Robert Craft
Florida State Semi-Nos Recruiting
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Seminoles having a knockout season in 2022 looks to be an unrealistic expectation.
But progress is progress. Finishing above .500 for the first time since 2017 could help them significantly improve their recruiting efforts.
None of FSU’s recruiting classes under head coach Mike Norvell and since 2019 have finished in the top 15 nationally, per 247Sports and Rivals. Under former Seminole’s head coaches Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher, top 10 classes were the standard.
In an effort to improve recruiting, FSU added three off-field staff members this offseason: GM Darrick Yray, Director of Football Relations Corey Fuller, and Assistant Director of High School Relations Keiwan Ratliff.
These hires, along with top in-state recruiting could be the key to the Seminoles elevating their recruiting prowess.
In each of Norvell’s three recruiting cycles, FSU has finished below Miami and Florida in the overall team rankings.
247Sports pegged the Hurricanes at No. 18, 12 and 15 in the 2020-2022 classes, respectively. The Gators came in at No. 7, 13 and 17. The Seminoles landed at 25, 31 and 18.
To have a solid recruiting operation again, FSU will need to compete better against its in-state rivals. Especially when Miami and Florida struggle.
Head coaches Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier are hired. That may have enhanced the in-state recruiting competition.
Until that happened, Norvell was the best head coach recruiter in the state. So, it’s gotten competitive now for top in-state targets, because Mario Cristobal lives and breathes recruiting. He does a tremendous job – as good as any head coach at communicating with top targets.
Billy Napier is as organized of a head coach as you are going to find with their recruiting infrastructure as well. It just got a lot more competitive.
We’ve seen college football be great when all three of those teams have been great. So, you can live in a world where Florida, Miami and Florida State are all terrific football programs. We are just so far removed from that right now.
As FSU tries to build off a topsy-turvy 5-7 record heading into their third season under coach Mike Norvell, the Seminoles’ biggest recent splashes came once again through the transfer portal.
A year after landing transfers such as Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas, who would prove to be standout starters on defense, FSU landed seven transfers it hopes will add explosiveness to its offense including four wide receivers.
Oregon transfer Mycah Pittman (5-11, 195), Illinois transfer Deuce Spann (6-4, 194), as well as 6-6, 224-pound Johnny Wilson add some needed depth at the position.
FSU might have found its next big contributor from Miami Central High through the portal as well. Former Rockets linebacker Tatum Bethune transferred from UCF in early January after three years with the Knights.
Bethune totaled 185 tackles including 13 for loss with 4.5 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles while playing in 35 games for the Knights, which included 16 starts.
Mike Norvell had the perfect storm this past recruiting cycle with Miami and Florida making coaching changes, but Norvell showed his inability to pull top tier talent to Tallahassee.
Stock Down on FSU and Mike Norvell.
Swampy Draft
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Florida Gators had to make an offseason change from Dan Mullen to Billy Napier as their new head coach, but that does not mean there were no stars on the team in 2021.
A handful of Florida Gators received NFL Scouting Combine invitations ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. This is an opportunity for these players to increase their stock.
Florida saw four of its players invited this season, but each had quality ends to their college careers and definitely drew the eyes of NFL scouts.
Here’s a breakdown of each Florida Gator invited to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine:
Zach Carter: Carter can play inside and outside along the defensive line, which should be attractive to NFL teams.
He opted out of the Gasparilla Bowl to prepare for the draft. Carter is likely to play more defensive end at the next level, but his versatility showed he can do both, should a team want to move him back inside.
The NFL Scouting Combine will definitely be an opportunity to show off his athleticism and running through certain drills could show he is able to play multiple positions for an NFL team looking for a versatile lineman.
Last season, Carter had the best season of his college career, finishing with 31 total tackles, 15 solo tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two pass deflections and one forced fumble.
In his career, Carter had 102 total tackles, 39 solo tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, eight pass deflections, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles and one touchdown.
Carter is currently projected as a late 3rd early 4th round pick.
Kaiir Elam: Elam left school early to head to the pros. That was for good reason after a productive career with the Gators.
Elam received some first-round NFL Draft buzz. He’s not a lock for the one of the first 32 picks, but he is a high-quality prospect coming into the pros.
The NFL Scouting Combine usually propels a handful of prospects to higher positioning and that could very well be the case with Elam as well. Elam made a quick impact on Florida when he started playing as a true freshman and kept it rolling over three seasons.
Elam played three seasons for the Gators, having another productive year in 2021, as he had 29 total tackles, 17 solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception and five pass deflections. In his career, Elam had 78 total tackles, 53 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, 20 pass deflections and one fumble recovery.
Elam should be the first Gator selected.
Jeremiah Moon: Moon had a productive year to conclude his college career and ended up at the Reese’s Senior Bowl to showcase his talent to NFL scouts up close.
Now that he is headed to the NFL Scouting Combine, he can showcase his abilities once again.
Moon was an EDGE defender before transitioning to linebacker due to injuries. But Moon appeared to provide a physicality to the position that the Gators needed. He has the ability to play the EDGE or linebacker spots, which should be intriguing to NFL teams.
He took advantage of a sixth year eligibility after the free year of 2020. He finished 2021 with a solid stat line: 49 total tackles, 20 solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass deflection and one forced fumble.
He finished his Gators career with 151 total tackles, 60 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss, eight sacks, four pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Moon is a late day three selection or free agent.
Dameon Pierce: Pierce could be a steal in the NFL Draft when April comes around. He was actually tabbed as the top running back from the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl by CBS Sports.
With that type of performance, there should be a lot of eyes on Pierce throughout the combine as he showcases his speed and agility.
What also helps Pierce, in addition to him carrying and catching the football, he can pass block very effectively. NFL teams will love that in a young prospect. Pierce is very powerful and has a low center of gravity.
He had a career-year finding the end zone in 2021. He finished the season with 100 carries, 574 yards, 13 touchdowns, 5.7 yards per carry, 19 catches, 216 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
He finished his Gators career with 329 carries for 1,806 yards, 23 touchdowns. 5.5 yards per carry, 45 catches, 422 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.
Pierce is projected a late 3rd early 4th round selection.
In Or Out
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Florida Gators Ty’Ron Hopper saga continues to grow.
The redshirt sophomore entered his name into the transfer portal on January 20, only to withdraw it in an hour’s time. Now, four days later, Hopper’s name is back in the transfer portal.
Hopper saw game action on defense and special teams in all 13 games last season, including four starts. He finished fourth on the team with 65 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
The redshirt sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga., figured to be a key member of the 2022 squad. Hopper was seen as one of Florida’s rising stars heading into the new year.
As a freshman in 2019, he appeared in four games as a reserve linebacker and on special teams. He made two tackles in his limited role.
2020 saw more playing time and more contributions. Hopper appeared in 11 games for the Gators, finishing with 15 total tackles (five solo, 10 assisted) and one tackle for loss.
He was expected to be a starting linebacker for the Gators in 2022. While he has entered his name into the transfer portal that doesn’t mean he cannot choose to still return to Florida.
The news of Hopper looking to transfer comes at an interesting time. Hours before he first entered the portal last week, former Florida Gators coach Christian Robinson would be joining the Auburn Tigers.
Robinson was an integral part of Hopper’s recruitment and was also his position coach for three seasons. A redshirt sophomore, Hopper has three years of eligibility (a free COVID year included) of eligibility left.
Robinson was a popular coach not just among the linebackers, but the entire team. He joins an Auburn team going into its second season under head coach Bryan Harsin.
The Legend of Stetson Bennett
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken told Stetson Bennett IV that he wasn’t going to be in the Bulldogs’ plans for the starting quarterback in 2020.
He’s never entered any season as the guy. Georgia was supposed to lean on USC five-star transfer JT Daniels this year. 2021 was supposed to be Daniels’ season with Bennett in the rear-view mirror.
But football has a way of throwing well-laid plans out the window. Daniels’ lat injury opened the door for Bennett to take over, and “The Mailman” didn’t look back.
Even through rocky moments, Bennett had his gems. Bennett threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally Georgia for a 33-18 victory over Alabama in the National Championship Game.
Bennett shook off a gut-wrenching turnover that allowed Alabama to temporarily take the lead.
“I just knew there was going to be no way to let a turnover like that stop us from winning a National Championship,” Bennett said in his postgame interview. “No way that I was going to let that happen. I was not going to be the reason we lost.”
Here’s what we witnessed of Bennett’s heroic effort.
Bennett’s remarkable fourth-quarter performance will go down in Georgia Football lore. Bennett dreamed of playing quarterback for Georgia. His dream came true and he led the Bulldogs to a performance no one will ever forget.
But it wasn’t pretty. The Georgia offense went three-and-out in each of their first two drives. On Georgia’s third play of the game, Bennett scrambled for a 14-yard gain, but he fumbled. Thankfully for the Bulldogs, he was able to recover and avoid what could’ve been a champion-breaking early turnover. But with more and more struggles, the calls for Daniels grew louder.
But Bennett’s fumble early in the fourth quarter nearly spelled doom for Georgia. Alabama’s Christian Harris was a menace all night long, and he sacked Bennett on 3rd and 8. Bennett tried to throw the ball away, but it was ruled a fumble. Alabama’s Brian Branch nonchalantly recovered the ball with his foot inbounds by mere millimeters.
With his back against the wall, Bennett responded with the drive of his life. He was determined not to be the reason that Georgia lost the national title. Is a not losing motivation stronger than a winning motivation?
Bennett marched Georgia down to the Alabama 40-yard line and then used a free play to take his shot. He delivered a gorgeous deep ball down the right sideline and Adonai Mitchell hauled it in for a majestic 40-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter.
Bennett did what everyone told him he couldn’t do. He heard the noise. He heard the doubters. He heard the majority say that he wasn’t the best option to lead Georgia past Alabama. “Georgia can’t beat Alabama with Stetson Bennett at QB” was a widely-used narrative, and he conquered it head on.
Stetson Bennett was named the Offensive Player of the Game. He is a national champion and a Georgia Bulldog Football Legend!
Another Shot
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Happy New Year!
Well, maybe it’s not so happy for some unlucky college football fans. They have seen this movie before, and they don’t like it.
Alabama (13-1 and ranked No. 1) defeated Cincinnati, 27-6, and Georgia (13-1) downed Michigan, 34-11, in the College Football Playoff semifinal games in the Cotton and Orange bowls, respectively.
Thus, the two teams that had held the number one spots in college football polls all season earned spots in the CFP national championship game in Indianapolis on Jan. 10.
While there can be no doubt that these are the two best teams in college football this year, it likely wears on fans of other schools to know that the Southeastern Conference will have the national championship for the third consecutive season; and for the 12th time in the last 16 years. Alabama alone will be seeking their seventh title in the past 13 seasons.
Will this rematch be different? After all, Bryce Young carved Georgia for 421 yards and 3 TDs in the SEC championship game, and the Crimson Tide were the underdogs the first time around.
Alabama remains that psychological hurdle for Georgia, one that comes with seven straight victories in the series. That includes three SEC championship games and the 26-23 overtime thriller in the CFP championship game in Atlanta on Jan. 8, 2018.
Alabama won’t have star receiver John Metchie III, who suffered a torn ACL in the last matchup. Indianapolis is the most unnatural setting possible for both fan-bases, and keep in mind the Bulldogs led 10-0 in the SEC championship game before things went south. Georgia is favored by 2.5 points in the CFP championship.
The Bulldogs will play under much more pressure than the Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs’ coaches and players will say over and over, the SEC Championship game does not matter.
It does matter because it was the seventh straight win for the Tide over the Dawgs. The Crimson Tide will be stronger in the 2022 season and Kirby Smart cannot afford to lose an eighth straight game.
The talent levels are too comparable to expect another one-sided game. Unless the Tide injury situation warrants it, and no one can knows yet if it does, there is no reason to believe the outcome will change.
The Bulldogs showed enough in the semifinal where 190 rushing yards was overlooked. Bennett is fine. So is the defense. Georgia played like a team that learned from that loss and might just be ready to break the national championship curse that extends back to Herschel Walker in 1980.
But even though Saban is 25-1 against his former assistant coaches — including 4-0 against Smart, who spent 11 years with him in Tuscaloosa — history says a rematch for the national title is a great sign for the Bulldogs.
In the 2011 season, LSU beat Alabama in the regular season. Alabama won the rematch for the Bowl Championship Series national title.
In 1996, Florida State topped Florida in the regular season. The Gators rolled past the Seminoles for the national title in what was then called the Bowl Alliance.
Now, it’s Georgia with a shot at turning the tide.
That’s what happens when you press the reset button.
Georgia 34 Alabama 20.
And The Winner Is?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia has been the most dominant team in college football in 2021 and on December 31st the Dawgs have one more team to tackle to reach the College Football Championship Game.
We all know what Georgia has to do to win this game, but what does Michigan have to do?
Pretty simple, smother the Bulldogs offense. This is arguably the best defense Georgia will face. Statistically, Clemson is better, but half the ACC offenses are hot garbage, and the other half are mostly gimmicky like Wake Forest, so less impressive than SEC and Big Ten defenses.
- Holding Georgia to 20-24 points should give Michigan ample opportunity to win, and I don’t think it’s out of the question that they keep them to well less than that.
- Efficient start on offense. This is my biggest concern, because Michigan tends to start a bit slower. It’s gotten better, no doubt about it, but it’s still not consistently coming out swinging. The first two drives against PSU were 3-and-out’s, the first two drives against Wisconsin produced 37 yards on 14 plays.
- If they come out and start like they did against Ohio State and put a touchdown on the board, you can get Georgia away from their strength (running the ball) and make them put the game in Stetson Bennett’s hands, which is how you beat them.
Michigan doesn’t need to run for 297 yards like it did against OSU, but they do need to average above 4.0 ypc, and throw the ball fairly well.
- No big mistakes. No interceptions, no turnovers, no shanked punts, etc. A defensive slugfest = field position and possession. Be clean with the football and don’t give Georgia anything they can’t earn themselves. Do the little things right and you can make it happen.
Prediction: You know, I’m very torn. Spread here is about a touchdown in Georgia’s favor depending on where you look.
I think it’s much closer to a toss-up than a no-brainer. I think Georgia has more talent and speed, but I think this Michigan team is as gritty and tough as they come, and Georgia has not dealt with much competition this season.
When Alabama punched UGA in the mouth, they faltered and fell behind. Can Michigan do the same?
Additionally, Michigan’s thrived with the chip on their shoulder, everyone’s doubting them this year. The Wolverines have heard non-stop about how they can’t match up with Georgia’s front seven, while Georgia comes in with a lot of questions and uncertainty.
Obviously, no one really is looking ahead in the playoffs, but Georgia’s probably got more reason to forecast than Michigan.
I think the intangibles favor Michigan, and the talent favors Georgia. The other major factor is coaching, and again, think we’re pretty split here.
Defensive Coordinators Lanning and MacDonald could be identical twins in terms of coaching profiles.
Michigan offensively, however, has been more creative than Todd Monken’s group, though to his defense, he simply hasn’t needed to be. I think that one is a slight edge to Michigan.
I’ll add this. Michigan is an underdog here. Do not flip out because some people may be less confident than you are.
Yes, Michigan has defied expectations and reversed some narratives, but that does not mean you always ride them if you don’t think they’ll win. It’s totally fine if you think Michigan loses. It’s totally fine if you think Michigan wins.
None of us are as prophetic as we like to think we are. The only opinions that matter are those of the two hundred or so coaches and players on the sideline that New Year’s Eve.
Not yours, not anyone’s here. I have had a perfect string predicting these games this season, and that includes a bunch of people flipping out because I picked Alabama to win earlier this year.
We all have wrong takes, it doesn’t matter. Win or lose, this season was a major success for the Michigan Wolverines and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Now, enough stalling….Can I see Michigan winning it? Yup!
Can I see Georgia winning it? You bet!
Can I see Georgia running away with it? Probably more likely than vice versa. But I think there’s enough to go with the Dawgs, and that’s what I’m going to do:
Final Score: Georgia 31 Michigan 13.
Prime Time Recruiting
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Travis Hunter, the country’s top recruit, spurned Florida State during the early-signing period. The prodigious athlete abandoned his long-time commitment to FSU in the final hours of his recruitment for Jackson State, an FCS program led by Seminoles’ legend Deion Sanders.
Sanders, who’s led the HBCU in Jackson (Miss.) since 2020, promised to shock the world during the Early Signing Period.
He didn’t disappoint, but broke the hearts of the FSU fan base in the process. Hunter announced his decision on Wednesday during a signing ceremony at his school, tossing an FSU hat to the side while putting on a Jackson State hat and shirt.
Hunter, the five-star prospect out of Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) was one of the highest-ranked recruits in the history of recruiting services with a Composite Grade of 0.9999. He grew up an FSU fan and was committed to the Seminoles since the spring of 2020.
But Jackson State’s late push, believed to be backed by Name Image Likeness, doomed FSU’s chances late.
It’s a critical blow to the recruiting efforts of Mike Norvell and the 2022 recruiting cycle. FSU was pushing for a Top 10 class, but losing the prodigious prospect derails that hope and puts the future of the Norvell Era in a tenuous position.
FSU’s staff was viewing Hunter as a two-year player, who could help out immediately on either side of the ball as a true freshman.
In the last three seasons, Hunter had 19 interceptions while also scoring 46 receiving touchdowns (in addition to recording 3,807 receiving yards).
In addition to bolstering FSU’s class rank, Hunter was an alpha dog for FSU on the recruiting trail as he helped guide various prospects to the Seminoles — including five-star defensive back Sam McCall — and weather the storm after an 0-4 start to the season.
McCall has already requested out of his National Letter of Intent and will be back on the market soon enough. Florida State is asking him to take a few days to consider.
The NLI is pointless at this point as it costs a counter if you force the kid to enroll and, until they enroll, it does not count as a transfer. Likewise, they can transfer anywhere immediately so it’s a mutually assured destruction situation where no one wins. This is what happened famously with Zach Evans and UGA.
More bad news for Seminole fans, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard four-star wide receiver Devaughn Mortimer has flipped his commitment from Florida State to Louisville and Tift County four-star defensive tackle Tyree West flipped to Tennessee.
Again, FSU is 5-7 and likely going to sign the best class for a team with a losing record in the early signing period.
This class is beyond impressive once you realize the hurdles the staff had to overcome, even if those hurdles were somewhat self-imposed. The jury is still out if this staff can recruit and it will be interesting to see what they can do on-field in 2020.
My final thoughts: has he done more damage to the FSU program in the last 4 months than he did to help FSU in the previous 35 years? Is Deion’s contribution to FSU now officially a net negative or a net positive?
Game Changer
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Mario Cristobal is heading home.
The Cuban-American, who won two national titles at Miami while playing for the Hurricanes, is set to become the program’s next head coach according to multiple reports.
It’s a monumental acquisition for Miami and one that will have major recruiting implications, not only in the Sunshine State, but across the country with the Early Signing Period less than two weeks away.
Some members of the media may point to Oregon’s flat performance in last week’s Pac-12 title game and try to knock the hire for Miami.
They might point to Miami’s clumsy handling of the Manny Diaz situation, too. That criticism is fair, but those same individuals need to understand what exactly the Hurricanes are getting in Cristobal; a battle-tested recruiter that’s going to get the best talent to Coral Gables.
Since Cristobal took over for Willie Taggart in Eugene, the Ducks have signed the nation’s No. 6, No. 7, No. 11 and No. 13-ranked recruiting classes.
This year’s group is pacing to finish ranked inside the top 10, as well. To the average college football fan, that might not seem impressive — good programs should get good players — but Oregon isn’t exactly a football hotbed. In fact, the state has produced less than a dozen NFL Draft picks over the past five years.
So, with Cristobal and his staff not really in a position to shop in their backyard every cycle, they have had to recruit nationally, and Cristobal has had plenty of success doing just that.
Back in 2019, the Ducks went into Los Angeles and beat out college football’s best pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, the nation’s top-ranked prospect.
Impressive, but what should have Miami fans excited about the Cristobal hire is the fact that Cristobal isn’t going to have to recruit nationally like he did at Oregon.
The Hurricanes can turn into a College Football Playoff contender with recruits nearby in the Sunshine State, and more specifically South Florida.
South Florida is overstocked with blue-chip talent every year. That means all Cristobal really has to do is keep a bulk of the five and four-stars home every cycle.
It would be a bit ridiculous to assume that Cristobal will sign everyone within an hour drive of Miami’s campus (Nick Saban is always going to get his and it’s starting to look that way with Kirby Smart) but his name should have the Hurricanes in position to land a lot of talent as the general feeling inside the ever so powerful South Florida high school football circles is that Cristobal gets it: that means coaches and parents will want their kids to play for Cristobal.
Smart Or Not?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
First and foremost, I am a huge fan of Kirby Smart.
After six years, some honest and constructive assessments seem fair game.
Kirby is hands down the best recruiter UGA has ever seen and probably the best in college football. The Athletic Board has given him a blank check for several hundred million dollars of new and upgraded facilities.
The UGA fan base is one of the most loyal, loud, rabid and die-hard in America. They show up and show out. Kirby has been given every possible resource at his disposal. He has proven himself as a phenomenal recruiter. He has not yet proven himself to be a phenomenal head coach.
Some guys are great defensive coaches. Kirby, Will Muschamp certainly qualify. Some guys are great offensive coaches. Todd Monken appears to be one of the best they have ever had at UGA.
But being a great Coordinator does not mean you will be a great Head Coach, just ask Muschamp and Mullen.
So far, Kirby has been a better than average Head Coach, and he has shown growth and improvement during his six years.
Clearly there are other coaches who have done more with a lot less talent and sub-standard facilities. Kirby is building a program for the long haul. No shortcuts. But to quote Kirby, “you’re either elite or you’re not” and Kirby is not an elite coach … YET.
Elite professionals work as hard improving themselves as they do improving others.
They don’t let egos or stubbornness impede their personal growth. I don’t know if that is what is happening with Kirby this season or not, but the next few weeks will certainly answer the question.
Kirby has tried beating Bama twice with Stetson Bennett. He failed both times.
He has more than enough film to prove he is not going to beat his mentor with Stetson Bennett. He also saw Auburn take Bama to 4 OT ‘s by playing man defense and pressuring Young with a constant blitz.
Georgia has three of the brightest defensive minds and through stubbornness or ignorance, they stayed in zone defense, with no pressure, and allowed Young to pick the Dawgs apart. Auburn had 7 sacks; Dawgs had zero.
Elite coaches will ADMIT their mistakes and make the necessary corrections. Time will tell if Smart has that skill set or not. And soon, we will see if Kirby can become an elite coach.
If he continues to do the same thing and expect different outcomes, then we will know Georgia hired a phenomenal recruiter, and an above average head coach.
Flame away if you like, but these are my constructive thoughts. Good news is you won’t have to wait but about a month to find out if I’m right or not.
Reevaluate the quarterback situation and get JT Daniels ready to play. I don’t know if it will happen but I do believe it needs to. I know many Dawg fans want to see Daniels under center against Michigan.
UGA has to get healthy and get some guys ready to play.
The STAR/nickel position got exploited against Alabama. I think the staff needs to get Kamari Lassiter or Javon Bullard or whoever ready to play winning football going into the playoffs.
The bottom line is Kirby Smart has built an Elite Program but can he win the BIG GAME?
Chomped
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, here we are in the smoldering aftermath of the Damn Mullen era at UF.
It was fun at first, but ultimately, bad roots produced bad fruits.
Mullen is gone and before we turn to the excitement of the coaching search, here are a few takeaways that I think we should all keep in mind for the future:
CFB is a recruiting game; recruiting sorts out all the small details on the field automatically- There are no “master developers”, Portal Kombat is a fantasy, and coaching only beats talent when talent isn’t coached.
Want to know if your team is on the path to an SEC Championship? Show me a composite top-5 class or a superstar QB. Until 30 years of history are proven wrong, that’s reality for today’s game.
Long-term rebuilds are like unicorns. I love the idea, but I sure can’t find one. Only 2 coaches since the early 90s have won their first SEC after year 3 at a school. One had a #1 overall class (Fulmer at Tennessee in 97) and one had a superstar QB (Tuberville at Auburn in 04). But again, winning fast means recruiting fast.
Dan Mullen is not Dabo Swinney and UF is not Clemson 2007. Assembling a great first staff and quickly acquiring a top-notch QB are huge. I could go on at length about this, but instead I’ll offer my evidence in six words: Knox over Seider. Jones over Corral. So, yeah. Watch this carefully over the next year.
The offensive line is still THE biggest personnel issue on this team, dating back to the Meyer era, and it must be fixed if the program is going anywhere.
The program stopped signing quality in numbers at the position around 2010 and it has been crippling to one degree or another ever since. Unlike other positions, the unit comprises almost a quarter of the starting 22, and this lack of excellence can’t continue.
The Gator program must recruit Florida’s elite athletes better if they’re to rise. There’s no way around it. They can’t make up for the home state futility in California, with a national approach, or through the portal.
An entirely new approach to recruiting is necessary that exploits every advantage and loophole. Bags and facilities are tools, but they weren’t why Mullen sucked. Lack of effort, lack of communication, lack of organization, lack of creativity, and lack of having more were the reasons.
It’s time for the program to be transformed into a recruiting organization first and foremost. They must find ways to capitalize on what the rules allow. They must use NIL to the fullest.
People will lie to you in this business, because tickling your ears is good for profit and popularity. Things have certainly improved, but there are still those out there who will mislead fans with optimistic reports that have little factual grounding.
One such profiteer got mad at me on Twitter a few years back when I called him out publicly for lying to fans, telling them “Mullen is en route to a top-5 class”. He demanded that I call him, which I did. When I asked him why he was telling fans that UF was in great position to land Dontae Lucas (who had a family connection to the FSU staff) and other unrealistic targets, he said “where does it leave me business wise if I’m not optimistic”. As consumers, you have a right to look at people’s track record and to ask them to show their math.
We’re fortunate in many ways to have had Mullen when we did. It’s been hashed and beaten to death, but none of the other available coaches that year would have been any better.
Probably a lot worse. We kept ourselves relevant enough to be distanced from Tennessee, Miami, and FSU. The Gators are probably not far off from CFP contenders if the new coach has a passion for recruiting – and it starts with AR15.
To end my breakup letter, I’m glad it’s over, and I’m excited for the future. I never liked him and I am thrilled, but I will always wonder what he might have been able to do here if he wasn’t such a gaping, stubborn, arrogant SOB.
