With spring now officially behind us and the summer about to kick off, Inside the Gators decided to take a look at five prospects with whom the Florida Gators lost ground with over the four months of spring which includes college spring football camps as well as the high school spring evaluation period.
Players are listed alphabetically
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* 2019 star wide out grew up a Florida fan
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What Took Place: On their very first day out on the road, Florida sent Corey Bell by his high school to see him, but to no avail.
What was said: “Coach [Kerry] Dixon has really been talking to me a lot. He just tells me he feels that I would fit great into their program. They think I could be a big time player for their offense and help them stretch the field and use my length. I was going to visit a few weeks ago, but couldn’t get a ride set up, but I will be down there when I can.”
The Competition: Notre Dame & Miami
The Skinny: Florida wasn't just in his early top eight, though he didn't come right out and say it, the Gators were thought to be the outright leader as late as late March, early April. When he missed a scheduled visit to Florida for a junior day, Miami started creeping up, then he took a visit to Notre Dame in late April, and Florida fell completely out of the picture.
The Bottom Line: The wide receiver board is such that missing out on him - at least for now - isn't devastating. However, he is one of the top wide outs in the state and would have been (and would still be) a welcomed addition.
What Took Place: He visited Alabama for their spring game. While there he and fellow wide out Justyn Ross were chauffeured around by Nick Saban.
What was said: “It’s between those two,” Copeland said of Auburn and Florida. “I have a good feel for those two schools.”
The Competition: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss & Tennessee
The Skinny: No, Florida hasn't lost out on him, the Gators are still very much in the running. However, without question UF has lost ground since the start of spring ball. On 4/9 he was down to two, with him saying he knew where he wanted to play ball immediately after he visited Florida. Then, on 4/11 he was back up to five schools. Florida has been the one consistent, and still may lead (though keep an eye on the Tide), but the lead isn't what it once was.
The Bottom Line: If he would have ended it when he first said he knew where he wanted to go, he would be on the Florida commit list right now. That A-Day trip to Alabama though looms large. Even though he is in the Sunshine State, being out in the Panhandle, you might as well say he is from South Alabama. How often he makes to to campus is what is going to matter most now. Oh, and how well, or poorly, Florida does offensively this coming season.
Related: Social Slant - Copeland expands list
What Took Place: A couple of very telling things happened during the spring, he and then Alabama commit Dameon Pierce were the first two running backs Florida visited this spring. Martin had a top two of Florida and Auburn, but then the Tide offered Martin and Pierce decommitted from Alabama.
What was said: "It really comes down to my relationship with coach [Ja'Juan] Seider, their running backs coach. He has been recruiting me since he was at West Virginia, so we know each other well and he has a good history of producing running backs. I also just like the program overall at Florida. I went down there recently and it really amazed me and my mom. She loves it, my brother loves it and we all had a great time when we were down there."
The Competition: Alabama & Auburn
The Skinny: The talk is, is that the Tide have made Martin their top running back target. Tough it doesn't happen often, it isn't like Florida hasn't gone in and taken a home-state running back from Alabama before. The Gators did it two cycles ago when they landed Lamical Perine. One of the biggest differences between the two though was that the Tide only offered Perine with a couple of weeks left in the cycle, they are getting in on Martin earlier.
The Bottom Line: If Martin ends up at Alabama (more likely) or Auburn (less likely) the Gators could fall back and still wind up with Pierce - who likes Georgia and Florida State, but they have other priories. Either way this works out - it could be that Florida still ends up with a four-star running back that they very much covet.
Related: Florida leads for four-star back
What Took Place: As far as Florida is concerned there was both good and bad over the last four months. He visited Florida for a junior day in early spring and then the Gators sent two coaches by his school on their first day on the road. The bad being he didn't return over the spring for a practice.
What was said: “After spring football I think he and his mom are going to sit down and figure out what direction they want to go in and the approach they take. He is just trying to take it all in and enjoy the process. We don’t know things like where he sits on a team’s board or how long they would want to wait for him to make a decision." - Tampa Berkley Prep head coach Dominic Ciao
The Competition: Alabama & Notre Dame
The Skinny: I was tempted to leave NPF off of this list because he never had the Gators as his clear cut No. 1 and Florida is in his top three. However, you do get the feeling that of his top three, Florida is currently behind both the Tide and the Irish.
The Bottom Line: This one is hardly over with and of the five players here, he and Copeland would be the two who are still most likely to end up as part of Florida's signing class.
Related: Coach updates four-star Petit-Frere
What Took Place: This is starting to sound like a broken record, but it is important because it is one way for a staff to show a kid how high they are on him, Florida sent Greg Nord to see Takacs on the first day the staff was on the road this spring.
What was said: "It is an in-state school, so I like that. I also like how they use the tight end and I feel like I would have a good chance for early playing time there. It is a good school not far from my home and I like it there."
The Competition: Georgia, Notre Dame & Wisconsin
The Skinny: Florida was the first of his final four to offer and after he visited for a practice this past spring, it sounded as though the Gators were going to be the team to beat. Then Notre Dame started making him more of a priority, sending their offensive coordinator Chip Long to see him twice this spring.
The Bottom Line: This is another instance where just because he is on this list, doesn't mean that the Gators are out of the running. Having said that, the Irish are leading at this time.
Related: Tight end talks top four
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