Recruiting 2023 Recruiting Thread: 4* OT Caden Jones completes the class

[GatorJ]

Point taken but don't forget he was a lock to us according to most recruiting sites and Mario pulled the rug out from us on decision day. Kudos for Billy to get him back, now we have to get him on campus. My gripe is the part of the fan base that is putting all the blame on NIL. They say NIL is being hamstrung by the admin, which I could see to a certain percentage. But if that's the case, how do we explain getting Rashada back because we had to fork out some money to get him here even with Mario's incompetence on the field. You're telling me that the University of Florida is having to take the "Money Ball" approach to NIL? I mean if we are, good strategy by the staff because if you can hit on a game changing QB, he can cover up a lot of bad. See AR at his peak for example, but we should never have to SETTLE. Napier needs to put extreme pressure on the admin if this is the case.

@GatorJ I respect your opinion, I just have a different one. I think Kirby and Saban are on a different level and then its everybody else.

I don’t think it’s only NIL. But I think NIL is an issue.

We’ve known since Mario went to Miami that he was the better recruiter. And he’s showing it.

We also know that he is a terrible coach.

The only thing I worry about is can Napier fix his staff to turnaround game day coaching? Because if not, Miami will surpass us because of Mario’s recruiting prowess.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

I think the big thing with NIL is the collective is that money gets spread to every athlete across UF athletics whereas Miami has a booster just targeting football players for them. Would not shock me to learn that we couldn't pay for a OT because we had they sent that money to women's badmitten.

My understanding is that the State of Florida has put restrictions in place for how to administer NIL (such as a booster not being allowed to communicate directly with the recruits)and as a result UF and FSU have some limitations to what they can offer.
Meanwhile Miami being a private school is not included in these restrictions and they can administer NIL however they wish.

Not an excuse for the recruiting results but a fact when evaluating the impact of NIL.

 

[Gatorbait_007]

Word is Andy Jean is possibly flipping to FSU.

 

[GatorJ]

I think the big thing with NIL is the collective is that money gets spread to every athlete across UF athletics whereas Miami has a booster just targeting football players for them. Would not shock me to learn that we couldn't pay for a OT because we had they sent that money to women's badmitten.

I might be wrong on this, but I think the collective is only for current athletes at the University of Florida. The Gator Guard is for recruits.

 

[soflagator]

Here's my two bits on people/boosters ponying up NIL money, and I'm just spit ballin' here based on the types of "money people" my daughter has interacted with over the last two years in the Presidential Suite at BHG (and that's every game, and she is the student Chairperson for hosting, so she walks around and talks to the people, not standing behind a counter handing out drinks):

1. Granted, this is the President's box, not the sloppy drunk rich boosters. This is by invite only and all are people who give a minimum of $100K+ (no less than that amount). This is where the real power is, it's not in the sloppy drunk rich boosters box(es).
2. That said, many of the sloppy drunk rich boosters are allowed to come in during the game for a few minutes.
3. Whether they are the $100K+ people or the sloppy drunk rich boosters from the box next door, 99% of them are Conservatives (sorry for the politics, but it's important), and almost all of them are self-made guzzilionaires.
4. These type of guys are tight with their money. The calculate and expect an ROI or a tax benefit. To be fair, not all "guys," the richest woman in South Carolina is one of them.
5. These type of guys have their names on buildings at UF, and not just sports related buildings, but entire colleges and departments within colleges.
6. Most of them truly bleed Orange & Blue, and are generational Gators, but they aren't into pissing their money away on "one off's" with incalculable returns. These are guys who see business in cycles that last 30 years and understand big ups and downs in the "market".
7. So I don't think many of these guys are bought into the NIL thing... they see it as playing the lottery/Powerball and HOPING you win big, not as an investment. They'll pony up HUGE money for FOUNDATIONAL things, but not for an unproven "brick" that may be a bust or leave UF altogether.
8. I suspect the big money people at places like Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, and maybe even Georgia (yes, I said Georgia) are more in the same mold than most would think.
9. I think the big money equivalents for a school like Miami are completely different than what I outlined above.
10. There is NO ONE in the President's box at UF like a "Ruiz" and I suspect Miami has several "Ruiz's." I don't think Ruiz gives a single fuk about "da U", it's advertising/marketing for him in his market space (and that market space is what, 10-20x the size of Gainesville?).
11. We have Hugh Hathcock... and I'm guessing even he will get tired of buying Powerball tickets every time there is a $1B prize player potential jackpot.
12. To compete in NIL (if we're going to play that game), you will need several Hugh Hathcock's to coordinate closely with each other, the recruiting staff, and the collective (and I have no idea what's even allowed by law or otherwise in that department) and run what would effectively be an "NFL draft analysis" every cycle, in real time... that takes even more time and money.
13. Add to that, there is NO REAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT for ponying up NIL money other than winning not just football games, but CHAMPIONSHIPS... giving up hard earned money for NIL is gambling, period. At best, it's the worst case of "calculated risk" known to man.
14. You have to be willing to piss away millions of dollars, every year, to play this new game.
15. What a schit show.

Your point at 13 is dead on. Collectives and true NIL is one thing. The Dodge dealership that partnered with AR and gave him a Charger are en example of actual business. The way some of this NIL stuff is reportedly being structured is just throwing money at a player, with absolutely no ROI. These players can be absolute superstars, win titles for the canes, etc. and I don’t see any scenario where a Ruiz recoups anything. That will get old and isn’t going to be an annual occurrence, imo. He’s already taken a bath on a SPAC earlier this year. I think all business people are conservative to a degree when it comes to finances. He isn’t going to just keep hemorrhaging funds so miami might be good.

I also agree on places like Alabama, uga, and OhSt being similar to us. They aren’t doing these stupid deals we’re hearing about. There is some truth to the notion that this was all just really bad timing. Smart, and guys at his level don’t have to entice with NIL deals, because they were a proven commodity before this became legal and dint have to. Kids just look at drafts and they sell them on a much bigger picture. Same with Alabama and Ohio State. The teams that were already in good shape can dabble but largely live off of what they’ve recently accomplished. For teams outside that level, it is definitely tougher now that we’re here.

 

[soflagator]

Word is Andy Jean is possibly flipping to FSU.

I’d consider him gone. I can’t recall a single one of these type of situation‘s that have gone well for us, or even when we are on the receiving end of a last minute visit. Not sure how or why we allowed Patterson to fall away when Jean started looking around. That seems like a major oversight on the part of the staff.

 

[Mr2Bits]

NIL is the college equivalent of LIV golf, there will never be a ROI on these kids and folks will quickly get tired of being hit up to fill up the piggy bank for lottery tickets.

 

[RivalFlorida]

We have a total of zero white guys committed for this upcoming class.

Just an observation, I don't remember that ever happening before at UF.

 

[Detroitgator]

We have a total of zero white guys committed for this upcoming class.

Just an observation, I don't remember that ever happening before at UF.

Before your comment devolves into a schit show, I think I know what you meant and I was going to add a whole post of the "evolution of recruits" over the last 50-70 years as well and what college was "back then" for recruits vs "today," and you can't avoid discussing race in that conversation. It ain't racist, but one will get labeled as such for merely discussing the factual evolution.

 

[soflagator]

We have a total of zero white guys committed for this upcoming class.

Just an observation, I don't remember that ever happening before at UF.

I can assure you if we lose a couple of our current commits and continue to swing and miss, there will absolutely be a handful of “blue collar”, “deceptively fast”, “probably should be rated higher” guys we end up signing by NSD.

 

[Detroitgator]

I can assure you if we lose a couple of our current commits and continue to swing and miss, there will absolutely be a handful of “blue collar”, “deceptively fast”, “probably should be rated higher” guys we end up signing by NSD.

I still don't know what color Pearsall is, I just know he's the receiver that actually catches the ball when it's thrown in his general vicinity!

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

We have a total of zero white guys committed for this upcoming class.

Just an observation, I don't remember that ever happening before at UF.

Well, that's what happens when you whiff on the oline.

 

[GatorJ]

Florida emerges as serious contender for highly-touted Transfer Portal quarterback

Florida has emerged as serious contender for Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall, a source close to the situation told On3.

www.on3.com

 

[SGG]

A serious contender?

I was beginning to wonder if we even knew the kid existed

 

[NOLAGATOR]

A serious contender?

I was beginning to wonder if we even knew the kid existed

We must have. You might be surprised what's happening.

 

[lagator]

Fletcher to Miami

I’m starting to think we ain’t getting errbody.

 

[Silverback Gator]

I still don't know what color Pearsall is, I just know he's the receiver that actually catches the ball when it's thrown in his general vicinity!

Dude’s Chinese.

 

[Detroitgator]

Dude’s Chinese.

Rumor on the pay sites is that he's workin' on turning his pornstache into a Fu Manchu...

 

[Back Alley Gator]

I’m starting to think we ain’t getting errbody.

No no... We getting errbody plus 15-20 silent commits.

 

[MertzJay26]

I actually feel better about this one. Most times Bender puts in a prediction for us it goes sideways.

Come on down, Mr. Hall!