College Football
Welcome To The Party
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Gus Malzahn can’t wait for UCF to join the Big 12.
The football coach for the Knights believes the AAC has a lot to offer, and wants to show the college football world its teams can compete on a Power 5 level.
With UCF, Cincinnati, Houston set to join the Big 12 — alongside BYU — in 2023, they will finally get their chance. Malzahn discussed how he believes the new additions will fit in with the rest of the league.
“As of right now, it looks like this will be the last year,” the coach said. “You’re absolutely right that Cincinnati had a great team. You’re talking about Houston, SMU, Memphis — there’re some really good teams in this league. It looks like we’ll be going to the Big 12 in 2023. We’re really looking forward to that. That’s a big step. It’s really helped us in the recruiting world, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Currently, members of the Big 12 receive $37 million per year from the Big 12’s media deals. UCF currently averages about $7 million per year in The American.
While the departure of Texas and Oklahoma are definitely a blow to the remaining Big 12 schools’ budgets, according to CBS’ Dennis Dodd, the addition of the above four schools does help them preserve a considerable portion of their value:
That’s at least a 3x increase over what UCF is currently making from their media deal.
Figures may vary in the final analysis with the contract renewals coming up, but that means UCF could be jumping from a $7-8 million annual payout from media and the CFP to some $25-30 million per year just by virtue of existing in the Big 12.
The Big 12’s media contract with Fox and ESPN comes to an end in 2025.
Fox could also end up renewing with them, with games on Fox and FS1, but keep in mind that the Big Ten is Fox’s priority, so the Big 12 may prefer another network if they don’t get what they want from Fox.
Moreover, Malzahn believes that his team’s impending move to the Big 12 has already started to have a positive impact on recruiting efforts. UCF signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the AAC for 2022, as well as the 47th overall class nationally.
Malzahn said the promise of playing in a Power 5 league has opened doors for players that the Knights previously had little shot at landing.
“There’s no doubt (it means more to recruits),” he said. “The first year, we went after the top players in the country and in the state and we’d hear, ‘Hey, coach. Y’all are non-Power 5.’ Whether we liked it or not, that’s real for recruits. Since the announcement has been made that we’re going to the Big 12, it’s really opened the door to the top players in the country. We really recruited very well last year and I think we have a chance to really have a great class this year.”
As the Knights earn more legitimacy as a member of a power-5 conference, the battle on the recruiting trail between Florida State, Miami, and Florida will only continue to grow. It’ll make the competition in the state even fiercer and it could get really intriguing if the schools begin to play one another more often.
What long has been a ‘big three’ in the state of Florida is on the cusp of expanding to a ‘big four.’
I Have The Power
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Spring football is behind us now in the SEC.
All the programs have had their Spring Football games and now the pundits weigh in on typical off-season things like ranking the teams coming out of that process. Here goes mine based on my observations and things I know about the SEC in general.
Alabama: Bryce Young and Will Anderson return. Young won the Heisman in 2021, and Anderson is regarded as the best defensive player in the country.
Plus, they have Nick Saban roaming the sidelines.
Concerns for the defending SEC Champions reside along the offensive line and depth at the wide receiver position.
This is Alabama, so recruiting has not been an issue. It seems like everyone is anointing Alabama as the odds-on favorite to win the National Championship in 2022. They land at the #1 spot in my rankings.
Georgia: The National Champions (What a sweet sound coming off your lips) do not rebuild they reload now under Kirby Smart.
Stetson Bennett is back at QB, and UGA has an offense that looks like a juggernaut with Brock Bowers and company returning.
This will be an experienced unit that will score buckets of points. On the defensive side yes, they lost five first rounders to the NFL, but do not ever worry about defense while Kirby is in Athens. The unit will be elite.
Kentucky: Yes, Kentucky lands here. Laugh if you want, but Will Levis returns at QB, and Mark Stoops has quietly become one of the best head coaches in the conference.
Kentucky is becoming a serious football school. They host UGA in Lexington; this could be a classic football game.
Arkansas: Sam Pittman has the Hogs believing they are contenders.
KJ Jefferson returns at QB, and LB Bumper Pool will lead an Arkansas defense.
Alabama must travel to Fayetteville this fall, and I am putting the Tide on upset alert in May. Arkansas will have this game circled on the calendar.
Texas A&M: NIL produced on paper the best recruiting class ever. Time will tell. Who will the QB be? Many have the Aggies higher than I do, but until a QB emerges they sit at #5 for me.
Ole Miss: Yes, they lost Matt Corral and Lane Kiffin addressed that in the portal with Jaxon Dart.
This team has a swagger about them. I know they will score points. How good this team eventually becomes will depend on the defensive side of the ball. Alabama travels to Oxford on November 12th.
Tennessee: Hendon Hooker returns at QB. The Vols have some talent at WR. Will this defense perform good enough to get Tennessee to nine wins? The jury is out.
LSU: This seems low, but who should they be ranked above with the QB issues they have and a first-year head coach in Brian Kelly?
Kelly is an elite coach and LSU will always recruit well, but again tell me who the QB is?
South Carolina: Will Spencer Rattler be able to lead the Gamecocks to 8-9 wins?
Mississippi State: Will Rogers is an elite QB. State is a team that can shock the world one week and look like the worst team in the country the next.
Florida: Billy Napier will get this ship turned around and Florida will be Florida again soon.
If he can win eight games with the depth issues, he inherited in 2022 then look out for the Gators moving forward.
Auburn: Brain Harsin is the equivalent to dead man walking. The power brokers have tried to fire him this offseason and were not successful.
Talent is just not up to Auburn standards. Now watch this team win the SEC West. That is what Auburn does.
Missouri: Bowl team that just lands here due to the overall power of the SEC.
Vanderbilt: Vandy just lands here most seasons now. That is just the way things are in the SEC.
Rising Spear
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida State NIL collectives Rising Spear and Warpath 850 announced Thursday they were consolidating. The move is believed to be the first “collective” merger in the Name, Image and Likeness era.
Collectives, which are independent from a university, pool funds from boosters and businesses, to help facilitate NIL deals for athletes.
They also create their own ways for athletes to monetize their brands. Every Power 5 school is expected to be affiliated with at least one collective by the end of the year.
As part of the merger, Kristi Dosh (Business of College Sports) reported athletes already working with Rising Spear will have access to the Dreamfield NIL platform. Dreamfield formed Warpath 850 in March, while Rising Spear launched last December.
Additionally, several NIL observers believe more collective mergers in the future. The experts say consolidation makes sense and helps the collectives build a larger presence for recruiting and retention efforts.
Collectives and the NIL have become a lightning rod in college athletics over the past few weeks. Coaches say NIL disguises “pay-for-play” deals choreographed by collectives. Coaches say the groups are using money to persuade recruits and target players on other college teams.
A recent poll of around 80 athletic directors in the Football Bowl Subdivision revealed an overwhelming majority are concerned collectives are using NIL payments as improper recruiting enticements, both for high school prospects and players in the transfer portal.
Bob Davis and Alan Flaumenhaft, former members of the executive board of directors of Seminole Boosters, founded Rising Spear.
There are two NIL options as part of Rising Spear. Rising Spear finds a booster-owned company and enlists an athlete as a sponsor. For Garnet Spirit, boosters donate to a charity and get a tax write-off. Athletes make charitable appearances to earn compensation.
“This exciting merger between Rising Spear and Warpath 850,” reports Matthew Quigley, CEO of Rising Spear, “It will create a strong, unified membership platform to benefit Seminole student-athletes. To our knowledge, this groundbreaking merger is the first consolidation between NIL collectives representing student-athletes from the same institution. We look forward to welcoming all Warpath 850 subscribers with a reminder that the student-athletes receive 100% of all donations collected by Rising Spear.”
Additionally, Corey Staniscia, Dreamfield’s Director of External Relations, said “It is the first time the industry is seeing two groups that were on parallel tracks in the same town now team up in a peaceful way to further benefit the athletes at the institution,”
Furthermore, Rising Spear recently partnered with MarketPryce. Who aims to create a larger number of NIL deals for FSU athletes.
Rising Spear is a third-party entity not affiliated with Florida State University. The organization provides a platform to create and develop NIL opportunities for FSU student-athletes in cooperation with businesses and sponsors.
Under current state law, Florida universities can educate athletes on NIL opportunities. But they cannot help facilitate or promote NIL deals. It follows NIL guidelines, and it is totally compliant.
Draft Dogs
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs already had a special spot in history, bringing home the program’s first National Championship in over four decades. Well, if there were any doubts about their all-time standing, the 2022 NFL Draft made their spot in the record books.
With 15 Bulldogs being selected, Georgia breaks the seven-round NFL Draft record for players picked in a single draft from the same school. The 2003 Ohio State Buckeyes and 2019 LSU Tigers previously held the record with 14 in the 2004 and 2020 NFL Drafts.
Things got started in a big way during the first round for the Dawgs with defensive lineman Travon Walker coming off the board to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first overall pick.
Walker becomes the fifth Georgia player to be picked No. 1 overall, tying the NFL Draft record with Notre Dame, Oklahoma and USC. Previous No. 1 picks for the Bulldogs are Matthew Stafford (2009), Harry Babcock (1953), Charley Trippi (1945) and Frank Sinkwich (1943).
Jordan Davis (Eagles), Quay Walker (Packers), Devonte Wyatt (Packers) and Lewis Cine (Vikings) continued the run on Bulldogs in the first round, giving Georgia five players picked, all on the defensive side of the football.
In doing so, they set a new program record for first round picks in a single draft as well as a record for the most defensive players picked from the same team in the first round.
On day two of the draft (second and third rounds), Georgia added four more selections. Wide receiver George Pickens was the first offensive player from UGA off the board, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round followed soon after by running James Cook to the Buffalo Bills.
Then, in the third, it was a pair of inside linebackers getting picked with Nakobe Dean going to Philadelphia, and Channing Tindall being picked by the Miami Dolphins. That also gave Georgia the record for most defenders taken in the first three rounds in addition to their first-round record.
Zamir White was selected in the fourth round to the Las Vegas Raiders, followed by Jake Camarda to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a quiet fifth round, the sixth round welcomed two big Bulldog offensive linemen– Justin Shaffer to the Atlanta Falcons and Jamaree Salyer to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Finally, with back-to-back picks at No. 212 and No. 213 overall, Derion Kendrick (Los Angeles Chargers) and John FitzPatrick (Atlanta Falcons) got the Dawgs to break the record.
In The 2022 NFL Draft, Georgia broke all the records, or at least it felt that way.
The Bulldogs had 15 players picked – the most in a seven-round draft in history – with eight on the defensive side of the ball, including a first-round record five and a top-three-round record seven.
UGA also became the only team to ever have tight ends taken in four straight drafts with the selection of John FitzPatrick, Georgia’s 15th and final player. Needless to say, it was an eventful draft for Georgia.
G-Day
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Another G-Day game has come and gone. The annual spring game, which for decades stood as a reasonable excuse for alumni & recent graduates to make an offseason return to the classic city, has grown into something larger.
For the first time, the intrasquad matchup of the red & black was broadcast live on ESPN2, making it the highest billed CFB non-game event in cable broadcast history.
The event has had its share of celebrities in the past; either in the stands or as guest coaches for one of the squads. This year there was no need for such chicanery & tomfoolery.
No sir, the citizens of Dawgnation have rewatched the national championship game dozens of times since January (and probably will watch it a dozen more between now & September), but they are ready for some new information as to what they can realistically expect out of the Dawgs this fall.
What they saw on the field invited an old friend back into their red & black hearts – Hope.
For the first time in his career, Stetson Bennett IV will start the season as the undisputed starting quarterback. His performance at G-Day showed that his enshrinement as QB1 is justified, but he still has room to grow in his final season between the hedges.
The Mailman went 15-35 for 273 yards and 3 TDs. The 2 INTs were mildly troublesome, but not blatantly bad decisions like we saw in the SEC Championship Game.
On the other hand, Carson Beck showed that he will be more than capable to step into the starting role should situations require. The redshirt sophomore from Jacksonville went 14 of 26 for 274 yards with no scores or picks.
While the RBs at RBU were understandably quiet on the day, the tight ends were the real showcase even without freshman phenom Brock Bowers.
LSU transfer Arik Gilbert and early enrollee Oscar Delp showed that the receiving corps is just fine without a 1000-yard WR, thank you very much.
Delp led all receivers on the day with 7 catches for 91 yards, while Gilbert hauled in 3 catches for 49 yards and 2 TDs, including a beaut of a 16-yarder in double coverage.
When you take an arguably all-time great defense like UGA had last year, a drop in performance has to be expected. Of last year’s contributors, eight are expected to be drafted in the NFL draft this year, with an outside chance of a record-tying six Dawgs going in the first round.
When you have that severe of a talent bleed, you would be hard pressed to expect anything but a letdown. G-Day showed us that although the lofty heights of 2021 are more than likely out of reach, the drop off in defensive production might not be as severe as feared.
While Kelee Ringo will pick up right where he left off and Jalen Carter will undoubtedly take over from Jordan Davis as the heart & soul leader of the 2022 Bulldogs, there were several names on display at G-Day that Dawg Nation would do well to remember.
For example, take Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Get used to the initials TID. The redshirt freshman was in the backfield almost as much as the running backs all day long.
Warren Brinson was pushing the line as well, forcing pressure on the QB and making his presence felt.
All things considered, the first-string defense did better against the first-string offense than you would expect, considering 10 out of the 11 starters from last year’s opener against Clemson have changed.
In short, the 2022 G-Day Game was more than just a spring warm up as usual. The National Championship team received their rings, and those that bleed red & black got a chance to see what to expect in the fall.
And expectations, while understandably high, may not be unrealistic after all.
Out Front
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When the UCF Knights took the field for their spring game on Saturday, they had a unique look.
UCF announced that in the spring game, players will be donning custom QR codes on the back of their jerseys in place of the traditional number. The QR code will link back to the player’s profile on the UCF athletics website.
On the UCF website, each player has links to their social media profiles. This innovative approach to the spring game further emphasizes the changing times across college athletics in the NIL era.
This approach is not the first of its kind for UCF in the NIL era. Last spring, UCF geared up for its spring game with different looking uniforms, just like this year. Last spring game, though, Knights players had their Twitter handles on their nameplates.
Things obviously look drastically different right now across college sports than they did a couple years ago. With players now able to profit off of their Name, Image, and Likeness, the game has completely changed. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn has seen those changes come by firsthand.
UCF has tried to embrace the evolving times under Malzahn, and now these types of things are par for the course in college sports.
“Last year, we put Twitter handles on our jerseys. I was like, ‘What the heck am I doing?’” Malzahn said. “We wanted to be the school that embraced it. At the old traditional schools, there’s a lot of dynamics. Yeah, they’re for it but really, they’re not for it. We are a school that can fully embrace it—the young school, social media. It fits with us. It was a little weird early on. Now it’s not. Now it’s part of the job description.”
UCF’s offense hit its stride in the Spring Game after quarterbacks Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee combined to produce nearly 500 passing yards.
Malzahn’s optimism for the quarterbacks showed on the stat sheet with Keene going 21 of 28 for 282 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Plumlee went 11 of 15 for 189 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Opponents totaled 25 sacks for 158 yards against UCF last year. That’s 4 more sacks and 23 extra yards than the year prior.
With starters Cole Schneider and Marcus Tatum off to the pros, Malzahn turned to the NCAA transfer portal for more size. He found that with a 6-foot-10 offensive tackle Ryan Swoboda (Virginia) and a 6-foot-7 tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State).
With the combination of adding two transfers with a full year of development under coach Herb Hand, Malzahn likes where things stand with his offensive line.
That success by the offensive line will lead to running the ball well. During the spring game, sophomore Johnny Richardson gained 108 yards on just 9 carries while Mark-Antony Richards, Anthony Williams and true freshman Jordan McDonald rushed for more than 30 yards each.
This all happened while starting running back Isaiah Bowser, who led the team with 9 rushing touchdowns last year, had the afternoon off.
Last season was the first for Malzahn at UCF. In his first year, he led the Knights to an overall record of 9-4, including a 5-3 mark against AAC opponents. UCF wrapped up the season with a victory over the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl.
“Ever since the bowl win, it’s been different,” Malzahn said. “I think the combination of the bowl win, the combination of going to the Big 12, you can feel when you’re here that we’re about to do something special. You can feel it, the recruits can feel it. Everybody wants to dream, everybody wants to be a part of something special, and we’re well on our way.”
UCF is definitely a bright future stock to BUY.
Clemson Spring
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Dabo Swinney has elevated Clemson into one of the most elite programs in the nation.
The Tigers seemed to make the College Football Playoff every season. After quarterback Trevor Lawrence was drafted #1 in the 2021 NFL Draft, we still thought they would be a top-5 team.
He was replaced by five-star QB D.J. Uiagalelei. The Tigers recruit so well they just reload rather than rebuild. Unfortunately, that was not the case last year. They were 10 – 3 but that’s not good enough for Clemson.
Uiagalelei is coming off a sophomore season that saw him rank at or near the bottom of most statistical categories in the ACC, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9). It was a season that saw the quarterback have his share of struggles, most notably with accuracy, as Uiagalelei completed just 56% of his passes.
D.J. has lost weight since last season and hopefully that will help him move quicker. The Spring Game was April 9th so we did see some improvement on his footwork, decision making and releasing the ball quicker.
He still had issues with his accuracy, throwing several off-target passes. He completed 17-of-36 passes for 175 yards and an interception. To be fair, there were multiple dropped passes.
The five-star freshman from Texas, Cade Klubnik completed 15-of-23 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik was ranked the number one quarterback in the country in the last recruiting cycle.
“DJ is definitely our starter,” Swinney said. “He has had a great spring. He has not done anything to not be the starter.”
It might be unfair to believe D.J. would drastically improve after 15 practices. He also played behind an offensive line that was missing several starters in the Spring Game. Clemson has a talented defensive line, so they had a tough time.
This does look like a possible quarterback controversy brewing once the season starts. Swinney does feel like he can win with both quarterbacks.
“It is not often you can say that, but I have seen enough from both of those guys to know that,” Swinney said. “So, it is a good situation.”
Running back Will Shipley was really the only bright spot on offense last season. He rushed for 739 yards, 11 touchdowns and averaged 5 yards per carry. He also had 16 catches for 116 yards. Shipley and the number 2 back Kobe Pace had offseason procedures, so they did not play in the Spring Game.
The only other scholarship running back on the roster was Phil Mafah from Grayson (GA).
“I thought it would allow me to just show that I could be the guy out there,” Mafah said. “I could do it just like they could, and they just allowed me to show off what I could do and help bring up the others.”
Position coach C.J. Spiller and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said Mafah has earned more carries for the 2022 season. Now it looks like the Tigers will have three reliable backs next season.
The final score of the Spring Game was White beat Orange 15 – 7.
Head Of The Class
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia may set a new school-record for more players selected in one NFL Draft this year, surpassing the mark set last season (nine) and challenging the national record of 14 sets by LSU in the 2020 draft.
There could be 14 Bulldogs selected in the upcoming draft (April 28-30) in their most recent article.
Amazingly, the Bulldogs actually have 16 players with NFL draft grades, meaning the record could be broken.
Georgia sent a program-record 14 players to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, where just weeks earlier the Bulldogs beat Alabama 33-18 in the CFP Championship Game.
Smart said he isn’t certain if he’ll make an in-person appearance at the draft, which is in Las Vegas, as the Georgia player recruiting-and retaining schedule has been booked for UGA’s busy coaching staff.
I think people sometimes get lost in the stats and they overlook the fact that Georgia’s defense was so deep. There were so many guys, they had Nakobe Dean rotating in, who was, you know, the leader of the defense, and the winner of the Butkus Award.
Scouts know about Jordan Davis because he’s 340 pounds and ran in the 4.7’s.
People rave about Travon Walker‘s physical potential. He’s a long 270-275 pound guy, runs exceptionally well, and plays the run really well. I have Walker projected as the first Bulldog off the board.
Georgia’s leading tackler Lewis Cine, linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall, as well as defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt are just a few of the top names that performed during Georgia’s pro day last month.
Other prospects like George Pickens, James Cook, and Zamir White raised their draft stocks. However, Pickens and Cine seem to be two names that I feel could be on the bubble of sneaking into the first round after their combine performances.
Almost a year removed from a torn ACL, Pickens ran a 4.47, while Lewis Cine’s 4.37 forty-yard dash is enough to make many wonder if the Georgia safety has a chance of being drafted on day one.
My projections suggest four Bulldogs will be selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft – which would be another school record.
Further, there could be 10 Georgia football players selected in the first three rounds, which would be yet another school mark.
Here’s a look at where UGA players are expected to be picked in my most recent mock draft:
2022 NFL Draft FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Travon Walker, NY Giants
No. 19 Jordan Davis, New Orleans
No. 21 Nakobe Dean, New England
No. 23 Devonte Wyatt, Arizona
SECOND ROUND
No. 36 Quay Walker, NY Giants
No. 49 Lewis Cine, New Orleans
No. 56 George Pickens, Dallas
No. 59 Jamaree Salyer, Green Bay
THIRD ROUND
No. 71 Channing Tindall, Chicago
No. 97 James Cook, Detroit
FIFTH ROUND
No. 162 Zamir White, Philadelphia
SIXTH ROUND
No. 203 Derion Kendrick, Buffalo
No. 216 Justin Shaffer, Indianapolis
SEVENTH ROUND
No. 253 Adam Anderson, LA Rams
Gator Goals
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A year ago, Florida fans were questioning the program’s coaching decision (Dan Mullen), but Florida football was fresh off an SEC title game and the program seemed to be trending in the right direction.
As you can see, things change. Quickly.
Florida finished the 2021 season with a 6-7 record. As a result, Mullen was let go. The Gators rebounded with one of the hottest names on the market- Billy Napier. The move was a home run in the coaching world and it showed that Florida is serious about winning.
With spring ball starting up, it’s time to take a glance at our new-looking Gators. What storylines should I be following? Easy, it all starts with recruiting!
During Napier’s Signing Day press conference, he made it clear: there’s plenty of work to be done. For example, the Gators signed only six players from their talent-rich home state.
While the Gators shifted their focus to the upcoming class paired with Napier’s first full season UF’s head coach — the coaching staff made it clear: Florida plans to scour the talent from the Sunshine State.
“That’s the approach that we will take and certainly with the ’23 group, which we’ve already started on,” Napier said. “That will be the mentality, for sure.”
It’s not as if Napier underestimated what Florida has to offer in the first place. Rather, he’s looking to forge new relationships in the final two months of a player’s recruitment; historically, the Gators relied on previously established connections.
Evidenced by his previous team’s (University of Louisiana Lafayette) improvement from year one to year two, there’s tangible reason to believe the Gators will make a massive leap in the recruiting rankings next season under Napier.
The University of Louisiana Lafayette improved 28 places in the team rankings from Napier’s first season to his second. After finishing fourth in the Sun Belt conference his first year, the Ragin’ Cajuns would rank atop the conference in recruiting for each of the next three seasons.
The blueprint looks to already be in place.
“I think you build your schedule based off of the ’22s. And then maybe the ’23 players in that area. You try to do the best job you can,” Napier said. “And certainly, each assistant coach kind of is taking the same philosophy.”
Katie Turner, Florida’s newly hired assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy, may not technically be a coach, but she’s a vital part of the team’s talent acquisition efforts.
Napier and his coaching staff know they’ll have to maintain the intensity on the recruiting trail if they hope to have a stress-free National Signing Day in 2023.
“We’re hopeful that we won’t be doing this much business in February next year, and we’ll be able to be a little bit more strategic about our time on the road relative to the next group,” Napier said. “But I think we made the most of it, for sure.”
Florida can be a pressure cooker, but that may be said of every high-level Division I football program. The expectations across the country have risen, along with budgets and coaches’ salaries. You’re expected to win fast or die young.
The 2023 recruiting cycle is well underway, and the Florida Gators have several goals in mind as l Billy Napier puts together his first full class of signees after a transitional 2022 haul.
One of those goals, simply put, is to recruit more effectively than the Gators’ past, which consistently missed opportunities and underwhelmed year after year on the trail.
The second goal is to put a fence around the state of Florida, being able to keep elite talent home rather than allowing non-locals to tap into Florida’s top talent and prospects as they please.
Florida has the most blue-chips of any other state (and the most 5-stars) by leaps in 2023. We’ll see if new head coaches in Florida’s Billy Napier can make some progress getting in-state prospects to stay closer to home.
In my review, Napier will be evaluated by this first class. He needs a top 5 class or this may be another short tenure for Coach Napier.
New Winds For Hurricanes
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Mario Cristobal and the Miami football staff assembled a stellar 2022 class in less than two months.
Defensive lineman Nykalik Kelly and Cyrus Moss rank in the top 100. Tight end Jaleel Skinner and running back Trevonte’ Citizen are in the next 10.
Rivals.Com analyzed and ranked the 2022 classes in the ACC. Miami is much lower in the rankings by Rivals than 247 Sports’ composite rankings. The Hurricanes are ranked fourth in the ACC and 34th overall by Rivals. In the 247 Sports Composite rankings, Miami is third in the ACC and 15th overall.
Cristobal did not panic with a lower-ranked class when he was hired. Miami has the second-highest ranked average per player in the ACC by 247 Sports and Rivals. Cristobal put an emphasis on signing blue-chip players instead of filling out an entire class. Miami has roster spots available for transfers and 2023.
Citizen, Kelly, Moss and Skinner are the foundation of the 2022 Miami class. Kelly and Moss should be part of the Miami rotation on the DL in 2022.
Miami signed 14 players in that Class and added five transfers. Cristobal has stated that Miami might not be finished adding to the roster.
Moten was an import signing late for Miami on National Signing Day. Miami improved their depth at defensive tackle with the Cardinal Gibbons star.
Eight of the 14 Miami signees and all five transfers committed to the Hurricanes after Cristobal was hired. Cristobal secured several 2022 signees who are projected as impact players.
Miami will make the line of scrimmage a priority under their new Head Coach. Eight of the 19 players new to Miami football are on the line of scrimmage.
Miami lost out on five-star DL Shemar Stewart, who signed with Texas A&M however, the Hurricanes will win more of those caliber recruits with Cristobal leading the program.
The Miami football program has a blue-chip (four and five-star players) of 71 percent in the Class of 2022 with 10 of their 14 signees being four-stars. Having a roster of at least 50 percent blue-chip players is the standard in the State of Florida.
Cristobal and the Miami football program signed qualitatively to achieve the nation’s 15 ranked class.
Miami didn’t need to stack their class with numbers to achieve a recruiting class full of fool’s gold. The Hurricanes 2022 signees have the seventh-highest average rating nationally and is top in the ACC.
Miami was able to finish with the 15th best average span from 2017-2021 despite the Hurricanes 2018 class finishing 28th. The 2018, 28th ranked class was the worst of the top 15 programs from 2017 through 2021.
Cristobal has routinely been praised as an elite recruiter. In the three full classes that Cristobal signed at Oregon, the Ducks averaged 8.3 nationally. At Oregon, Cristobal had to sign a near-complete recruiting class from out of state. At Miami, Cristobal will be able to do a significant amount of recruiting in South Florida.
Stock is up on Miami and Mario Cristobal!
