What to watch for in June
With the spring evaluation period in the rear view mirror and Florida's next big recruiting event (Friday Night Lights) still roughly six weeks away, it's time to take a look at what we'll be watching for in the month of June.
CAMP SESSIONS
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The 2013 version of the Will Muschamp Football Camp kicks off this Saturday with the first of what will be four one day mini-camps (8th, 11th, 13th & 15th).
Then, sandwiched between the mini-camps will be two overnight camp sessions.
The mini-camps are where you will find a couple of actual prospects taking part, while the overnight camps are mostly high school players who are there to work on their game, but aren't necessarily prospects.
While these camps, by rule, are for instructional purposes only, there still will be a few big name prospects dropping by.
Some will camp, some won't. There is an important distinction there when it comes to recruiting.
Whether or not a young man actually participates in the camp setting impacts what the coaches can do with them.
Take for instance Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas Rivals250 defensive end, and Florida commit, Anthony Moten. Though he is visiting on Saturday, the first day of camp season, he isn't expected to actually participate, making this an unofficial visit rather than a camp session.
Two other Florida commits Duke Dawson and Benjamin Knox are scheduled to be on campus as well. No word yet on whether or not they are camping or just visiting.
Also expected in on Saturday is St. Petersburg (Fla.) Admiral Farragut Academy three-star running back Cortavious Givens, who in hoping to earn an offer, is camping.
Jensen Beach (Fla.) three-star linebacker Xavier Preston and Niceville (Fla.) 2015 running back Shi'Kim Coward will also be camping.
RIVALS FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE
Beginning with a preview on Thursday, Inside the Gators will have exclusive coverage of the The Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour. From Friday through Sunday over 100 of the top prospects in the nation will participate in drills inside the famed Soldier Field in Chicago.
While no Florida commits will be on hand (both Will Grier and Davin Cook were invited, but had other engagements) there will be quite a few top Florida targets on hand.
Included in that group are Ponte Vedra (Fla.) Rivals100 linebacker Dillon Bates, West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer Rivals250 wide out Johnnie Dixon, Joliet (Ill.) Plainfield South Rivals100 linebacker Clifton Garrett, O'Fallon (Ill.) Rivals250 defensive end DeWayne Hendrix, Homestead (Fla.) Rivals100 wide out Ermon Lane and many others.
Check back in around noon Friday for updates from the lobby as the prospects arrive and then Saturday and Sunday for live updates from the field and post practice photos, video, prospect features, notebooks and much more.
BIG TIME VISITORS
After competing at the Challenge this coming weekend, a couple of top prospects will then head to Gainesville to visit Florida the following weekend.
Topping the list of June unofficial visitors is the No.1 rated prospect in the nation - Woodbridge (Va.) Woodbridge Senior five-star defensive end Da'Shawn Hand. Florida is in his top five, but both Michigan and Virginia Tech seem to be leading the pack early on. What happens on this visit will go a long ways toward determining the Gators place on his board.
Hand however isn't the only five-star due in the weekend of the 15th.
Also scheduled to be in Gainesville next weekend is Norcross (Ga.) five-star defensive end Lorenzo Carter. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder had Alabama and Georgia as his early favorites.
As if the weekend wasn't big enough, another elite prospect due in that weekend is Lewisville (Tx.) Hebron Rivals100 safety Jamal Adams. This will be Adams first visit to Florida. He is the Godson of Florida wide receivers coach Joker Phillips.
One of the more important visitors the Gators will have on campus this June is Brooklyn (N.Y.) Abraham Lincoln Rivals100 defensive tackle Thomas Holley. Florida was one of the first to offer the Empire State big man before he blew up this spring. He will visit Florida, Florida State and Miami beginning on June 12th.
Another four-star who is scheduled to see the Gators this month is Plaquemine (La.) Rivals250 defensive end Davon Godchaux, who will visit sometime in 'Mid-June' according to him.
Those listed are hardly the only prospects who will be in town.
Cousins C'yontai Lewis (the UF commit is visiting MSU and FSU as well) and Bo Scarbrough are supposed to visit one day and then might not the next. Also, look for Pelion (S.C.) 2015 wide out Freddie Phillips to camp late next week.
AN EARLY OFFICIAL VISITOR
June 15th is shaping up to be as big as any fall visit weekend. Not only will UF host the Rivals100 prospects listed above unofficially, they are expecting their first official visitor of the year that weekend as well.
Milledgeville (Ga.) Georgia Military Academy JUCO defensive lineman DaVonte Lambert visits Florida next weekend and then trips to Tennessee officially the following weekend. He also has Auburn and Georgia high on his list.
For his first trip to Gainesville, he plans on having both his mother and his grandmother along side of him.
[Update: Another June 15 official visitor]
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