- Sep 8, 2014
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This is a 2-week old article from gridironnow.com about UF recruiting Jacksonville. I've been saying for the last couple of years that this was the case - that Butters conceded Jacksonville to FSU, UGA, Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson and any other program with a pulse (in exchange for Randy Specials from Miami). It's f'ing shameful. We need to get back in Jacksonville, Tampa/Lakeland, and the Sarasota/Bradenton areas asap!
As Gators turn their back on Jacksonville recruits, Jacksonville recruits turn their backs on Gators
Florida Gators ignoring Jacksonville area recruits - and vice versa
Jacksonville is less than a 90-minute drive from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Of the thousands of college football fans living in the Jacksonville area, the Florida Gators have more of them than any other program.
The Jacksonville area has also been beneficial to the Florida football program through the years, with several Jacksonville high school football stars such as Lito Sheppard, Fred Weary, Ciatrick Fason, Travis Taylor, Jabar Gaffney and yes, Tim Tebow, playing at UF.
What happened?
If you look at the past three recruiting cycles from 2016-2018, the Jacksonville area has once again been loaded with college football talent. There is just one problem: none of the talent went to Gainesville.
In that three-year period from 2016-2018, Jacksonville had seven of the top 50 players in the state of Florida and none of them are wearing the orange and blue of the Florida Gators
2016
Oakleaf High School linebacker Shaquille Quarterman committed to Miami
2017
Trinity Christian defensive back Shaun Wade committed to Ohio State
Trinity Christian wide receiver D.J. Matthews committed to Florida State
Sandalwood High School athlete Ameer Speed committed to Georgia
2018
Providence tight end Will Mallory committed to Miami
Bartram Trail quarterback Joey Gatewood committed to Auburn
Trinity Christian defensive back Tyreke Johnson committed to Ohio State
Those were seven high profile players, all ranked in the top-50 of their given classes and all in Florida’s backyard in the Jacksonville area.
The streak has continued into the 2019 class as four-star wide receiver Jeremiah Payton from Fletcher High School in Jacksonville has committed to Miami.
Payton is now the eighth consecutive Jacksonville prospect over the past four recruiting cycles to be ranked in the top-50 in the state for his class who has opted to play somewhere other than Gainesville.
Many Gator fans in the Jacksonville area believe this was a Jim McElwain issue. They believe that McElwain did not make Jacksonville a priority and that is why Florida has lost its foothold in Duval and the surrounding counties.
Many Florida fans in Northeast Florida believe Dan Mullen will turn that streak around.
Sandalwood High School is one of the biggest public schools in the Jacksonville area. Head coach Adam Geis of Sandalwood joined 1010XL Radio in Jacksonville earlier this week and was asked about both his early interactions with new Gator head coach Dan Mullen as well as his interactions with new Florida State head coach Willie Taggart.
“I have not really dealt with Florida very much,” Geis said. “I think Florida State has done a great job as far as the new staff, coming through, making contact and making sure our kids are at the camps.
That answer should worry the Gator Nation.
Here is the head coach of one of the biggest high schools in Jacksonville, a high school that on a regular basis sends players to Power-5 colleges, and their head coach says he has not dealt much with Dan Mullen and Florida? Yikes.
Dan Mullen is about to start his first-season as head coach of the Florida Gators and perhaps with winning will come recruiting success.
To be fair, Florida has added two four-star commitments in the past two weeks, one from Mississippi (inside linebacker Diwun Black) and one from Louisiana (defensive back Chester Kimbrough).
So perhaps Mullen is beginning to gain traction on the recruiting trail, but Florida and Mullen cannot afford to continue to let good prospects 90 minutes up the road in Jacksonville slip through their fingers.
Jacksonville has been good to Florida football in the past and Dan Mullen needs to work on making it very good to Florida football in the future.
As Gators turn their back on Jacksonville recruits, Jacksonville recruits turn their backs on Gators
Florida Gators ignoring Jacksonville area recruits - and vice versa
Jacksonville is less than a 90-minute drive from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Of the thousands of college football fans living in the Jacksonville area, the Florida Gators have more of them than any other program.
The Jacksonville area has also been beneficial to the Florida football program through the years, with several Jacksonville high school football stars such as Lito Sheppard, Fred Weary, Ciatrick Fason, Travis Taylor, Jabar Gaffney and yes, Tim Tebow, playing at UF.
What happened?
If you look at the past three recruiting cycles from 2016-2018, the Jacksonville area has once again been loaded with college football talent. There is just one problem: none of the talent went to Gainesville.
In that three-year period from 2016-2018, Jacksonville had seven of the top 50 players in the state of Florida and none of them are wearing the orange and blue of the Florida Gators
2016
Oakleaf High School linebacker Shaquille Quarterman committed to Miami
2017
Trinity Christian defensive back Shaun Wade committed to Ohio State
Trinity Christian wide receiver D.J. Matthews committed to Florida State
Sandalwood High School athlete Ameer Speed committed to Georgia
2018
Providence tight end Will Mallory committed to Miami
Bartram Trail quarterback Joey Gatewood committed to Auburn
Trinity Christian defensive back Tyreke Johnson committed to Ohio State
Those were seven high profile players, all ranked in the top-50 of their given classes and all in Florida’s backyard in the Jacksonville area.
The streak has continued into the 2019 class as four-star wide receiver Jeremiah Payton from Fletcher High School in Jacksonville has committed to Miami.
Payton is now the eighth consecutive Jacksonville prospect over the past four recruiting cycles to be ranked in the top-50 in the state for his class who has opted to play somewhere other than Gainesville.
Many Gator fans in the Jacksonville area believe this was a Jim McElwain issue. They believe that McElwain did not make Jacksonville a priority and that is why Florida has lost its foothold in Duval and the surrounding counties.
Many Florida fans in Northeast Florida believe Dan Mullen will turn that streak around.
Sandalwood High School is one of the biggest public schools in the Jacksonville area. Head coach Adam Geis of Sandalwood joined 1010XL Radio in Jacksonville earlier this week and was asked about both his early interactions with new Gator head coach Dan Mullen as well as his interactions with new Florida State head coach Willie Taggart.
“I have not really dealt with Florida very much,” Geis said. “I think Florida State has done a great job as far as the new staff, coming through, making contact and making sure our kids are at the camps.
That answer should worry the Gator Nation.
Here is the head coach of one of the biggest high schools in Jacksonville, a high school that on a regular basis sends players to Power-5 colleges, and their head coach says he has not dealt much with Dan Mullen and Florida? Yikes.
Dan Mullen is about to start his first-season as head coach of the Florida Gators and perhaps with winning will come recruiting success.
To be fair, Florida has added two four-star commitments in the past two weeks, one from Mississippi (inside linebacker Diwun Black) and one from Louisiana (defensive back Chester Kimbrough).
So perhaps Mullen is beginning to gain traction on the recruiting trail, but Florida and Mullen cannot afford to continue to let good prospects 90 minutes up the road in Jacksonville slip through their fingers.
Jacksonville has been good to Florida football in the past and Dan Mullen needs to work on making it very good to Florida football in the future.
