Florida Gators

Competition in the SEC continues to heat up for Matt Elam.

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T.J. Harrell (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Catholic) is going to be leaning heavily on visits.

The 6-foot, 197-pound two-way athlete has a bunch of offers, but to distinguish them, he's going to have to see what the school is like behind the brochures he gets in the mail.

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This year’s NCAA tournament has been full of great stories, from Florida Gulf Coast’s Cinderella run to La Salle going from First Four to Sweet 16 to the Big Ten placing four teams in the final 16.

But what about the stories behind the stories -- the tales of how some of this year’s March Madness stars ended up at their eventual schools and helped shape this year’s tourney? To delve into those, this week’s top 10 looks at the 10 best recruiting stories from players and teams in the Sweet 16.

Top 10 Recruiting Stories From the Sweet 16

1. Trey Burke, Michigan
Mick Cronin is not going to want to hear this again, but it’s true. Burke was going to Cincinnati. It was nearly a done deal. But one last call to Michigan’s staff changed the fate of two programs. According to recruiting lore, Burke’s father called a final time asking Michigan if it was interested in Burke. If the answer was no, then Burke was going to Cincinnati. This was in late July of Burke’s pre-senior summer. Remember, it wasn’t like the now All-American was hot stuff then. He was good -- a late top-100 player -- but he wasn’t the player then that he has become. Ultimately, Michigan said it wanted Burke and the Wolverines landed him a few days later.

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Editor's note: Finding the Future is a RecruitingNation feature that will appear throughout camps and combine season, ranking prospects strictly on their on-field performance at the particular event. It does not reflect where each will land when the class is ranked by ESPN.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There might have been as many BCS conference-caliber recruits in the 2015 and 2016 classes present at the NFTC Sunday than there were in the 2014 class. It looks like the next couple of classes in the Carolinas will be stocked with top-tier talent, and a few of them stood out on Sunday in the rain.

1. 2015 DT Albert Huggins

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ATHENS, Ga. -- For most high school players, the end of practice means they get a break from the incessant nagging and ceaseless instruction of their coaches. They go home, eat dinner, study and enjoy the respite until the whistles start blowing next time. For ESPN Watch List safety Quincy Wilson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University School), that is not the case.

Wilson’s father is the defensive coordinator and the defensive backs coach at the University School, so Wilson jokes that he gets no respite.

“Oh no, there’s no break, there’s no break,” Wilson said. “Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, I get it at practice, before practice, after practice, in the car, at the dinner table ...”

The talented junior laughed about the nonstop instruction but he also credited his father with making him the player he is today -- one of the most coveted safeties in Florida.

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SEC stalwarts are calling for Matt Elam. However, it might be tough to pull him out of Kentucky.

The defensive lineman from Elizabethtown (Ky.) Hardin has repeatedly said he'd like to stay close to home to attend college. That's good news for Kentucky and Louisville. Both schools have offered him a scholarship. That means more work for Alabama, who has offered, and Tennessee and Florida, who have shown recent interest.

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Urban Meyer was at it again Wednesday with yet another offer to a defensive lineman.

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A pair of ESPN 300 teammates from Tallahassee will be on The Plains this weekend to visit Auburn.

And both will be making this their first official visit.

Lincoln High School standouts James Hearns, linebacker, and Taj Williams, wide receiver, are currently en route for an impromptu visit.

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NEW ORLEANS -- Here’s an analysis of three key plays in Florida’s 33-23 loss to Louisville in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Wednesday.

Pick six

Terell Floyd interception

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NEW ORLEANS -- Florida wrapped up its 2012 season with a surprisingly poor performance against Louisville in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Gators’ defense, which had been so good all season and was the reason they were in the national championship hunt in late November, played its worst game of the season.

Here is the good and the bad from the 33-23 loss, which snapped UF’s four-game bowl winning streak.

THREE UP

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