JUCO Players w/ UF interest

[BMF]

It looks like we're going after some JUCO players this year, especially along the DL. Figured we could follow these kids recruitment and see if we land one or two of them. Please add to the list if you know of other JUCO's we're after:

Deion Pope, 6'4 275lbs

http://www.scout.com/junior-college-football/story/1669577-things-are-picking-up-for-pope

2017 Copiah-Lincoln DL Deion Pope is up to five offers

After taking a year off, 2017 Copiah-Lincoln DL Deion Pope (6-4, 275) has seen the offers really start to roll in with two FBS schools offering in the last 24 hours...

"I just got offers from USC and Southern Miss," Pope told JCFootball.com. "I already had offers from Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State and I've been talking a lot with Florida and UCF."

As a freshman in 2014, Pope finished with 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks while playing both defensive tackle and defensive end.

Last fall, he took the year off to take care of some off-the-field issues, but he's back and ready to go this fall.

"It was a minor setback for a major comeback," Pope said.

The talented defensive lineman is on pace to finish up his two-year degree in December and he will have two years to play two following the 2016 football season.

Isaiah Buggs, 6'5 265lbs

http://www.nola.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2016/04/lsu_isaiah_buggs_oklahoma_bama.html

A quartet of SEC rivals in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M replaced LSU and Mississippi State, as well as Big 12 programs Kansas State and Nebraska, on the latest list.

Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss remained in the mix from the SEC, as well as Baylor and Oklahoma from the Big 12 and Miami from the ACC.

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound pass-rusher physically listed the schools in the order Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas A&M, Baylor, Miami, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, although stated that the programs hold "no order" with regards to their standing in pursuit of his eventual signature.

William Lulu LB 6'1 240

http://www.scout.com/junior-college-football/story/1640424-lulu-mulling-option-to-leave-this-spring

Mt. San Jacinto LB William Lulu (6-1, 240) had an outstanding freshman season for the Eagles and he's gotten the attention of a handful of four-year programs who could be poised to bring him in this fall...

"I don't have any offers yet, but I've been talking to several schools and they said they would probably know more after Signing Day," Lulu told JCFootball.com. "The main schools that have been talking to me are Virginia, North Carolina State, UAB, UCF, Miami, Arkansas and Florida.

"UCF has been the main one, and Arkansas too, but the rest have said the call them after Signing Day because they need to see who they can get and where things stand with their depth charts and their rosters."

Antonio Kanonu CB 6' 170lbs

https://www.dawgnation.com/football...ted-uga-into-his-top-2-after-kirby-smart-hire

Kanonu told DawgNation Smart said an offer from Alabama was coming; the school just needed to check out his transcripts. He already has offers from Florida, Texas Tech and TCU, and had listed those two programs plus Alabama and Texas A&M among his top schools.

D'Marcus Hayes OL 6'5 330lbs

https://www.gatorcountry.com/florid...g/florida-gators-offer-excites-juco-ol-hayes/

The Florida Gators coaching staff was back on the road recruiting on Tuesday and defensive line coach Chris Rumph stopped by a Mississippi junior college to evaluate guys there.

Offensive lineman D’Marcus Hayes (6-5, 330, Perkinston, MS Gulf Coast JUCO) was one of the guys Rumph was looking at and it ended up going well enough that Hayes got good news from Florida.

“Coach Rumph came by the school and he told my coach he was offering me a scholarship,” Hayes said. “I talked to him after he left and he told me that they like my film. He said that they think that I would be a good fit in their style of offense and that they’re trying to get good players ready for the next level.”

 

[maheo30]

Lulu and Pope are the ones we need. Still, unless Pope could add 15-20 pounds he doesn't solve our depth issue at DT.

 

[BMF]

Lulu and Pope are the ones we need. Still, unless Pope could add 15-20 pounds he doesn't solve our depth issue at DT.

I've seen those guys weights vary drastically (during the search). Buggs was listed at 280lbs on a couple of sites.

 

[LagoonGator68]

Rarely can a JUCO meet state of Florida requirements unless he plans in advance. Something about Algebra, I think.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

All DTs, LBs and OL are priorities.

 

[T REX]

There's no one there that can play DT in the SEC. You need big space eaters.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Well, remember most of these kids make a big jump in skill and weight in their second year. Moreover, as we have no big stumps to eat up the middle now, I suspect we will search far and wide and, as seems to be the standard these days, probably need to make a few more massive reaches and pray a lot.

 

[BMF]

Well, Buggs just updated his list....and eliminated us:

https://www.seccountry.com/lsu/nations-top-junior-college-de-updates-top-8-includes-lsu


Isaiah Buggs made a strong statement when he excluded LSU from his list of top schools last month.

But the nation’s No. 1 junior college weak-side defensive end has flipped the script, trimming down his list from 10 to eight, and included a familiar school.

Buggs released a list of schools he plans on “taking a closer look” at over the next few months, which included six SEC powers.

LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all made the cut, as did Florida State and Oklahoma.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Well, Buggs just updated his list....and eliminated us:

https://www.seccountry.com/lsu/nations-top-junior-college-de-updates-top-8-includes-lsu


Isaiah Buggs made a strong statement when he excluded LSU from his list of top schools last month.

But the nation’s No. 1 junior college weak-side defensive end has flipped the script, trimming down his list from 10 to eight, and included a familiar school.

Buggs released a list of schools he plans on “taking a closer look” at over the next few months, which included six SEC powers.

LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all made the cut, as did Florida State and Oklahoma.

I am looking for a top academic school on that list and I just can't find one. I guess he hasn't heard about how important academics are like many of the posters on this board.say it is.

 

[BMF]

I am looking for a top academic school on that list and I just can't find one. I guess he hasn't heard about how important academics are like many of the posters on this board.say it is.

I think Texas A&M is considered a top academic school (ranked higher than UF)....but I get your point. A 280lb JUCO kid isn't worrying about where his degree is coming from. He's looking at the football program, how much his stipend will be, coaches, depth-chart, etc.

I just don't understand how a kid could look at our DT depth chart and not want to come here....

 

[Ancient Reptile]

I think Texas A&M is considered a top academic school (ranked higher than UF)....but I get your point. A 280lb JUCO kid isn't worrying about where his degree is coming from. He's looking at the football program, how much his stipend will be, coaches, depth-chart, etc.

I just don't understand how a kid could look at our DT depth chart and not want to come here....

A lot of factors go into determining academic ranking, but the web suggests that UF's average SAT composite score is a 150 points higher than the Aggies, so I am not sure it is a higher ranked university. Lot of research, though.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I just don't understand how a kid could look at our DT depth chart and not want to come here....

Kids just want to win and winning teams put more kids into the NFL.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Kids just want to win and winning teams put more kids into the NFL.

Agreed, that is my point.
I tire of listening to people talk about how important academics are in recruiting. It is an afterthought at best

 

[BMF]

Agreed, that is my point.
I tire of listening to people talk about how important academics are in recruiting. It is an afterthought at best

Agree about the "academic" thing as well. I work in Washington DC and I can assure you NO ONE is impressed with a degree from UF. Most people up here are confused if UF is "the Gators" or "Seminoles". Seriously. I did a tour at the US Treasury and half that building had an Ivy League education. I always told them, 2+2=4 at UF and at Princeton. Football players don't care about academics.

 

[Marianna-FL_Gator]

Agree about the "academic" thing as well. I work in Washington DC and I can assure you NO ONE is impressed with a degree from UF. Most people up here are confused if UF is "the Gators" or "Seminoles". Seriously. I did a tour at the US Treasury and half that building had an Ivy League education. I always told them, 2+2=4 at UF and at Princeton. Football players don't care about academics.

In today's society most of the elite players couldn't give a sh*t about academics. It's all about how much you can give them and how great the facilities are. Nothing else matters!

 

[alcoholica]

Academics are huge in recruiting. Just not the way we think. Most of these kids are worried about tutors and help. That's the important issue.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

Agree about the "academic" thing as well. I work in Washington DC and I can assure you NO ONE is impressed with a degree from UF. Most people up here are confused if UF is "the Gators" or "Seminoles". Seriously. I did a tour at the US Treasury and half that building had an Ivy League education. I always told them, 2+2=4 at UF and at Princeton. Football players don't care about academics.

Goes a way toward explaining Washington.

 

[Alagator]

Academics are huge in recruiting. Just not the way we think. Most of these kids are worried about tutors and help. That's the important issue.

Yes... And at places like fsu the TUTORS take the tests and write the papers FOR YOU.

Hard to compete with that from a recruiting perspective.

 

[BMF]

Goes a way toward explaining Washington.

I know you're making a snide remark about DC and politics....

However, the point is simple and I laugh when I see threads arguing about how "easy" FSU is or how UF is such a great academic institute. If you live in the state of Florida, having a UF degree "may" help you get a job....IF the hiring manager is a UF grad. If he's an FSU grad or UCF grad or Miami grad or not a UF grad...well, your UF degree probably isn't going to impress them. Sorry, it's the truth.

And look at the title of this thread. It's about JUCO players. Do you really think a kid who very likely was a non-qualifier coming out of HS (so he went to JUCO) is going to sit there and say, "Gee....UF is such a great academic institute...I should go there instead of UGA where I could play right away....just in case I don't end up in the NFL." ?? Hell, no. He's going to say, "I'm going to (Whatever) school because I can play right away....AND very likely have a shot at the NFL."

 

[rogdochar]

I realize my personal experiences that cast light on the FSU vs UF academic comparison does not
qualify as statistical proof ... but it is of foolproof conclusion, since any such info-facts about the
FSU-sfudent body stands as goofproofs.

Jax Ribault HS '63. Ribault was an unaccredited HS my entire attendance ... well, one fine credit
was that our Librarian co-wrote Heartbreak Hotel (with Hoyt Axton's aunt who lived just outside the
unincorporated Duval county lines.)

You gotta know that I was an extremely meek, private kid. I consorted with no one, but I was popular
due to me being "the Most Witty" of the school. I was so meek-solitary that near the end of my senior
year, my Dad came to my room (lump in throat = see he was meek too) and said "Son, shouldn't you
be writing off, applying for college. Whereupon, I pulled out my month-old UF acceptance letter and
pleasantly showed him. (At that point, he was the only person who knew I was Gator bound.)

Anyway, at school with all talking about where they were accepted, I got cornered into telling that
I was going to UF. In that group of "in-crowd" guys, all 8 were headed to FSU. Immediately upon
hearing UF from me several burst out laughing and volunteered the info that I was going to flunk
out of Florida. They hit me with the fact that all of the few prior classmates who went to UF failed.
They scared a chronically doubtful-scared student.

When I got to UF I got that orientation speech to my audience of ~300 freshmen. "Look at the student
to the left of you, look at the student to your right - two of you three won't be here next trimester. I
studied scared and made the Dean's List every trimester. Knowing those "in-crowd-8" that went to FSU,
I am fairly sure they would have failed or dropped out at UF.

As a HS senior I fell in "Love-at-first-sight" with a beautiful 9th grader. Her Mother was an FSU grad
from a family of MDs = schooled elsewhere. { The Mom's sorority sister at FSU was Mrs. Hathaway,
Mr. Drysdale's secretary on Beverly Hillbillies... such Illuminati.} Real quick I discovered that Louise was
enrolled in that path of half-day school, half-day in work-environment. I talked her into switching to college
prep courses - all the hardest stuff. I helped her with every course. She could not write complete sentences,
had no inclination about punctuation. In dealing with teaching her I discovered that she could not say the
ABCs in order. Startled, I asked "how could you?" She, with equanimity, replied : "The teacher gave the test
before I had memorized them, so I never bothered to learn".,,, the studiousness required of an FSU success.


By her freshman year at FSU, I was away in Memphis at UT Medical/Dental School ... (UF's dental school
was years away from opening.) I realized how much tutoring she needed and that she would be too shy to
divulge her deficits to her roommates, friends etc. So I insisted that she bring all her graded papers home to
Jax during our school breaks, so I could go over them to help her get the max out of her mind's development
and future grades.

Looking at her first formally assigned essay paper, I saw a fat red "F" at the page-top. Then, it was
crossed out in red and a B- was posited instead. I asked her what happened there. In her typical unawareness,
she explained that seeing that "F" so bothered her that she lingered after class and beseeched that young male professor to raise her grade. Once he was face to face with her beauty, he sought to gain the respect he wanted
in her eyes by raising her grade. Not a teaching moment. I truly loved her. A few years later in Tallahassee she
was murdered and raped while she was dying. I despise that place.