https://www.seccountry.com/florida/florida-gators-football-dan-mullen-recruiting-state-florida
Dan Mullen tells story to highlight importance of coaches visiting every HS in state
Florida coach Dan Mullen speaks to fans in Lakeland, Fla., on Monday night.
Ryan Young/SEC Country
Ryan Young
Posted 23 hours ago
LAKELAND, Fla. — Dan Mullen says he wants his Florida coaching staff in every high school in the state as the Gators set their recruiting board for 2019, 2020 and beyond.
That’s not a goal. It’s a mandate.
“We better be at them all,” Mullen said Monday night before his speaking event in Lakeland. “Every one of our coaches has an area to recruit in the state of Florida, so we have 10 assistants in the state of Florida recruiting in different areas. I’m talking about getting into every school.”
Mullen mentioned how over the winter he stopped by Mount Dora Christian Academy, northwest of Orlando, which is within the area he used to recruit when he was the offensive coordinator on Urban Meyer’s 2005-08 Florida teams.
He didn’t recognize the school, though.
“That used to be my area, [and I’m thinking], ‘I’ve never been here before.’ And I felt bad. I looked, ‘Established in 1930-something.’ I’m like, ‘Uh oh,'” Mullen said. [And they said], ‘Coach, we weren’t playing football when you were here before.’ I’m like, ‘Thank goodness.’ I almost broke my own rule. [When] I was coaching at Florida before, the big rule we had was to get into every school in the state and make sure you’re not missing prospects.”
Mullen recalled how Florida’s coaching staff had different evaluations than the recruiting services on former Gators and current NFL offensive linemen Mike Pouncey and Maurkice Pouncey. According to the 247Sports composite records, Mike Pouncey was rated a 3-star prospect in the 2007 recruiting class and Maurkice was rated a 4-star prospect, but that may not have been the case when the Florida coaches first took notice of them.
Mullen reflects the same way on running back Jeff Demps, eventually rated on the 247Sports composite as a 4-star prospect, and the No. 27 running back, in that 2008 recruiting class.
“I remember being here and going to see a Jeff Demps at South Lake High School. He wasn’t really being recruited. And then like, ‘Wow, there’s something about this kid that I love and I think that maybe he’s better than the hype,'” Mullen said. “There probably weren’t as many recruiting services back then. But I think it does give you the opportunity to get in and really form your recruiting base — not just for the ’19 class — and get an evaluation on those guys, but for the future classes where we have a really good grasp on the state of Florida and all the players that are here.”
Mullen took the same approach during his nine years as coach at Mississippi State, and the best such story comes from his time in Starkville, Miss.
Offensive line coach John Hevesy, who followed Mullen back to Florida, was making his rounds in the state when he visited Houston (Miss.) High School and stumbled upon under-the-radar prospect Chris Jones, a defensive tackle who would star for the Bulldogs and go on to NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
The 247Sports composite has Jones as a 5-star prospect in the 2013 recruiting class, but that wasn’t the case when Hevesy found him, Mullen says.
“Chris Jones’ recruiting story — which is one of the great recruiting stories — he was a three-year player and a draft pick by the Chiefs. No one knew about him,” he said. “John Hevesy walked into the school, and they were like, ‘Hey, we have this kid. He didn’t play last year. He’s a basketball guy. He’s going to play this year.’ Luckily [Hevesy] stayed to go to practice, he looked at the coach and said, ‘Who else has been here?’ He said, ‘No one.’ He went back the last day the school was open in spring, right before they finished classes and said, ‘Has anybody else come?’ He said, ‘No.’
“[Hevesy said], ‘Can you get him down to coach’s office tomorrow?’ Heck, the family came in and they didn’t even know if I was a football or basketball coach. … He committed to Mississippi State before he even had a profile on Rivals or Scout or 247.”
