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Gators add defense, Seminoles pick up linemen on signing day
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| Florida State coach Bobby Bowden talks about his recruiting class with reporters during a news conference on Wednesday in Tallahassee. ASSOCIATED PRESS |
Miami looks to Northwestern High to fill out roster.
Associated Press
GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Urban Meyer started checking the fax machine around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, waiting anxiously for
defensive tackle Omar Hunter’s paperwork.
It finally came through around 10:30.
“Those were three tough hours,” Meyer said.
Hunter, a 6-foot, 322-pound Parade All-American from Buford, Ga., highlighted Meyer’s latest recruiting class — one that should help the Gators address their most glaring need: defense.
Florida ranked 41st in total defense last season, giving up 362 yards a game. The Gators were even worse in pass defense (98th), sacks (54th) and points allowed (46th).
The Gators signed 22 players in all, including 13 defenders. They landed five Parade All-Americans: Hunter, safety Will Hill, defensive end William Green, linebacker Brendan Beal and cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
It was Meyer’s fourth
consecutive highly regarded class. He had the consensus No. 1 class a year ago, and his 2006 group ranked second to Southern California.
This year, though, Meyer focused more on recruiting specific needs.
“We’ve gone from just recruiting — take whatever we could get — to now we’re trying to fit those pieces together,” Meyer said.
It wasn’t easy, either.
The Gators lost two commitments Wednesday when offensive lineman Ricky Barnum and safety Ramon Buchanan signed elsewhere. Barnum signed with Michigan, and Buchanan decided to go to Miami.
Florida State signs quarterback, linemen
TALLAHASSEE — Hoping to fill needs across the board, Florida State landed the quarterback it coveted and a half-dozen offensive linemen Wednesday in its initial recruiting class since the school named a successor-in-waiting to coach Bobby Bowden.
With quarterback Drew Weatherford embarking upon his senior season and Xavier Lee gone, the Seminoles
landed quarterback E.J. Manuel from Virginia Beach, Va., who is considered an ideal prospect to run future coach Jimbo Fisher’s offense.
The 6-4, 200-pound Manuel threw for nearly 7,400 yards and 68 touchdowns in his high school career.
Florida State’s recruiting class was ranked among the best 10 nationally by several recruiting analysts and as high as fifth by Scout.com.
Offense got plenty of
attention in Wednesday’s
signing class that included five running backs and three wide receivers to shore up a thin group of skill players.
The cadre of new running backs includes Tavares Pressley, considered among the best junior college runner in the nation. The 215-pound Arcadia product played
quarterback in high school before moving to tailback where he ran for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall at El Camino (Calif.) Community College.
’Canes sign block of Northwest players
MIAMI — Highly coveted wide receiver Tommy Streeter stopped halfway through the process of signing his letter of intent Wednesday morning, sending angst through the library at Miami
Northwestern High.
Second thoughts? No, the pen was merely out of ink.
Moments later, Streeter was officially a Miami
scholarship recipient — just like seven of his Northwestern Bulls teammates, who went 30-0 the past two seasons and, by staying close to home, gave the ‘Canes one of the top recruiting classes in the
country.
Miami Booker T. Washington High cornerback Brandon Harris, who led his team to Florida’s state Class 4A title last fall, also decided to stay close to home and signed with Miami —
spurning, among others, Ohio State.
Harris was ranked among the top three available
defensive backs nationwide in the class of 2008. He was among the last remaining elite recruits who hadn’t committed before signing day.
They did especially well in South Florida, led by Northwestern, which won the national high school championship last fall.
QB Jacory Harris, LB Sean Spence, defensive tackle Marcus Forston and WR Aldarius Johnson are already enrolled.
Offensive lineman Ben Jones, then Streeter, then offensive lineman Brandon Washington, then finally WR Kendal Thompkins followed Wednesday.
GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Urban Meyer started checking the fax machine around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, waiting anxiously for
defensive tackle Omar Hunter’s paperwork.
It finally came through around 10:30.
“Those were three tough hours,” Meyer said.
Hunter, a 6-foot, 322-pound Parade All-American from Buford, Ga., highlighted Meyer’s latest recruiting class — one that should help the Gators address their most glaring need: defense.
Florida ranked 41st in total defense last season, giving up 362 yards a game. The Gators were even worse in pass defense (98th), sacks (54th) and points allowed (46th).
The Gators signed 22 players in all, including 13 defenders. They landed five Parade All-Americans: Hunter, safety Will Hill, defensive end William Green, linebacker Brendan Beal and cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
It was Meyer’s fourth
consecutive highly regarded class. He had the consensus No. 1 class a year ago, and his 2006 group ranked second to Southern California.
This year, though, Meyer focused more on recruiting specific needs.
“We’ve gone from just recruiting — take whatever we could get — to now we’re trying to fit those pieces together,” Meyer said.
It wasn’t easy, either.
The Gators lost two commitments Wednesday when offensive lineman Ricky Barnum and safety Ramon Buchanan signed elsewhere. Barnum signed with Michigan, and Buchanan decided to go to Miami.
Florida State signs quarterback, linemen
TALLAHASSEE — Hoping to fill needs across the board, Florida State landed the quarterback it coveted and a half-dozen offensive linemen Wednesday in its initial recruiting class since the school named a successor-in-waiting to coach Bobby Bowden.
With quarterback Drew Weatherford embarking upon his senior season and Xavier Lee gone, the Seminoles
landed quarterback E.J. Manuel from Virginia Beach, Va., who is considered an ideal prospect to run future coach Jimbo Fisher’s offense.
The 6-4, 200-pound Manuel threw for nearly 7,400 yards and 68 touchdowns in his high school career.
Florida State’s recruiting class was ranked among the best 10 nationally by several recruiting analysts and as high as fifth by Scout.com.
Offense got plenty of
attention in Wednesday’s
signing class that included five running backs and three wide receivers to shore up a thin group of skill players.
The cadre of new running backs includes Tavares Pressley, considered among the best junior college runner in the nation. The 215-pound Arcadia product played
quarterback in high school before moving to tailback where he ran for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall at El Camino (Calif.) Community College.
’Canes sign block of Northwest players
MIAMI — Highly coveted wide receiver Tommy Streeter stopped halfway through the process of signing his letter of intent Wednesday morning, sending angst through the library at Miami
Northwestern High.
Second thoughts? No, the pen was merely out of ink.
Moments later, Streeter was officially a Miami
scholarship recipient — just like seven of his Northwestern Bulls teammates, who went 30-0 the past two seasons and, by staying close to home, gave the ‘Canes one of the top recruiting classes in the
country.
Miami Booker T. Washington High cornerback Brandon Harris, who led his team to Florida’s state Class 4A title last fall, also decided to stay close to home and signed with Miami —
spurning, among others, Ohio State.
Harris was ranked among the top three available
defensive backs nationwide in the class of 2008. He was among the last remaining elite recruits who hadn’t committed before signing day.
They did especially well in South Florida, led by Northwestern, which won the national high school championship last fall.
QB Jacory Harris, LB Sean Spence, defensive tackle Marcus Forston and WR Aldarius Johnson are already enrolled.
Offensive lineman Ben Jones, then Streeter, then offensive lineman Brandon Washington, then finally WR Kendal Thompkins followed Wednesday.
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