 2020 defensive tackle Tre Williams (Oakdale, Conn.).

Visitors list for Junior Day:

DE Derick Hunter
WR Jadon Haselwood (UGA Commit)
WR Jeremiah Payton (Miami Commit)
TE Keon Zipperer
ATH Mark-Anthony Richards (Maybe)
DT Tyler Davis
DE Norell Pollard
DE Khris Bogle (Maybe)
CB Jaden Davis
CB Kalir Elam
TE Tyler Fromm
TE Luke Deal
TE Kamari Morales
TE Nick Gallo
CB Semar Melvin
OL Ruben Rodriguez
DE D'Sean Perry
OL Luke Griffin (UGA Commit)
CB Jalen Perry (UGA Commit)
CB DJ Turner
WR Dionte Marks
DT Rashad Cheney
DT Jaelin Humphries
2020 OL Jalen Rivers
2020 DE Chantz Williams
ATH Tyler Scott
OL Michael Tarquin
LB Marcus Tillman Jr.
ATH Jerjuan Newton
2020 DT Jerzhan Newton

DE Perry previews UF visit
In-state pass rusher is ready to visit the Gators.

https://florida.247sports.com/Article/DE-DSean-Perry-previews-Florida-Gators-visit-115466686

This weekend, Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep defensive end D’Sean Perry will visit the Florida Gators for their junior day. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound edge rusher previewed his trip.

“I just want to see what they have to offer,” Perry said. “I know they have a great coaching staff, the place is great, the tradition is great. I just want to see how the feel of it is when I get up there.”

The Gators want to exploit Perry’s ability to get after the passer.

“They want me mostly as a pass rusher, either as a defensive end or an outside linebacker. One that can go get the quarterback.”

Perry has offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Boston College, Virginia, and others at this time. Does he have any leaders?

“Not right now,” he answered. “I’m just evaluating every school that I have and taking my time.”

247Sports currently ranks Perry as the nation’s No. 42 weak-side defensive end.

This is a big MOFO!!

OL Neal high on in-state schools
The 'Big Three' in Florida high on Evan Neal's list of schools.

https://florida.247sports.com/Artic...minoles-Miami-Hurricanes-and-others-115465603

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy massive offensive tackle Evan Neal checks in at 6-foot-7, 390-pounds. The talented Neal is high on many schools in the ACC and SEC. In particular, the in-state programs have an excellent chance to land Neal’s pledge.

“I’m from Florida you know, I like all the Florida schools,” Neal said.

New Florida head coach Dan Mullen looking to get Neal on campus.

“They just want to get me up there, so I can see it now that they’re up there. Coach Mullen seems like a good dude and Coach [John] Hevesy. I just want to get up there and see what they got to offer.”

Hevesy certainly wants Neal to be apart of his offensive line haul in 2019.

“He’s telling me what all the other coaches are telling me. He’s telling me I need to be a Gator.”

At Florida State, Willie Taggart has a unique connection to Neal.

“I like Coach Taggart a lot. He gave me my first offer whenever he was at USF. He seems like a cool dude. I still have to get up there and see everything. I haven’t been up there since Jimbo was up there.”

Miami is a team that Neal and his family grew up rooting for.

“It’s a cultural thing. My family grew up Hurricanes fans, I grew up a Hurricanes fan, you know. I got family that played for the ‘U’.

“[Mark Richt] has done great things, but there’s always things they can get done, and they will get it done. Miami is a great program.”

The industry-generated 247Sports Composite currently ranks Neal as the nation’s No. 38 overall prospect in the 2019 class.

Another visitor:

3-star ILB:

JAMMAL ABRAMS:

• ILB
• 6-3
• 224
• CLASS OF 19

BIRMINGHAM, AL(JACKSON-OLIN)

Another OL visiting:

Howard Allen, 6'5 280lbs, from Baldwin HS (FL). Solid offer list...

Another list:

Check out an up to date, yet incomplete, list of who the Gators expect to host throughout the weekend.

LB Jammal Abrams (Birmingham, AL)
DE Khris Bogle (Fort Lauderdale) *visiting FSU first, might visit UF afterwards
DB Andrew Booth (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
DT Rashad Cheney (Ellenwood, Ga.)
DB Jaden Davis (Fort Lauderdale)
DT Tyler Davis (Apopka)
TE Luke Deal (Greenwood, SC)
DB Kaiir Elam (North Palm Beach) *cousin of former Gator Matt Elam
TE Tyler Fromm (Warner Robins, Ga.) *younger brother of UGA QB Jake Fromm
OL Luke Griffin (Chatsworth, Ga.)
TE Nick Gallo (Southhampton, Pa.)
WR Jadon Haselwood (Ellenwood, Ga.) *No. 1 WR in 2019 class by 247Sports
RB Peter Hayes-Patrick (Orlando)
OL/DL Jaelin Humphries (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
DE Derick Hunter (Ft. Myers)
TE Kamari Morales (Tallahassee)
ATH Jerjuan Newton (Clearwater)
WR Jeremiah Payton
DE D’Sean Perry (Miami)
DB Jalen Perry (Dacula, Ga.)
DE Norell Pollard (Apopka)
OL Ruben Rodriguez (Miami)
RB/ATH Mark-Antony Richards (Wellington)
ATH Tyler Scott (Fort Lauderdale)
OL Michael Tarquin (Belleview)
OLB Marcus Tillman Jr.
S Trent Whittemore (Gainesville)
TE Keon Zipperer (Lakeland)

Who’s on commitment watch this weekend?

Florida coach Dan Mullen and his staff will hold a Junior Day event on Saturday, with several top targets scheduled to be in attendance. For a preview of visitors, click here.

Two prospects who could pull the trigger this weekend are 3-star wide receiver Dionte Marks (Deland, Fla.) and 3-star linebacker/safety Marcus Tillman Jr. (Orlando, Fla.).

Marks received an offer from the Gators on Tuesday after speaking with Mullen and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, who is serving as his primary recruiter. Marks named Florida his No. 1 school shortly afterward and told Chris Boyle of the Daytona Beach News-Journal that a commitment could happen Saturday if his visit to Gainesville goes well.

According to Boyle, the 6-foot-2, 187-pound Marks posted a 4.39-second 40-yard dash last spring at Florida Atlantic and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump at the U.S. Army National Combine last month. Central Florida and West Virginia also have offered Marks.

It hasn’t taken long for the Gators to put themselves back in the driver’s seat for Tillman. He de-committed from Florida on Jan. 17, but was re-offered by Mullen the following week.

Tillman took an unofficial visit to Gainesville for Florida’s basketball game against Alabama and spent some 1-on-1 time with Mullen in his office. He will return to campus Saturday for the second time this month.

Tillman hopes to have his decision made by the summer and plans to take official visits in the spring, but another trip to Florida could be enticing enough for him to rejoin the class this weekend. Louisville and Ohio State are the other top contenders for Tillman.

Mullen pulls up to UF's Junior Day rocking national title ring
Florida coach Dan Mullen pulled up to the team's Junior Day in style, sporting his national championship ring and flashing the bling as he arrived.

https://florida.247sports.com/Bolt/...ior-Day-rocking-national-title-ring-115508501

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Dan Mullen had never worn his 2008 BCS National Championship ring until a few months ago. It arrived after he had already taken the Mississippi State head coaching job in 2009.

So it was little surprise when Mullen hopped off the plane back in December with an ear-to-ear grin and flashing the diamond-laden ring to everyone around.

He seems to like that ring quite a bit.

As Florida hosted dozens of recruits on Saturday, Mullen showed up to the team's indoor practice facility on a blue, decked-out Gator golf cart sporting and flashing, yes, you guessed it, that same national championship ring.

Mullen's made no secret that he expects to win more national titles at Florida after taking down two in his previous stint as UF's offensive coordinator from 2005-08.

It's been a huge part of his recruiting pitch to both players, fans and recruits.

"Basically (me) helping to win a national championship," Top247 prospect Derick Hunter said, breaking down Mullen's message. "Win a lot of national championships, not just one. Taking down Alabama, we're going to start with that first in the SEC Championship Game. So we know we've got to beat them to get there."

Mullen's done it in the past. He won't let anyone forget, and he's got the proof to show it sported prominently on his ring-finger.

ATXGator said:

He is a big kid, but also only a 3*. I think 247 had him rated as the 547 ranked player.

Maybe his ratings get better, but his isn’t going to get it done. We need blue chip guys at LB. 4 and 5 Star only

Click to expand...

Slevin said:

Abrams film is bad. Not explosive. Not athletic. Big frame and body though. Not excited at all by the recent offers and this take. Picking up right where we left off with Mac when it comes to reaches.

Click to expand...

I agree. This is a Butters Special. Even if he does "move up" where does he finish, 400th? This is the kid you take on Tuesday before NSD in Feb when you didn't get your Plan A.

Other than his size, not very impressed. Agree w/ Slevin, we need blue chippers. Hell, we should only be offering 4-star kids at this point!