Florida Gators: Clemson Tigers
With basketball season over, the No. 1 prospect in Florida can finally hit the road to check out some college campuses. The No. 12 overall prospect in the ESPN 150 David Sharpe (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence School) has no shortage of options to choose from.
During spring break, Sharpe visited in-state Florida and Florida State. Over the weekend, he spent time at two out-of-state programs. Sharpe got to Clemson on Friday morning and stayed there until Saturday morning. He then spent the rest of the day in Athens, Ga., before visiting with some family in Georgia.
During spring break, Sharpe visited in-state Florida and Florida State. Over the weekend, he spent time at two out-of-state programs. Sharpe got to Clemson on Friday morning and stayed there until Saturday morning. He then spent the rest of the day in Athens, Ga., before visiting with some family in Georgia.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. -- He's only a freshman, but Wakulla wide receiver Keith Gavin has already garnered offers from Florida State, Florida, Clemson, South Carolina and Ole Miss.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound 2016 prospect is just starting the recruiting process but has caught the eye of many college across the southeast.
"It's been crazy," Gavin said. "Just about every week I've been having a different coach come to see me and watch me practice."
Gavin acknowledges that it's still too early to narrow down his choices, but he admits there is a school he grew up rooting for.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound 2016 prospect is just starting the recruiting process but has caught the eye of many college across the southeast.
"It's been crazy," Gavin said. "Just about every week I've been having a different coach come to see me and watch me practice."
Gavin acknowledges that it's still too early to narrow down his choices, but he admits there is a school he grew up rooting for.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- The youngest student at Stephens County High School in Toccoa, Ga., also happens to be the school's largest student. Freshman offensive tackle Ben Cleveland is only 14 and claims to be the youngest student in the ninth grade. Despite his youth, he already stands 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 315 pounds. Cleveland receives an abundance of slack-jawed stares when he is on the football field, but the real gawping comes when he steps onto the baseball diamond to man first base.
In fact, that was where a college football coach first spotted him.
In fact, that was where a college football coach first spotted him.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Holding more than 40 offers, running back Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) is arguably the most sought-after recruit in the West region. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound, four-star back is the top running back in the West and the No. 135 player in the country. His offer sheet has seemingly grown by the minute this spring, but he isn't in any hurry to narrow it down.
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
RecruitingNation: Building for the future
April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
1:54
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Tom Luginbill breaks down what some of the top teams in the country have done this spring in recruiting.
BRADENTON, Fla. -- On the fields of the IMG Academy Southeast Regional 7-on-7 Tournament, George Campbell (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) stood off to the side with a sling hanging off his shoulder and covering his broken wrist.
That injury, suffered a few weeks back, will keep him out of East Lake's spring practices starting at the beginning of May. But fortunately for him, he's already got a ton of offers to begin with and won't be reliant on coaches coming by for the evaluation period.
That doesn't mean he isn't frustrated, though.
That injury, suffered a few weeks back, will keep him out of East Lake's spring practices starting at the beginning of May. But fortunately for him, he's already got a ton of offers to begin with and won't be reliant on coaches coming by for the evaluation period.
That doesn't mean he isn't frustrated, though.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ASHBURN, Va. -- Cornerback Jalen Tabor (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate), the No. 19 overall player in the ESPN 150, is in no rush to commit.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
RN Top 10: IMG SE Regional 
April, 22, 2013
Apr 22
9:00
AM ET
By
Corey Dowlar and
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Some of the top prospects at the skill positions took to the fields at the IMG Academy over the weekend to participate in the 7-on-7 Southeast Regional. Here are 10 players who really stood out based upon their performances alone.
10. Kyle Gibson
Seffner (Fla.) Armwood | ATH | 6-foot, 180 pounds
The safety wasn't flashy over the course of the two-day event, but Gibson consistently seemed to be in good position to knock down pass attempts. The four-star prospect continually took the right angles on deep balls and came up aggressively on underneath routes. On day one, Gibson helped Team Tampa beat the South Florida Express Elite, which consisted of big-time wide receivers Ermon Lane and Florida State commit JoJo Robinson. Vanderbilt and Louisville are two schools standing out for Gibson. He has no timeframe on making a decision.
10. Kyle Gibson
Seffner (Fla.) Armwood | ATH | 6-foot, 180 pounds
The safety wasn't flashy over the course of the two-day event, but Gibson consistently seemed to be in good position to knock down pass attempts. The four-star prospect continually took the right angles on deep balls and came up aggressively on underneath routes. On day one, Gibson helped Team Tampa beat the South Florida Express Elite, which consisted of big-time wide receivers Ermon Lane and Florida State commit JoJo Robinson. Vanderbilt and Louisville are two schools standing out for Gibson. He has no timeframe on making a decision.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
12:49
PM ET
By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Student Sports, ESPN, ESPNSpeedy Noil, Adoree Jackson and Da'Shawn Hand are three of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2014.
: RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.
Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.
#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.
Tom Luginbill writes
: After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.
The IMG 7v7 Southeast Regional Championship in Bradenton, Fla., on Saturday and Sunday will feature several ESPN 150 players. This star-studded event will feature the South Florida Express, one of the top 7-on-7 teams in the country, and Team Tampa, which won the IMG 7v7 National Championships last year. Here's a look at five things to watch at this weekends events.
1. Wide receiver position is loaded
There will be a plethora of top wide receivers in Bradenton this weekend. Ermon Lane (Homestead, Fla./Homestead), the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the country, will have a chance to showcase his abilities against some elite talent. Additionally, Travis Rudolph (West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman), Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), Moral Stephens (Perry, Fla./Taylor County), Kenric Young (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville), Isaiah Ford (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian), Garrett Johnson (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) and 2015 wideout Da'Vante Phillips (Miami/Central) are scheduled to participate.
1. Wide receiver position is loaded
There will be a plethora of top wide receivers in Bradenton this weekend. Ermon Lane (Homestead, Fla./Homestead), the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the country, will have a chance to showcase his abilities against some elite talent. Additionally, Travis Rudolph (West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman), Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), Moral Stephens (Perry, Fla./Taylor County), Kenric Young (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville), Isaiah Ford (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian), Garrett Johnson (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) and 2015 wideout Da'Vante Phillips (Miami/Central) are scheduled to participate.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The RN Top 10 will appear throughout the camp and combine season and rank prospects based strictly on their on-field performance at that particular event. It does not reflect what their overall prospect ranking will be when the 2014 rankings are unveiled this spring.
BUFORD, Ga. – With 276 players taking part in the Atlanta Nike Football Training Camp on Saturday, there were dozens of prospects in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 classes who had already been offered by FBS programs. Six of the participants were awarded invitations to the The Opening later the summer.
10. Terronne Prescod
Lithonia (Ga.) Columbia |OG|6-foot-4, 320 pounds
The offensive linemen at the Atlanta NFTC were not an overly impressive group, but Prescod stood out, not just because of his hairstyle. He locked up and drove back multiple defensive tackles and showed an impressive base.
Prescod is approaching 10 offers, and has scholarship opportunities with Missouri, Ole Miss and Virginia. At the moment, Prescod says Missouri is standing out. Watch out for Auburn if they offer, as they seem to be the school he feels most at home with right now.
Craig Haubert’s take: “Prescod did a nice job in the offensive line group that was not among the strongest at the NFTC this year. He showed good bend and strong punch and he has outstanding size, both in height and bulk.”
BUFORD, Ga. – With 276 players taking part in the Atlanta Nike Football Training Camp on Saturday, there were dozens of prospects in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 classes who had already been offered by FBS programs. Six of the participants were awarded invitations to the The Opening later the summer.
10. Terronne Prescod
Lithonia (Ga.) Columbia |OG|6-foot-4, 320 pounds
The offensive linemen at the Atlanta NFTC were not an overly impressive group, but Prescod stood out, not just because of his hairstyle. He locked up and drove back multiple defensive tackles and showed an impressive base.
Prescod is approaching 10 offers, and has scholarship opportunities with Missouri, Ole Miss and Virginia. At the moment, Prescod says Missouri is standing out. Watch out for Auburn if they offer, as they seem to be the school he feels most at home with right now.
Craig Haubert’s take: “Prescod did a nice job in the offensive line group that was not among the strongest at the NFTC this year. He showed good bend and strong punch and he has outstanding size, both in height and bulk.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
George Brown Jr. is making an early -- but strong -- case for the top 2015 prospect in the state of Ohio, and the top player in the talent-rich state is going to see his share of interest from elite programs across the country.
Another national offer came for the 2015 two-way lineman on Thursday, this one from the Florida Gators.
The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Brown is being recruited at a bevy of positions, with offensive tackle, defensive end and tight end all on the table. The Gators like him on the offensive line, though, as position coach Tim Davis and Brown have kept in contact the last few weeks.
Another national offer came for the 2015 two-way lineman on Thursday, this one from the Florida Gators.
The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Brown is being recruited at a bevy of positions, with offensive tackle, defensive end and tight end all on the table. The Gators like him on the offensive line, though, as position coach Tim Davis and Brown have kept in contact the last few weeks.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Despite not having a complete spring football game, the Florida Gators managed to have a very successful recruiting weekend.
ESPN Watch List running back Dalvin Cook (Miami/Central) became Florida's ninth verbal commitment on Saturday, as the 5-foot-11, 195-pound athlete switched his pledge from Clemson to Florida.
The switch came as a surprise, though. Earlier in the day Cook stated that Florida had pulled into a tie with Clemson, but after talking it over with his family, the speedy back decided to pull the trigger.
ESPN Watch List running back Dalvin Cook (Miami/Central) became Florida's ninth verbal commitment on Saturday, as the 5-foot-11, 195-pound athlete switched his pledge from Clemson to Florida.
The switch came as a surprise, though. Earlier in the day Cook stated that Florida had pulled into a tie with Clemson, but after talking it over with his family, the speedy back decided to pull the trigger.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- ESPN Watch List running back Dalvin Cook (Miami/Central) flipped his commitment from Clemson to Florida on Saturday after visiting the Gators for their annual spring game. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back left the spring game and said Florida was tied with Clemson for the lead, but after having lunch with his family, he decided to go ahead and make the switch.
"I flipped to Florida," Cook said. "I felt that Florida would be the best place for me to spend the next three or four years. It wasn't just a quick decision. Me and my family have thought about it. We came up last week and had a good experience then I came up this weekend and it was even better."
Cook said he enjoyed watching Florida's running backs during the spring scrimmage and feels like he could fit in with what they are doing offensively.
"Coach [Will Muschamp] told me they are going to give the back the ball and they really proved that," Cook said. "They gave the back the ball, they gave KT [Kelvin Taylor] the ball a lot. I liked that. I actually saw them get after it, It was great seeing that. Coach told me that they didn't have the type of back that I am and that I could come in and be that guy."
USC is another school that Cook has talked about potentially visiting, but now he said he's not so sure he will take that visit.
"Probably not," Cook said. "I'm pretty firm in my decision. I'm going to Florida."
For Florida, the Gators now have nine commits, including eight that are listed in the ESPN Watch List.
"I flipped to Florida," Cook said. "I felt that Florida would be the best place for me to spend the next three or four years. It wasn't just a quick decision. Me and my family have thought about it. We came up last week and had a good experience then I came up this weekend and it was even better."
Cook said he enjoyed watching Florida's running backs during the spring scrimmage and feels like he could fit in with what they are doing offensively.
USC is another school that Cook has talked about potentially visiting, but now he said he's not so sure he will take that visit.
"Probably not," Cook said. "I'm pretty firm in my decision. I'm going to Florida."
For Florida, the Gators now have nine commits, including eight that are listed in the ESPN Watch List.
Under Armour All-American Raekwon McMillan (Hinesville, Ga./Liberty County) admits that other programs had surged on his list recently, some moving past the University of Georgia. With that in mind, the 6-foot-2, 249-pound linebacker decided to make the trip back to Athens, Ga., to watch the in-state Bulldogs in their G-Day spring scrimmage and figure out whether the interest was still there.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ABOUT GATOR NATION
Michael DiRocco
Michael DiRocco came to ESPN.com in 2011 after spending 10 and a half years covering UF for the Florida Times-Union. He lives in Middleburg, Fla., with his wife and two sons. Email him at espndirocco@gmail.com.
Derek Tyson
Derek Tyson joined ESPN.com in 2011. He worked as a football and recruiting analyst for GatorCountry.com before joining ESPN. He currently resides in Gainesville, Fla. Email him at derektysonespn@gmail.com.